So the whole number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen; from David to the Exile to Babylon fourteen; and from the Exile to Babylon to the Christ fourteen.

All this happened in fulfillment of these words of the Lord in the Prophet, where he says--

'Behold! the virgin shall be with child and shall give birth to a son, And they will give him the name Immanuel'--a word which means 'God is with us.'

When King Herod heard of this, he was much troubled, and so, too, was all Jerusalem.

He called together all the Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law in the nation, and questioned them as to where the Christ was to be born.

'And thou, Bethlehem in Judah's land, Art in no way least among the chief cities of Judah; For out of thee will come a Chieftain- - One who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

When Herod found that he had been trifled with by the Astrologers, he was very angry. He sent and put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and the whole of that neighborhood, who were two years old or under, guided by the date which he had ascertained from the Astrologers.

'A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and much lamentation; Rachel, weeping for her children, Refused all comfort because they were not.'

And there he settled in the town of Nazareth, in fulfillment of these words in the Prophets--'He will be called a Nazarene.'

At that time Jerusalem, and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to him

Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I, indeed, baptize you with water to teach repentance; but He who is Coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire."

"If you are God's Son, throw yourself down, for Scripture says- -'He will give his angels commands about thee, And on their hands they will upbear thee, Lest ever thou shouldst strike thy foot against a stone.'"

The third time, the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain, and, showing him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, said to him:

"All these I will give you, if you will fall at my feet and do homage to me."

"Come and follow me," Jesus said, "and I will set you to fish for men."

And Jesus went all through Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people;

And his fame spread all through Syria. They brought to him all who were ill with any form of disease, or who were suffering pain--any who were either possessed by demons, or were lunatic, or paralyzed; and he cured them.

Be glad and rejoice, because your reward in Heaven will be great; for so men persecuted the Prophets who lived before you.

It is you who are the Salt of the earth; but, if the salt should lose its strength, what will you use to restore its saltiness? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown away, and trampled underfoot.

For I tell you, until the heavens and the earth disappear, not even the smallest letter, nor one stroke of a letter, shall disappear from the Law until all is done.

Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these commandments, even the least of them, and teaches others to do so, will be the least- esteemed in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps them, and teaches others to do so, will be esteemed great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Indeed I tell you that, unless your religion is above that of the Teachers of the Law, and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I, however, say to you that any one who cherishes anger against his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the Court; and whoever pours contempt upon his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the High Council, while whoever calls down curses upon him shall be liable to answer for it in the fiery Pit.

I tell you, you will not come out until you have paid the last penny.

If your right eye is a snare to you, take it out and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it thrown into the Pit.

And, if your right hand is a snare to you, cut it off and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it go down to the Pit.

I, however, say to you that any one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of her unchastity, leads to her committing adultery; while any one who marries her after her divorce is guilty of adultery.

I, however, say to you that you must not swear at all, either by Heaven, since that is God's throne,

And, when any one wants to go to law with you, to take your coat, let him have your cloak as well;

For, if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax-gatherers do this!

So that your charity may be secret; and your Father, who sees what is in secret, will recompense you.

But, when one of you prays, let him go into his own room, shut the door, and pray to his Father who dwells in secret; and his Father, who sees what is secret, will recompense him.

When praying, do not repeat the same words over and over again, as is done by the Gentiles, who think that by using many words they will obtain a hearing.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done--on earth, as in Heaven.

For, if you forgive others their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also;

But, if you do not forgive others their offences, not even your Father will forgive your offences.

That he may not be seen by men to be fasting, but by his Father who dwells in secret; and his Father, who sees what is secret, will recompense him.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be lit up;

But, if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkened. And, if the inner light is darkness, how intense must that darkness be!

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will attach himself to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his splendor was not robed like one of these.

If God so clothes even the grass of the field, which is living to-day and to-morrow will be thrown into the oven, will not he much more clothe you, O men of little faith?

All these are the things for which the nations are seeking, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But first seek his Kingdom and the righteousness that he requires, and then all these things shall be added for you.

Therefore do not be anxious about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own anxieties. Every day has trouble enough of its own.

For, just as you judge others, you will yourselves be judged, and the measure that you mete will be meted out to you.

And why do you look at the straw in your brother's eye, while you pay no attention at all to the beam in yours?

How will you say to your brother 'Let me take out the straw from your eye,' when all the time there is a beam in your own?

Hypocrite! Take out the beam from your own eye first, and then you will see clearly how to take out the straw from your brother's.

Who among you, when his son asks him for a loaf, will give him a stone,

Or when he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

If you, then, wicked though you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those that ask him!

By the fruit of their lives you will know them. Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

So, too, every sound tree bears good fruit, while a worthless tree bears bad fruit.

Hence it is by the fruit of their lives that you will know such men.

Not every one who says to me 'Master! Master!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.

On 'That Day' many will say to me 'Master, Master, was not it in your name that we taught, and in your name that we drove out demons, and in your name that we did many miracles?'

"Sir," he said, "my manservant is lying ill at my house with a stroke of paralysis, and is suffering terribly."

"I will come and cure him," answered Jesus.

"Sir," the Captain went on, "I am unworthy to receive you under my roof; but only speak, and my manservant will be cured.

Yes, and many will come in from East and West and take their places beside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven;

While the heirs to the Kingdom will be 'banished into the darkness' outside; there, there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

In the evening the people brought to Jesus many who were possessed by demons; and he drove out the spirits with a word, And cured all who were ill,

And a Teacher of the Law came up to him, and said: "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

"Go," he said. The spirits came out, and entered the pigs; and the whole drove rushed down the steep slope into the Sea, and died in the water.

At this the men who tended them ran away and went to the town, carrying the news of all that had occurred, and of what had happened to the possessed men.

At the news the whole town went out to meet Jesus, and, when they saw him, they entreated him to go away from their neighborhood.

On hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill.

Then John's disciples came to Jesus, and asked: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast while your disciples do not?"

Jesus answered: "Can the bridegroom's friends mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be parted from them, and they will fast then.

While Jesus was saying this, a President of a Synagogue came up and bowed to the ground before him. "My daughter," he said, "Has just died; but come and place your hand on her, and she will be restored to life."

"If I only touch his cloak," she said to herself, "I shall get well."

When Jesus reached the President's house, seeing the flute- players, and a number of people all in confusion,

The report of this spread through all that part of the country.

But the men went out, and spread the news about him through all that part of the country.

Jesus went round all the towns and the villages, teaching in their Synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Calling his twelve Disciples to him, Jesus gave them authority over foul spirits, so that they could drive them out, as well as the power of curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

I tell you, the doom of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah will be more bearable in the 'Day of Judgment' than the doom of that town.

Be on your guard against your fellow men, for they will betray you to courts of law, and scourge you in their Synagogues;

And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, that you may witness for me before them and the nations.

Whenever they betray you, do not be anxious as to how you shall speak or what you shall say, for what you shall say will be given you at the moment;

For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks within you.

Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will turn against their parents, and cause them to be put to death;

And you will be hated by every one on account of my Name. Yet the man that endures to the end shall be saved.

But, when they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for, I tell you, you will not have come to the end of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Do not, therefore, be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed which will not be revealed, nor anything hidden which will not become known.

Are not two sparrows sold for a half-penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's knowledge.

While as for you, the very hairs of your head are numbered.

Every one, therefore, who shall acknowledge me before his fellow men, I, too, will acknowledge before my Father who is in Heaven;

But, if any one disowns me before his fellow men, I, too, will disown him before my Father who is in Heaven.

A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

He who has found his life will lose it, while he who, for my sake, has lost his life shall find it.

While these men were going back, Jesus began to say to the crowds with reference to John:

For the teaching of all the Prophets and of the Law continued till the time of John;

Yet, I tell you, the doom of Tyre and Sidon will be more bearable in the 'Day of Judgment' than yours.

And you, Capernaum! Will you 'exalt yourself to Heaven'? 'You shall go down to the Place of Death.' For, if the miracles which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been standing to this day.

Yet, I tell you, the doom of Sodom will be more bearable in the 'Day of Judgment' than yours."