And all who heard it wondered at the things said to them by the shepherds.

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, who was so named by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

(as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),

Now there was a man in Jerusalem of the name of Symeon, an upright and God-fearing man, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

which [i.e., whom] you have prepared before all people [i.e., for their benefit],

And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was far advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity,

and she had been a widow even unto fourscore and four years), who departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and supplications night and day.

and she coming up the same hour gave praise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem.

And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

and he went into all the Jordan-district preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins ??4 as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah, The voice of one who cries in the desert, 'Make the way ready for the Lord, level the paths for him.

This was according to what is written in the book containing the words of Isaiah, the prophet [Isa. 40:3ff], "The voice of a man who speaks out in the desert [urging people] to make the road for the Lord ready [for Him to travel]; to make a straight pathway for Him [to walk on].

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

And John replied, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same.”

And those who served in the army were also asking him, saying, "What should we also do?" And he said to them, "Extort from no one, and do not blackmail [anyone], and be content with your pay."

John answered, saying to all, 'I indeed with water do baptise you, but he cometh who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his sandals -- he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire;

But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was repeatedly reprimanded [and convicted by John’s disapproval] for having Herodias, his brother’s wife [as his own], and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,

The Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove, and a voice came from heaven, saying, You are my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli,

Who was the son of Matthat, who was the son of Levi, who was the son of Melchi, who was the son of Janna, who was the son of Joseph,

Who was the son of Mattathias, who was the son of Amos, who was the son of Naum, who was the son of Esli, who was the son of Nagge,

Who was the son of Maath, who was the son of Mattathias, who was the son of Semei, who was the son of Joseph, who was the son of Juda,

Who was the son of Joanna, who was the son of Rhesa, who was the son of Zorobabel, who was the son of Salathiel, who was the son of Neri,

Who was the son of Melchi, who was the son of Addi, who was the son of Cosam, who was the son of Elmodam, who was the son of Er,

Who was the son of Jose, who was the son of Eliezer, who was the son of Jorim, who was the son of Matthat, who was the son of Levi,

Who was the son of Simeon, who was the son of Judah, who was the son of Joseph, who was the son of Jonan, who was the son of Eliakim,

Who was the son of Melea, who was the son of Menan, who was the son of Mattatha, who was the son of Nathan, who was the son of David,

Who was the son of Jesse, who was the son of Obed, who was the son of Booz, who was the son of Salmon, who was the son of Naasson,

Who was the son of Aminadab, who was the son of Aram, who was the son of Esrom, who was the son of Phares, who was the son of Judah,

Who was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, who was the son of Terah, who was the son of Nahor,

Who was the son of Serug, who was the son of Reu, who was the son of Peleg, who was the son of Heber, who was the son of Sala,

Who was the son of Cainan, who was the son of Arphaxad, who was the son of Shem, who was the son of Noah, who was the son of Lamech,

Who was the son of Methuselah, who was the son of Enoch, who was the son of Jared, who was the son of Maleleel, who was the son of Cainan,

Who was the son of Enos, who was the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God.

And the devil said to Him, "I will give you full authority [over them] and their splendor, for it has [all] been granted to me and to whom I want to give it.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah),
Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy),

And rolling up the volume, he gave it to the attendant officer, and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were attentively fixed on him.

All who were present spoke well of him, and were astonished at the beautiful words that fell from his lips. "Is not he Joseph's son?" they asked.

and yet Elijah was not sent [by the Lord] to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

And in the prophet Elisha’s time, there were many in Israel who had serious skin diseases, yet not one of them was healed —only Naaman the Syrian.”

And all who were in the Synagogue were very angry when these things were said to them.

There was a man in the synagogue who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud and terrible voice,

Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

While the sun was setting [marking the end of the Sabbath day], all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them [exhibiting His authority as Messiah].

many were dispossess'd of the demons, who cried aloud, you are the Messiah, the son of God. but he rebuked them, and would not suffer them to declare, that they knew him to be the Messiah.

And they beckoned to their partners who were in the other ship to come and help them, and they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were sinking.

For astonishment had laid hold on him, and on all those who were with him, at the haul of fishes which they had taken;

and so were also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And it came to pass on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judaea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.

And lo, men bringing upon a couch a man who was paralysed; and they sought to bring him in, and put him before him.

who perceiving their faith, said to him, O! man, your sins are forgiven you.

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

But Jesus, who had knowledge of their thoughts, said to them, Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," he said to the one who was paralyzed, "I say to you, 'Get up and pick up your stretcher [and] go to your home.'"

And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house, and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and others who were at table with them.

And Jesus answering said unto them, 'They who are well have no need of a physician, but they that are ill:

I did not come to call those who are doing right to repent [i.e., to change their hearts and lives], but [only those who are] sinners."

No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, "The old wine is good enough!'"

And Jesus answering said to them, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did when he hungered, he and those who were with him,

how he entered into the house of God and took the shewbread and ate, and gave to those also who were with him, which it is not lawful that any eat, unless the priests alone?

Another sabbath he happened to go into the synagogue and teach. Now a man was there who had his right hand withered,

But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, Get up, and stand in the midst. And having risen up he stood there.

And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,

and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor;

and he came down with them, and stood on a level place, and a great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judaea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

who had come to listen to Him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were troubled by unclean spirits (demons) were being healed.

Then looking up at His disciples, He said:

You who are poor are blessed,
because the kingdom of God is yours.

Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are you who hunger now [for righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied. Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the burden of sin is lifted].

But woe (judgment is coming) to you who are rich [and place your faith in possessions while remaining spiritually impoverished], for you are [already] receiving your comfort in full [and there is nothing left to be awarded to you].

Woe to you that are filled, for ye shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep.

'But I say to you who are hearing, Love your enemies, do good to those hating you,

bless those that curse you; pray for those who use you despitefully.

Whoever strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one also [simply ignore insignificant insults or losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity]. Whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

'And to every one who is asking of thee, be giving; and from him who is taking away thy goods, be not asking again;

If you [only] love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

But be loving to those who are against you and do them good, and give them your money, not giving up hope, and your reward will be great and you will be the sons of the Most High: for he is kind to evil men, and to those who have hard hearts.

He also told them a parable: "Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? Won't they both fall into a pit?

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded.

And he that has heard and not done, is like a man who has built a house on the ground without a foundation, on which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the breach of that house was great.

After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were there listening, he went to Capernaum.

And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

And having heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him who asked him that, having come, he would save his bondman.

And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.”

For I also am a man placed under authority, who has soldiers under me, and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another one, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does [it]."

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude who followed him, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel."

And they who had been sent returning to the house found the bondman, who was ill, in good health.

Now as He approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her [in the funeral procession].

And he came up [and] touched the bier, and those who were carrying [it] stopped. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"

The man who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

John’s disciples brought word to him [in prison] of all these things.

and John having called near a certain two of his disciples, sent unto Jesus, saying, 'Art thou he who is coming, or for another do we look?'

And having come near to him, the men said, 'John the Baptist sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he who is coming, or for another do we look?'

At that very hour Jesus healed many people of sicknesses and infirmities and evil spirits; and He gave [the gracious gift of] sight to many who were blind.