The whole of Judea, as well as all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, went out to him; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent apart, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him,

As Jesus was going along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the Sea, for they were fishermen.

As soon as they had come out from the Synagogue, they went, with James and John, into the house of Simon and Andrew.

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying as he did so: "I am willing; become clean."

"Be careful not to say anything to any one; but go and show yourself to the Priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

The man got up, and immediately took up his mat, and went out before them all; at which they were amazed, and, as they praised God, they said: "We have never seen anything like this!"

As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in the tax-office, and said to him: "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him.

Jesus answered: "Can the bridegroom's friends fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

One Sabbath, as Jesus was walking through the cornfields, his disciples began to pick the ears of wheat as they went along.

How he went into the House of God, in the time of Abiathar the High Priest, and ate 'the consecrated bread,' which only the priests are allowed to eat, and gave some to his comrades as well?"

As they remained silent, Jesus looked round at them in anger, grieving at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man: "Stretch out your hand." The man stretched it out; and his hand had become sound.

And he appointed twelve--whom he also named 'Apostles'--that they might be with him, and that he might send them out as his Messengers, to preach,

And his mother and his brothers came, and stood outside, and sent to ask him to come to them.

Jesus again began to teach by the Sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering round him, he got into a boat, and sat in it on the Sea, while all the people were on the shore at the water's edge.

And presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.

The People meant by the seed that falls along the path are these--where the Message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the Message that has been sown in them.

But, as they have no root, they stand only for a short time; and so, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Message, they fall away at once.

But, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he 'puts in the sickle because harvest has come'."

With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his Message, as far as they were able to receive it;

So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.

And, as soon as Jesus had got out of the boat, he met a man coming out of the tombs, who was under the power of a foul spirit,

Then those who had seen it related to them all that had happened to the possessed man, as well as about the pigs;

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the possessed man begged him to let him stay with him.

And one of the Presidents of the Synagogue, whose name was Jaeirus, came and, as soon as he saw Jesus, threw himself at his feet with repeated entreaties.

The little girl stood up at once, and began to walk about; for she was twelve years old. And, as soon as they saw it, they were overwhelmed with amazement;

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the Synagogue; and the people, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get this?" they said, "and what is this wisdom that has been given him? and these miracles which he is doing?

He called the Twelve to him, and began to send them out as his Messengers, two and two, and gave them authority over foul spirits.

And if a place does not welcome you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet, as a protest against them."

And when his daughter--that is, the daughter of Herodias--came in and danced, she delighted Herod and those who were dining with him. 'Ask me for whatever you like,' the King said to the girl, 'and I will give it to you';

The girl went out, and said to her mother 'What must I ask for?' 'The head of John the Baptizer,' answered her mother.

So she went in as quickly as possible to the King, and made her request. 'I want you,' she said, 'to give me at once, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.'

And they picked up enough broken pieces to fill twelve baskets, as well as some of the fish.

When they come from market, they will not eat without first sprinkling themselves; and there are many other customs which they have inherited and hold to, such as the ceremonial washing of cups, and jugs, and copper pans).

They had also a few small fish; and, after he had said the blessing, he told the disciples to serve out these as well.

Sighing deeply, Jesus said: "Why does this generation ask for a sign? I tell you, no sign shall be given it."

The man looked up, and said: "I see the people, for, as they walk about, they look to me like trees."

Jesus, however, turning round and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter. "Out of my sight, Satan!" he exclaimed. "For you look at things, not as God does, but as man does."

As they were going down the mountain-side, Jesus cautioned them not to relate what they had seen to any one, till after the Son of Man should have risen again from the dead.

But I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have treated him just as they pleased, as Scripture says of him."

But, as soon as they saw Jesus, all the people, in great astonishment, ran up and greeted him.

"Teacher," answered a man in the crowd, "I brought my son to see you, as he has a dumb spirit in him;

"Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even a little child like this is welcoming me, and any one who welcomes me is welcoming not me, but him who sent me as his Messenger."

On leaving that place, Jesus went into the district of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered about him again; and again, as usual, he began teaching them.

And, as Jesus was resuming his journey, a man came running up to him, and threw himself on his knees before him. "Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to gain Immortal Life?"

Who will not receive a hundred times as much, even now in the present--houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though not without persecutions, and, in the age that is coming, Immortal Life.

James and John, the two sons of Zebediah, went to Jesus, and said: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

But as to a seat at my right or at my left--that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

But Jesus called the ten to him, and said: "Those who are regarded as ruling among the Gentiles lord it over them, as you know, and their great men oppress them.

For even the Son of Man came, not be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

When they had almost reached Jerusalem, as far as Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent on two of his disciples.

"Go to the village facing you," he said; "and, as soon as you get there, you will find a foal tethered, which no one has ever ridden; untie it, and bring it.

And the two disciples answered as Jesus had told them; and they allowed them to go.

And those who led the way, as well as those who followed, kept shouting: "'God save him! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'

Jesus entered Jerusalem, and went into the Temple Courts; and, after looking round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

As soon as evening fell, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

As they passed by early in the morning, they noticed that the fig-tree was withered up from the very roots.

And therefore I say to you 'Have faith that whatever you ask for in prayer is already granted you, and you will find that it will be.'

"I will put one question to you," said Jesus. "Answer me that, and then I will tell you what authority I have to act as I do.

Yet can we say 'human'?"--They were afraid of the people, for everyone regarded John as undoubtedly a Prophet.

"Teacher, in our Scriptures Moses decreed that, should a man's brother die, leaving a widow but no child, the man should take the widow as his wife, and raise up a family for his brother.

At the resurrection whose wife will she be, all seven brothers having had her as their wife?"

When men rise from the dead, there is no marrying or being married; but they are as angels in Heaven.

As to the dead, and the fact that they rise, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him thus--'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

The second is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

"Wisely answered, Teacher!" exclaimed the Teacher of the Law. "It is true, as you say, that 'there is one God,' and that 'there is no other besides him';

And to 'love him with all one's heart, and with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength,' and to 'love one's neighbor as one loves oneself' is far beyond all 'burnt-offerings and sacrifices.'"

As Jesus was walking out of the Temple Courts, one of his disciples said to him: "Teacher, look what fine stones and buildings these are!"

Whenever they betray you and hand you over for trial, do not be anxious beforehand as to what you shall say, but say whatever is given you at the moment; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

As soon, however, as you see 'the Foul Desecration' standing where he ought not" (the reader must consider what this means) "then those of you who are in Judea must take refuge in the mountains;

Learn the lesson taught by the fig-tree. As soon as its branches are full of sap, and it is bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.

And so may you, as soon as you see these things happening, know that he is at your doors.

"Let her alone," said Jesus, as they began to find fault with her, "why are you troubling her? This is a beautiful deed that she has done for me.

So the disciples set out and went into the city, and found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

True, the Son of Man must go, as Scripture says of him, yet alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man 'it would be better never to have been born!'"

Presently they came to a garden known as Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples "Sit down here while I pray."

As soon as Judas came, he went up to Jesus at once, and said: "Rabbi!" and kissed him.

But Jesus interposed, and said to the men: "Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs, to take me?

Meanwhile the Chief Priest and the whole of the High Council were trying to get such evidence against Jesus as would warrant his being put to death, but they could not find any;

Some of those present began to spit at him, and to blindfold his eyes, and strike him, saying, as they did so, "Now play the Prophet!" and even the police-officers received him with blows.

At that moment, for the second time, a cock crowed; and Peter remembered the words that Jesus had said to him-- 'Before a cock has crowed twice, you will disown me three times'; and, as he thought of it, he began to weep.

As soon as it was daylight, the Chief Priests, after holding a consultation with the Councillors and Teachers of the Law--that is to say, the whole High Council--put Jesus in chains, and took him away, and gave him up to Pilate.

Now, at the Feast, Pilate used to grant the people the release of any one prisoner whom they might ask for.

So, when the crowd went up and began to ask Pilate to follow his usual custom,

They brought Jesus to the place which was known as Golgotha- -a name which means 'Place of a Skull.'

The passers-by railed at him, shaking their heads, as they said: "Ah! you who 'destroy the Temple and build one in three days,

And a man ran, and, soaking a sponge in common wine, put it on the end of a rod, and offered it to him to drink, saying as he did so: "Wait and let us see if Elijah is coming to take him down."

The evening had already fallen, when, as it was the Preparation Day--the day before the Sabbath--

Joseph from Ramah, a Councillor of good position, who was himself living in expectation of the Kingdom of God, came and ventured to go in to see Pilate, and to ask for the body of Jesus.

But go, and say to his disciples and to Peter 'He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.'"

Afterwards, altered in appearance, he made himself known to two of them, as they were walking, on their way into the country.

Later on, he made himself known to the Eleven themselves as they were at a meal, and reproached them with their want of faith and their stubbornness, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen from the dead.