After he had thought about it, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," he said, "don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he is the one who will save his people from their sins."

They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, because that is what was written by the prophet:

"O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt," he said. "Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him."

"A voice was heard in Ramah: wailing and great mourning. Rachel was crying for her children. She refused to be comforted, because they no longer existed."

"Get up," he said. "Take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead."

"Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!"

Don't think you can say to yourselves, "We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!

But Jesus answered him, "Let it be this way for now, because this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness."

He told Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written, "God will put his angels in charge of you,' and, "With their hands they will hold you up, so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.'"

Then Jesus told him, "Go away, Satan! Because it is written, "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"

From then on, Jesus began to announce, "Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!"

While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen.

"How blessed are those who are destitute in spirit, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!

"How blessed are those who mourn, because it is they who will be comforted!

"How blessed are those who are humble, because it is they who will inherit the earth!

"How blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because it is they who will be satisfied!

"How blessed are those who are merciful, because it is they who will receive mercy!

"How blessed are those who are pure in heart, because it is they who will see God!

"How blessed are those who make peace, because it is they who will be called God's children!

"How blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!

"How blessed are you whenever people insult you, persecute you, and say all sorts of evil things against you falsely because of me!

Rejoice and be extremely glad, because your reward in heaven is great! That's how they persecuted the prophets who came before you."

because I tell all of you with certainty that until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter or one stroke of a letter will disappear from the Law until everything has been accomplished.

because I tell you, unless your righteousness greatly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom from heaven!"

But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God's throne,

nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King.

Nor should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.

"When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the unbelievers do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy.

Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Because if you forgive people their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

"Whenever you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites, because they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

"No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!"

because it is the unbelievers who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them!

So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

because the way that you judge others will be the way that you will be judged, and you will be evaluated by the standard with which you evaluate others.

Because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.

Therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, because this summarizes the Law and the Prophets."

"Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation was on the rock.

because he was teaching them like a person who had authority, and not like their scribes.

because I, too, am a man under authority and I have soldiers under me. I say to one of them "Go' and he goes, to another "Come' and he comes, and to my servant "Do this' and he does it."

Go and learn what this means: "I want mercy and not sacrifice,' because I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."

"No one patches an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

because she had been saying to herself, "If I just touch his robe, I will get well."

As the men were going out, a man who couldn't talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him.

When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or a walking stick, because a worker deserves his food.

You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, to testify to them and to unbelievers.

When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.

You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, because I tell all of you with certainty that you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

"So never be afraid of them, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be made known.

The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it."

I tell all of you with certainty, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple will never lose his reward."

because the Law and all the Prophets prophesied up to the time of John.

Because John didn't come eating or drinking, yet people say, "He has a demon!'

Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had taken place, because they didn't repent.

"How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

"And you, Capernaum! You won't be lifted up to heaven, will you? You'll go down to Hell! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from wise and intelligent people and have revealed them to infants.

Yes, Father, because this is what was pleasing to you.

Place my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls,

because my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light."

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, because a tree is known by its fruit.

because by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

because just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look something greater than Jonah is here!

The queen of the south will stand up and condemn the people living today, because she came from so far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look! Something greater than Solomon is here!"

because whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep.

because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.

That's why I speak to them in parables, because "they look but don't see, and they listen but don't hear or understand.'

"How blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear!

but since he doesn't have any root in himself, he lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls away.

But Jesus told them, "A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home." He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Under pressure because of his promises and his assembled guests, the king ordered that it be done.

By this time the boat was in the middle of the sea and was being battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.

But he answered them, "Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition?

Because God said, "You are to honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.'

does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word.

Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'"

But he didn't answer her at all. Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, "Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows us."

Then Jesus called his disciples and said, "I have compassion for the crowd because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away without food, or they may faint on the road."

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer a great deal because of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised.

But Jesus turned and told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, because you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!"

because what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. Often he falls into fire and often into water.

He told them, "Because of your lack of faith. I tell all of you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

"See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you, their angels in heaven always have access to my Father in heaven.

because where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them."

Because he couldn't pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned to be sold so that payment could be made.

Then his master sent for him and told him, "You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me.

He told them, "It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way.

because some men are celibate from birth, while some are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom from heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

Jesus, however, said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to people like these."

But when the young man heard this statement he went away sad, because he had many possessions.