Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,

and didn't know her sexually until she had brought forth her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come forth a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.'"

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."

"A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn't be comforted, because they are no more."

Now John himself wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

"Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.

But Jesus, answering, said to him, "Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him.

Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.

But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

"Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

But when you do merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know what your right hand does,

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

Then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.'

Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.

Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." (then he said to the paralytic), "Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to your house."

When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.

Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."

Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, "See that no one knows about this."

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother;

Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward."

Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me."

From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn't have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 'By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:

yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

"But he said, 'No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.

He said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things."

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"

Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."

In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times!

An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah." He left them, and departed.

They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."

Jesus, perceiving it, said, "Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, 'because you have brought no bread?'

Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.

Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."

Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.

and said, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man tear apart."

He said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

"They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' "He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.'

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius?

But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able."

But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, "Let there be no fruit from you forever!" Immediately the fig tree withered away.

They answered Jesus, and said, "We don't know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren't partial to anyone.

On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,

saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed for his brother.'

Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no seed left his wife to his brother.

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forth.

Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.

For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray.

for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.

Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

"Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

"As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,

and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Watch therefore, for you don't know in what hour your Lord comes.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn't expect it, and in an hour when he doesn't know it,

Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

But he answered, 'Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you.'

Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

"Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.

"He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.

"But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter.

for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.

But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom."

Then he came to his disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.