Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet [Isaiah]:

Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife,

Now when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.”

So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.

“Get up! Take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”

Then Joseph got up, and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

“As for me, I baptize you with water because of [your] repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life], but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire (judgment).

Then the devil took Him into the holy city [Jerusalem] and placed Him on the pinnacle (highest point) of the temple.

Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory [splendor, magnificence, and excellence] of them;

If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also [for the Lord repays the offender].

“Be [very] careful not to do your good deeds publicly, to be seen by men; otherwise you will have no reward [prepared and awaiting you] with your Father who is in heaven.

You hypocrite (play-actor, pretender), first get the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

so that He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He Himself took our infirmities [upon Himself] and carried away our diseases.”

They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, “Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].”

for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.”

But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.” And at once the woman was [completely] healed.

But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt,

or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise up and rebel against their parents and cause them to be put death.

And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.

When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.

But He said to them, “What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and worked into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

And John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people,

But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!”

and they begged Him to let them merely touch the fringe of His robe; and all who touched it were perfectly restored.

‘But in vain do they worship Me,
For they teach as doctrines the precepts of men.’”

And He replied, “It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the pet dogs.”

and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and when He had given thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the people.

Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up?

Peter took Him aside [to speak to Him privately] and began to reprimand Him, saying, “May God forbid it! This will never happen to You.”

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John the brother of James, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them [to pay the temple tax] for you and Me.”

But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Take what belongs to you and go, but I choose to give to this last man [hired] the same as I give to you.

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve [disciples] aside, and along the way He said to them,

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey [to another country].

But the tenants took his servants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.

So they took the son and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

They sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are sincere and that You teach the way of God truthfully, without concerning Yourself about [what] anyone [thinks or says of Your teachings]; for You are impartial and do not seek anyone’s favor [and You treat all people alike, regardless of status].

They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation],

“Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city,

While Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and said, “Tell us, when will this [destruction of the temple] take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?”

You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age].

“So when you see the abomination of desolation [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand),

Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house [because there will not be enough time].

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [the people living when these signs and events begin] will not pass away until all these things take place.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them,

but the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps.

“For it is just like a man who was about to take a journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions.

But the one who had received the one went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

So take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

Now as they were eating Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;

Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) had gathered [illegally] together.

Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet were fulfilled: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him on whom a price had been set by the sons of Israel;

So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands [to ceremonially cleanse himself of guilt] in the presence of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this [righteous] Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and they gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.

They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him repeatedly on the head.

Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.

And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth (burial wrapping),

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard [of soldiers]; go [with them], make the tomb as secure as you know how.”

Now after the Sabbath, near dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

So they took the money [they were paid for lying] and did as they were instructed; and this [fabricated] story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to the present day.