"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has consecrated me to preach the good news to the poor; He has sent me to announce release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to send the downtrodden away in liberty and

"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in dazzling luxury every day.

that you may better know the certainty of those things that you have been taught.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

Just then an expert in the law got up to test Him by asking, "Teacher, what shall I do to get possession of eternal life?"

Then the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and so your child will be called holy, the Son of God.

Now in those days an edict was issued by the Emperor Augustus that a census of the whole world should be taken.

Then He said: "There was a man who had two sons.

Then He said to them all, "If anyone chooses to be my disciple, he must say 'No' to self, put the cross on his shoulders daily, and continue to follow me.

One Sabbath, when He went to take a meal at the house of a Pharisee who was a member of the council, they continued to watch Him closely.

So He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, and as His habit was on the Sabbath, He went to the synagogue and stood up to read.

So everyone was going to his own town to register.

Now as they were journeying on, He came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him to her house.

Once He was praying in a certain place, and when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

Now He told them the following story to show how necessary it is for people always to pray and never to give up:

Now great crowds were going along with Him, and all at once He turned and said to them:

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and for forty days He was led about in the desert under the Spirit's guidance,

Now one of the Pharisees invited Him to take dinner with him. So He came to the Pharisee's house and took His place at the table.

Since many writers have undertaken to compose narratives about the facts established among us,

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on before Him, two by two, to every town or place which He was going to visit.

And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both of them were far advanced in years.

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the people that are lost."

They drew lots to divide His clothes among them.

Now on the Sabbath they rested, in accordance with the commandment, but on the first day of the week at early dawn they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared.

But I say to you who listen now to me, practice loving your enemies, practice doing good to those who hate you,

Practice forgiving others, and you will be forgiven. Practice giving to others, and they will give to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, people will pour into your lap. For the measure you use with others they in turn will use with you."

while all the throng of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense burning.

But He said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or umpire in your affairs?"

Once when he was acting as priest before God, when his division was on duty, it fell to his lot,

Then He took a loaf, gave thanks, and broke it in pieces, and gave it to them, and said, "This is my body which is to be given for you. Do this as a memorial to me."

To some people who were confident that they themselves were upright, but who scorned everybody else, He told the following story:

Once as the crowd was pressing against Him to hear the message of God, He found Himself standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret.

By no means, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

When Zechariah saw him, he was agitated, even overwhelmed with fear.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and still more, his own life too, he cannot be a disciple of mine.

And the scribes and the Pharisees were closely watching Him to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, in order to get a charge against Him.

One Sabbath He was teaching in one of the synagogues,

Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

On that very day, strange to say, two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,

So He said to him, "I solemnly say to you, this very day you will be in paradise with me."

in accordance with the priests' customs, to go into the sanctuary of the Lord to burn the incense,

Just then a man in the crowd said to Him, "Tell my brother to share with me our inheritance."

Stop being afraid, my little flock, for your Father has gladly chosen to give you the kingdom.

Now all the tax-collectors and notorious sinners were crowding around Him to listen to Him.

Or, if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

'We are wiping off against you the very dust from your town that has stuck to our feet. But understand this, the kingdom of God is close by.'

Then He went into Jericho and was passing through it.

Now Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His work; He was the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Eli,

Then he answered, "You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, and your whole mind, and your neighbor as you do yourself."

Then Mary said: "My soul extols the Lord;

And I will send down upon you what my Father has promised. But you, on your part, must stay right here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

Just at that time some people came up to tell Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with that of their sacrifices.

This will bring you gladness and delight, and many will rejoice over his birth.

and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem

In the fifteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was governor of Galilee, and his brother Philip was governor of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was governor of Abilene,

Now there were some shepherds in the same neighborhood, living in the open fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

Then He fixed His eyes upon His disciples, and began to speak. "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours!

"It is fire that I have come to bring upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

In the days when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest whose name was Zechariah, who belonged to the division of Abijah. His wife was also a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

"So why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' but do not practice what I tell you?

Meanwhile Jesus grew constantly in wisdom and in body, and in favor with God and man.

And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on earth despair of nations in bewilderment at the roaring of the sea and its waves,

Then Jesus in the power of the Spirit returned to Galilee, and news of Him spread all over the surrounding country.

Look at my hands and my feet, for it is I, myself. Feel of me and see for yourselves, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked permission to sift all of you like wheat,

I tell you, on that day the punishment will be lighter for Sodom than for that town.

Then they began to discuss among themselves which one it was who was going to do this.

Now when all the people had been baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was still praying, heaven opened

And then He said to them, "Be ever on the alert and always on your guard against every form of greed, because a man's life does not consist in his possessions, even though they are abundant."

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His forefather David,

Now as the time was coming to a head when He should be taken up to heaven, He firmly set His face to continue His journey to Jerusalem;

Now about eight days after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

Now He was saying to the disciples: "Once there was a rich man who had a household manager, and he was accused to his master of squandering the latter's property.

Now, when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with visible display,

Then He began with Moses and went through all the prophets and explained to them all the passages in the Scriptures about Himself.

Yes, you must practice dealing with others as you would like them to deal with you.

His disciples were asking Him what this story meant.

His parents were in the habit of going to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

So if you, in spite of your being bad, know how to give your children what is good, how much more surely will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who continue to ask Him?"

As He was going on to Jerusalem, He chanced to pass through Samaria and Galilee.

Then He called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to cure diseases,

For nothing is ever impossible for God."

Even while they were talking about these things, He took His stand among them Himself, [and said to them, "Peace to you!"]

So I tell you, keep on asking, and the gift will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will open to you.

Then Jesus uttered a loud cry, and said, "Father, I now commit my spirit to your care." As He said this He breathed His last.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet, not my will but always yours be done!"

Every ravine must be filled up, and every mountain and hill leveled down; the crooked places must become straight roads, and the rough roads must be made smooth,

for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord.

But another one came in and said, 'Here is your twenty dollars, sir, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief.

But the crowds learned of it, and followed Him; and He welcomed them and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God and to cure the people who needed to be cured.

Soon afterwards He chanced to be making a tour of Galilee from town to town and from village to village preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve went with Him,

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured her on the Sabbath, answered the crowd, "There are six days on which people must work; so come on these and be cured, but not on the Sabbath."

and said to them, "The Scriptures said that the Christ should suffer as He has suffered, should rise from the dead on the third day,

Then a certain member of the council asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get possession of eternal life?"

Listen! I have given you power to tread on snakes and scorpions, and to trample on all the power of the enemy, and nothing at all will ever harm you.

Then stop criticizing others, and you will never be criticized; stop condemning others, and you will never be condemned.

Soon afterwards He chanced to go to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a great throng of people were going along with Him.

Now it was in those days that He went up on the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

They did so and caught so vast a shoal of fish that their nets began to break.

But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and stand at the front." So he got up and stood there.

Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is far advanced in years."

Jesus answered: "A man was on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers, who both stripped him and beat him till he was half dead, and then went off and left him.

But the angel said to them: "Stop being afraid, for now I bring you good tidings of great joy which is to be for all the people;

Listen! You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name Him Jesus.

Now in those days Mary got up and hurried off to the hill country, to a town in Judah,

They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be carried off as captives among all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled under the feet of the heathen, until the times of the heathen come to full measure.

After saying these things, He went on ahead of them, on His way to Jerusalem.

So He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say: 'Father, Your name be revered; Your kingdom come;

Now you will keep silent and be unable to talk until the day when this takes place, because you did not believe what I told you, for it will be fulfilled at the proper time."

and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him in bodily form as a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are my Son, my Beloved! In you I am delighted!"

But the one who does wrong without knowing it will be lightly punished. Much will be demanded from anyone to whom much has been given; yea, people will demand much more from anyone to whom they have entrusted much.

For I too am under authority of others, and have soldiers under me, and I order one to go, and he goes, another to come, and he comes, my slave to do this, and he does it."

Meanwhile the people kept waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has come and brought His people deliverance;

But at the judgment the punishment will be lighter for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

"Glory to God in highest heaven! And peace on earth to men who please him."

And he will turn many of Israel's descendants to the Lord their God.

And often he craved to fill himself with the carob-pods which the hogs were eating, and nobody gave him a bite.

Any man who divorces his wife to marry another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries the woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

He said to them, "I was looking at Satan failing like a flash of lightning from heaven.

Now when the period of their purification ended, in accordance with the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, to do as it is written in the law of the Lord,

John expressly answered them all, "I am baptizing you in water only, but there is coming the One who is stronger than I am, whose shoestrings I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire;

But the tax-collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but continued to beat his breast, and say, 'O God, have mercy on me, a sinner!'

In like manner after supper He took a cup of wine, and said, "This cup of wine is the new covenant to be ratified by my blood, which is to be poured out for you.

They landed in the neighborhood of Gerasa, which is just across the lake from Galilee.

"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, then understand that her devastation is near.

Then He came down with them and took His stand on a level place, where there was a great throng of His disciples and a vast crowd of people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be cured of their diseases.

and so people will not say, 'Look! Here it is,' nor, 'There it is,' for the kingdom of God is within you."

So the angel came to her home and said, "Congratulations, you highly favored woman! The Lord be with you!"

Now when the hour came, He took His place at the table, with the apostles about Him.

And just as it was in the time of Noah, so it will be in the time of the Son of Man.

As they were listening to these things, He told them another story, because He was near Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.

Then He said to them, "O men sluggish in mind and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have said!

Were none found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

As He approached it, just as soon as He saw the city, He burst into tears over it,

So if you will worship before me just once, it shall all be yours."

Then the angel said, "Stop being afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Now the seventy returned and joyously reported, "Lord, even the demons are submitting to us in your name."

One day the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to be Abraham's bosom companion, and the rich man too died and was buried.

When He was eight days old and it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before Mary had conceived Him.

But ever be on your guard, so that your hearts may not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries, and that day, like a trap, catch you unawares.

and she bore her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him up and laid Him in a manger, for there was no room for them at the inn.

Then He said to them, "But now the man who has a purse must take it, and a bag too. And the man who does not have a sword must sell his coat and buy one.

But you must practice loving your enemies, doing good to them, and lending to them, despairing of nothing; so that your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

"Be always looking out for another. If your brother ever sins, reprove him, and if he repents, forgive him.

Then He told them a story, as follows: "A certain rich man's lands yielded bountifully.

When He had finished all these sayings in the hearing of the people, He went into Capernaum.

Now there was in Jerusalem a man named Symeon, an upright, devout man; he was expecting to see the consolation of Israel, and he was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

just as the original eyewitnesses who became ministers of the message

The man who is dependable in a very small matter is dependable also in a large deal, the man who is dishonest in a very small matter is dishonest also in a large deal.

"You must keep your belts tight and your lamps burning,

But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no husband?"

Then He opened their minds so that they might continue to understand the Scriptures,

So He said, "The things impossible for men are possible for God."

One day while He was praying in solitude, His disciples were nearby, and He asked them, "Who do people say that I am?"

But ever be watching and always praying, so that you may have strength to escape all this that is going to take place, and so you may take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

At that very moment, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He exulted and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for concealing these matters from wise and learned men, and for revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, I thank you that your good pleasure made it so.

No house-servant can be a slave to two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Then He said to His disciples: "Stop worrying, then, about life, as to what you will have to eat, or about your body, as to what you will have to wear.

It was the law and the prophets until John, but ever since that time the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everybody has been taking it by storm.

And the child continued to grow and gain in strength; He continued to increase in wisdom, and the spiritual blessing of God was on Him.

After this He went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi in his seat at the tax-collector's desk, and He said to him, "Follow me."

Now He said to His disciples: "It is inevitable that snares to evil will come, but a curse be on the man through whom they come!

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinful person who repents than over ninety-nine upright people who do not need any repentance.

Then He said to him, "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has cured you."

There arose also among them a contention as to which one of them should rank as greatest.

So He was saying to them: "The harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are scarce. So pray the Lord of the harvest to send out reapers to His harvest-field.

Then Jesus said to them, "Is it right on the Sabbath to do people good, or to do them evil, to save life or to take it?"

You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Practice honoring your father and mother.'"

One day He got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail.

And in Hades he looked up, in constant tortures as he was, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus his bosom companion.

Now as they led Him away, they seized a man named Simon, from Cyrene, as he was coming in from the country, and put the cross on his shoulders, for him to carry as he walked behind Jesus.

When they reached the place called "The Skull," they crucified Him there; also the criminals, one at His right and one at His left.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must drink no wine nor strong drink, and so he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his birth.

But others, to test Him, were demanding from Him a spectacular sign from heaven.

He will go before Him in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the upright, to make ready for the Lord a people perfectly prepared."

I tell you, He will give them justice and protection, and that without delay. But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"

Now one of the criminals who were hanging from their crosses kept abusing Him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Then save yourself and us too!"

Now some people were bringing even their babies to Him to have Him touch them, but the disciples, when they saw it, reproved them for it.

Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever pays no attention to you pays no attention to me, and whoever pays no attention to me pays no attention to Him who sent me."

One day as He was teaching, there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Him to cure people.

But Jesus answered him, "The Scripture says, 'Not on bread alone does man live.'"

But one of the fellow-guests heard this, and said to Him, "Happy will be the man who is fortunate enough to be at the feast in the kingdom of God."

That slave who knows his master's wishes and does not get ready or act upon them will be severely punished.

There was also a prophetess there, Hannah, a daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher.

Now He looked up and saw the rich people dropping their gifts into the treasury.

Then they said to each other, "Did not our hearts keep burning in our bosoms as He was talking to us on the road, as He went on explaining the Scriptures to us?"

So I tell you, my friends, never be afraid of those who kill the body but after that have nothing more that they can do.

Then He went out of the city and up the Mount of Olives, as He was in the habit of doing; and His disciples, too, followed Him there.

Meanwhile as the people had gathered in tens of thousands, so that they were trampling upon one another, He began to say, first of all, to His disciples: "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, hypocrisy.

The good man, out of his good inner storehouse, brings forth what is good, the bad man, out of his bad one, what is bad. For a man's mouth usually speaks the things that fill his heart.

"What man among you, if he wishes to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see whether he has money enough to complete it?

When these things begin to take place, look up and lift your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near."

Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

One Sabbath He happened to be passing through the wheat fields, and His disciples were pulling and eating the heads of wheat, rubbing them in their hands.

Then He said to them: "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;

Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith."

"Just so, no one of you who does not forsake everything that he has, can be a disciple of mine.

When Jesus heard this, He was astounded at him, and turning to the crowd that was following Him He said, "I tell you, I have not found, in a single case among the Jews, so great faith as this!"

However, you must stop rejoicing over the fact that the spirits are submitting to you, but continue to rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven."

But when he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. Meanwhile he kept on making signs to them, and remained dumb.

Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not everyone of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey and lead him out of the stable to water him?

to register with Mary who was engaged to be married to him and who was an expectant mother.

Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifted up His hands and blessed them.

So he began to argue with himself, 'What am I to do, because I have nowhere to store my crops?'

While they were going along the road, a man said to Him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

For I lived in constant dread of you, because you are a stern man, you pick up what you did not put down, you reap what you did not sow.'

Then Mary said, "I am the Lord's slave. May what you say take place with me." Then the angel left her.

Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow, and then continues to look back, is fitted for service in the kingdom of God."

But when the period of his service was over, he went back to his home.

It was already about noon, and darkness covered the whole country, and lasted until three o'clock,

the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop preventing them from it, for to such as these the kingdom of God belongs.

But He said to them, "To other towns also I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God, for that is what I was sent to do."

Then he took Him up and in a second of time he showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.

Then he went on to say, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom!"

So he used to say to the crowds that continued to come out there to be baptized by him: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming?

"This is what the Lord has done for me when He smiled upon me to take away my disgrace among men."

But a curse on you Pharisees, because you pay tithes on mint, rue, and every tiny garden herb, but neglect justice and the love of God! These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have neglected the former.

But he, as he wished to justify his question, said, "But who is my neighbor?"

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped within her. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

But bring those enemies of mine here who did not want me to become king over them and slay them in my presence!'"

Now while the people were on tiptoe in their expectations, and they were all arguing in their hearts about John whether he was himself the Christ,

Alas for the women who are pregnant and those who have nursing babies in those days! For there will be great misery in the land and wrath on this people.

And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven? No, you are to go down to the regions of the dead.

Omitted Text.

Then the day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

And all mankind must see the salvation of God.'"

It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dotting of an 'i' in the law to fail.

Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was drawing near.

Then he took Him to Jerusalem, and had Him stand on the tip-top turret of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here,

Then He was traveling from town to town and from village to village, teaching and making His way toward Jerusalem.

Now the apostles returned and told Jesus all that they had done. Then He took them and privately retired to a town called Bethsaida.

It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck, and he be hurled into the sea, than for him to ensnare one of these lowly ones.

I tell you, everyone who owns me before men the Son of Man will own before the angels of God;

Just so, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinful person who repents!"

Sell your property and give to charity. Provide for yourselves purses that will never wear out, riches that never fail in heaven, where a thief cannot come near nor a moth destroy,

Now He was driving a dumb demon out of a man, and when the demon went out of him, the dumb man spoke. The crowds were astonished.

and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, who was called Mary of Magdala, out of whom seven demons had gone,

So they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

"O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The city that continues to murder the prophets, and to stone those who are sent to her, how often I have yearned to gather your children around me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. But you refused!

Now while He was in one of the towns, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face and begged Him, saying, "Lord, if you choose to, you can cure me."

Then He said to them, "Why is it that you were searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

As the day began to decline, the Twelve came up and said to Him, "Send the crowd off to the villages and farms around, to get lodging and to find food there, for we are in a destitute place here."

So after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying,

For whoever is ashamed of me and my teaching, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when He comes back in all the splendor of His Father and of the holy angels.

Just at that time some Pharisees came up and said to Him, "Get out at once! Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you!"

but I have prayed especially for you that your own faith may not utterly fail. And you yourself, after you have turned, must strengthen your brothers."

They asked Him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and show no favors to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly.

And Joseph too went up from Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to the town of David in Judea called Bethlehem, because he was a descendant of the house and family of David,

Now He took the Twelve aside and said to them, "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

Now while some people were talking about the temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and votive-offerings, He said,

So He came down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee. And He continued to teach them on the Sabbath,

Then He said to them, "You are the men who exhibit your uprightness before the public, but God knows your hearts. For what stands high in the sight of men is detestable in the sight of God.

Continue to be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Then He began to speak to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled here in your hearing."

Do you think that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not so at all, but rather discord.

Now if I with Beelzebub's help am driving the demons out, with whose help do your sons drive them out?

"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep, and if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and continue to look for the lost one until he finds it?

Then some of the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came up and asked Him,

Now as the crowds continued to throng upon Him, He began to say: "This is a wicked age. It is looking for a spectacular sign, but none will be given it but the sign of Jonah.

But He said to them, "Give them something to eat yourselves." Then they said, "We have only five loaves and two fish, unless we go ourselves and buy food for all these people."

So it was time for Elizabeth to bear a child, and she bore a son.

"You must struggle on to get in through the narrow door, for I tell you, many will try to get in, but will not succeed,

Stay on at the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the workman deserves his support. Do not keep moving about from house to house.

Whoever does not persevere in carrying his own cross and thus following after me, cannot be a disciple of mine.

"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and look carefully until she finds it?

This is what the story means: The seed is God's message.

But they were filled with fury and began to discuss what they could do to Jesus.

Then He glanced around at them all and said to him, "Put out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was at once completely restored.

Then he answered, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.'"

But I will show you whom to fear. Fear Him who, after killing you, has power to hurl you down to the pit; yes, I tell you, fear Him.

Now as a great crowd was coming together and people were coming to Him from one town after another, He said by way of a story:

"Then the master said to his slave, 'Go out on the roads and by the hedges and make the people come in, so that my house may be filled.

Then the whole body of them arose and brought Him to Pilate.

Then He proceeded to say to the man who invited Him: "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop the social custom of inviting your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, for they may invite you in return and so you will be repaid.

Omitted Text.

So you too, when you do all that you are ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done.'"

Then the messengers returned to the house and found the slave well.

But some of them said, "It is with the help of Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that He is driving the demons out."

for the Scripture says, 'He will give His angels directions about you, to protect you,'

So he released the man who had been put in prison for riot and murder, whom they continued to demand, but turned Jesus over to their will.

But he said, "I have kept all these commandments ever since I was a child."

Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store all my grains and my goods.

But He knew what they were thinking, and so said to them, "Any kingdom that is not united is in the process of destruction, and one house falls after another.

Then they approached the village to which they were going, and He acted as though He were going on farther,

For there were about five thousand men. So He said to His disciples, "Have them sit down in reclining groups of fifty each."

Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree, then, that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire."

And at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to the invited guests, 'Come, for it is now ready.'

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

Even while He was saying this, His opponents were blushing with shame, but all the people were rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.

As He approached the gate of the town, look, there was being carried out a dead man, his mother's only son, and she was a widow! A considerable crowd of townspeople were with her.

But she was agitated at what he said, and began to ponder what this greeting meant.

But you are not to do so. On the contrary, the greatest among you must be like the youngest and the leader as the servant.

But when he heard that, he was very sad, for he was surpassingly rich.

and he was always craving to get a square meal from the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, the very dogs used to come and lick his sores.

So it is with the man who continues to pile up possessions for himself, and is not rich in God."

He said to him, 'On the ground of what you say I will sentence you, you wicked slave! You knew that I was a stern man, that I picked up what I did not put down, and reaped what I did not sow.

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God."

Then He took the five loaves and two fish and looked up to heaven and blessed them, and He broke them in pieces and gave them to the disciples to pass on to the people.

Now when the Lord saw her, His heart was moved with pity for her, and so He said to her, "Stop weeping."

But they all in the same attitude began to excuse themselves. The first one said, 'I have just bought a piece of land and I must go and look it over. Please excuse me.'

And a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been laid at his gate,

So why did you not put my money into the bank? In that case, when I came back I could have gotten interest on my principal.'

But first He has to endure much suffering, and be disowned by this age.

and, 'They will bear you up on their hands, so that you will never strike your foot against a stone.'"

And they did so, and made all the people sit down and recline.

And if Satan is really disunited, how can his kingdom last? Yet you say that I am driving the demons out with Beelzebub's help.

And if anyone asks you why you are untying it, you are to answer, 'The Lord needs it.'"

For at the haul of fish that they had made, bewildering amazement had seized him and all his men,

But continue to seek His will, and these things will be yours besides.

So the crowds were asking him this question, "What then ought we to do?"

Just think of the ravens! For they neither sow nor reap, they have no storehouses nor barns, and yet God continues to feed them. How much more are you worth than the birds!

And they all ate and had aplenty, and what they had left over was taken up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

It is like yeast which a woman took and hid in a bushel of flour until it all had risen."

but they earnestly urged Him, and said, "Stop and stay with us, for it is getting toward evening and the day is nearly spent." So He went in to stay with them.

Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

Simon whom he named Peter, his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

After the devil had finished every sort of temptation, he left Him till another time.

Then even the tax-collectors came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what ought we to do?"

Now if God so gorgeously dresses the wild grass which today is green but tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, how much more surely will He clothe you, O you with little faith?

Now a priest happened to be going that way, but when he saw him, he went by on the other side of the road.

So after they had brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

Then He went up and touched the hearse and the bearers stopped; and He said, "Young man, I tell you, arise."

Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who afterward turned traitor.

So if you cannot do this very little thing, why should you worry about the rest?

So he said to the bystanders, 'Take the twenty dollars away from him and give it to the man who has the two hundred.'

Then He turned to His disciples when they were alone, and said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you are seeing.

So the slave returned and reported these answers to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Hurry out into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the crippled, and the blind.'

So He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, "I do choose to; be cured." And at once the leprosy left him.

So all the people were trying to touch Him, because power continued to go forth from Him and to cure them all.

For I tell you, many prophets and kings have wished to see what you are seeing, but they did not, and to hear what you are hearing, but they did not."

The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with the men of this age and will condemn them, for they turned to the message preached by Jonah, and yet One who is more than Jonah is here.

His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your opinion; I no longer deserve to be called your son; just treat me like one of your hired men.'

Yet you have continued to stand by me in my trials;

Which of you by worrying can add a single minute to his life?

Just think of how the lilies grow. They do not toil nor spin. But, I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was ever dressed like one of them.

And again He said, "To what may I compare the kingdom of God?

and say, 'This fellow started to erect a building but could not complete it!'

For I tell you, not one of those people who were invited shall get a taste of my dinner!'"

Then the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

So they hurried to the place and found Joseph and Mary; also the baby lying in the manger.

So they could not use what he said before the people, and in astonishment at His answer they said no more.

He said that the Son of Man had to be turned over to wicked men and crucified, but was to rise again on the third day."

They answered, "John the Baptist; though others say Elijah, and still others that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life."

But if you go into any town and they do not welcome you, go out into the streets and say,

He shows His mercy from age to age to those who fear him.

Then their eyes were instantly opened and they recognized Him, and at once He vanished from them.

Meanwhile He began to teach in their synagogues, and was continuously receiving praise from all.

So when Jesus saw it, He said, "How hard it is for those who have money to get into the kingdom of God!

And Jesus answered him, "It has been said, 'You must not try the Lord your God.'"

Then He said to His disciples, "The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.

So awe seized them all, and they began to praise God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has visited His people!"

But when a man stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he strips him of all his arms on which he relied, and distributes his goods as spoils.

At that very hour He cured many people of diseases and scourges and evil spirits, and graciously granted sight to many blind persons.

But He particularly warned, yea, even commanded, them not to tell this to anybody,

So when you see these things taking place, you must understand that the kingdom of God is near.

I no longer deserve to be called your son; just treat me like one of your hired men."'

take the fattening calf and kill it, and let us feast and celebrate,

For there is nothing hidden which shall not come out into the open, and nothing kept secret which shall not be known and come to light.

Even those who were troubled by foul spirits were being cured.

But the news about Him continued to spread, and great crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be cured of their diseases.

Then it goes and gets seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there, and so the end of that man is worse than the beginning."

for just as when the lightning flashes, it shines from one end of the sky to the other, so will the Son of Man be when He comes.

Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be completely satisfied! Blessed are you who are weeping now, for you will laugh!

So He said to them, "I solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the kingdom of God,

Which one, indeed, is the greater, the guest at the table or the servant who waits on him? Is it not the guest at the table? But I am among you as the servant who waits on you.

But Jesus turned to the women and said, "Women of Jerusalem, stop weeping for me, but continue to weep for yourselves and for your children.

For all these are the very things the nations of the world are greedily trying to get, and surely your Father well knows that you need them.

For I tell you, what has been written about me must be fulfilled: 'He was classed with the outlaws.' Yes, that saying about me has its fulfillment."

But Peter said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go even to prison and to death with you!"

"Every first born male shall be counted consecrated to the Lord,"

Then He warned him not to tell anybody, but rather He said, "Go, show yourself to the priest, and, to prove it to the people, make the offering for your purification, just as Moses prescribed."

to announce the year of favor from the Lord."

But He detected their cunning, and said to them,

for at that very moment the Holy Spirit will teach you what you ought to say."

when once the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand on the outside and to knock on the door again and again and say, 'Lord, open it for us'; but He will answer, 'I do not know where you come from.'

But Herod the governor, because he was repeatedly reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the wicked deeds that Herod had done,

He has done mighty deeds with His arm. He has scattered those that are proud in the purpose of their hearts.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die without seeing the Lord's Messiah.

Then at once he got up before them all, picked up the pallet on which he had been lying, and went off home, giving praise to God.

And He answered him, "What is written in the law? How does it read?"

So it was reported to Him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside; they want to see you."

And all who heard it were astounded at what was told them by the shepherds,

He has dethroned monarchs and exalted the poor.

Jesus answered them, "Did you never read what David did, when he and his soldiers became hungry?

So he became angry and would not go into the house. Then his father came out and began to plead with him.

Another said, 'I have just gotten married, and so I cannot come.'

So he said to them, "Stop collecting any more than is prescribed for you."

So with many and varied exhortations John continued to proclaim the good news to the people.

Your life is worth more than food, and your body more than clothes.

Why is this privilege mine, to have the mother of my Lord come to me?

When they saw this, they informed them of the story that had been told about this child.

Burst into joy on that day and leap for ecstasy, for your reward will be rich in heaven; for this is the way your forefathers used to treat the prophets.

But when John's messengers had gone, He began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the desert to gaze at? A reed that is tossed to and fro by the wind?

'I tell you, the man who gets will have more given to him, but the man who does not get will have even what he has taken away from him!

and to offer the sacrifice in accordance with what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons."

"Show me a twenty-cent coin. Whose picture and title does it bear?" They answered, "Caesar's."

For He will be turned over to the heathen and sport made of Him, He will be insulted and spit upon,

And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!"

How he went into the house of God and took and ate the sacred loaves, which it was against the law for anyone to eat except the priests, and gave some to his soldiers?"

So the men went to Him and said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the One who was to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?'"

Then the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and still there is room.'

because what you have spoken in darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in people's ears, behind closed doors, will be proclaimed from the housetops.

A curse on you who live in luxury now, for you will be hungry. A curse on you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

This story about Him spread all over Judea and all the surrounding country.

Then He said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

But the scribes and the Pharisees began to argue, saying, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

People continued to eat, drink, marry, and be married, right up to the day when Noah went into the ark, and the Flood came and destroyed them all.

Then the shepherds went back continuing to give glory and praise to God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

It is like a mustard seed which a man took and dropped in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the wild birds roosted in its branches."

and she went to Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.

Go on. Listen! I am sending you out as lambs surrounded by wolves.

added this on top of it all, that he put John in prison.

For the Almighty has done wonders for me, and holy is His name!

So you must stop seeking what to eat and what to drink, and must stop being in suspense about these things.

When you see them shooting forth their buds, you know of yourselves that summer now is near.

Remember Lot's wife!

Then the devil said to Him, "If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn to a loaf of bread."

Then He rolled up the roll and gave it back to the attendant and took His seat. Now the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were gazing at Him.

But He said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow today before you deny three times that you know me!"

Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them. Please excuse me.'

But he pleaded, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone went to them from the dead, they would repent.'

So He said to them, "Take nothing with you for your journey, no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, nor even have two shirts.

Then Peter said to Him, "We have left our very own, homes and all, and have followed you."

For it will come upon all who are living anywhere on the face of the earth,

But his father said to his slaves, 'Bring out at once a robe, yes, the finest one, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet;

And some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath?"

and then He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to cure the sick.

He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Continue to do this, and you will live."

Lest, perchance, after he has laid the foundation but cannot complete the building, all who see it begin to make sport of him,

So John called two of them to him and sent them to the Lord, to ask, "Are you the One who was to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?"

Then he called one of the servant-boys and asked him what this meant.

There was a Roman captain who had a slave that was very dear to him, and he was sick and at the point of death,

So under the Spirit's guidance he went into the temple, and when the parents brought the child Jesus there to do for Him as the custom of the law required,

Do not carry a purse, a bag, or shoes, and do not stop to say 'Good morning' to anybody on the road.

As soon as He stepped out upon the shore, there met Him a man from town, who was under the power of demons; and for a long time he had worn no clothes, and did not stay in a house but in tombs.

Then they arrested Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest. Peter was following at a distance.

But those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"

When he saw Jesus, he screamed and flung himself down before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What do you want of me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!"

and they were so startled and terror-stricken that they were beginning to think that they saw a ghost.

For a time is coming when people will say, 'Happy are the women who are childless, and the women who have never borne and nursed babies!'

and the very day Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

Now some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were trying to get him in and lay him before Jesus.

And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, vindicated the righteous requirements of God by submitting to John's baptism,

The man who is on the roof of his house that day, and his goods in the house, must not come down to carry them out; and the man in the field, too, must not turn back.

But He will say to you, 'I do not know where you come from. Go away from me, all you wrongdoers!'

Yes, the very hairs on your heads have all been counted by God! Stop being afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.