so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

They had no children because Elizabeth was barren and because both of them were getting old.

Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

because he has looked favorably on his humble servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed,

Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

Now the child continued to grow and to become spiritually strong. He lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared in Israel.

Now in those days an order was published by Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be registered.

and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no place for them in the guest quarters.

Now a man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. This man was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace according to your promise,

Now Anna, a prophetess, was also there. She was a descendant of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,

When the days of the festival were over, they left for home. The young man Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.

He asked them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?"

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all of them were wondering if John was perhaps the Messiah.

Now Herod the tetrarch had been rebuked by John because he had married his brother's wife Herodias and because of all of the other evil things Herod had done.

the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

"Oh, no! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!"

Then Jesus got up to leave the synagogue and went into Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, so they asked Jesus about her.

Even demons came out of many people, screaming, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus rebuked them and ordered them not to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

Then Jesus told Simon, "Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people." So when they brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Because Jesus knew that they were arguing, he asked them, "Why are you arguing about this among yourselves?

But so you'll know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"." he told the paralyzed man, "I say to you: Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!"

Then he told them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old garment. If he does, the new cloth will tear, and the piece from the new won't match the old.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will make the skins burst, the wine will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.

Instead, new wine is to be poured into fresh wineskins.

No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, "The old wine is good enough!'"

But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue." So he got up and stood there.

Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God.

How blessed are you who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied! How blessed are you who are crying now, because you will laugh!

How terrible it will be for you who are full now, because you will be hungry! How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now, because you will mourn and cry!

I tell you, no one has ever been born who is greater than John. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee's home and took his place at the table.

Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and told himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!"

When they couldn't pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?"

Now while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from every city, he said in a parable:

Others fell on stony ground, and as soon as they came up, they dried up because they had no moisture.

"Now this is what the parable means. The seed is God's word.

"No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light.

Now as they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A violent storm swept over the lake, and they were taking on water and were in great danger.

Now a large herd of pigs was grazing there on the hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into those pigs, and he consented to that.

Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside.

Now the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

A woman was there who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. Although she had spent all she had on doctors, no one could heal her.

Still Jesus said, "Somebody touched me, because I know that power has gone out of me."

When he arrived at the man's house, he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the young girl's father and mother.

Now everyone was crying and wailing for her. But Jesus said, "Stop crying! She's not dead. She's sleeping."

They laughed and laughed at him, because they knew she was dead.

He told them, "Don't take anything along on your trip no walking stick, traveling bag, bread, money, or even an extra shirt.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening. He was puzzled because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,

Now there were about 5,000 men. So he told his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about 50."

Now about eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray.

Now Peter and the men with him had been overcome by sleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.

Just as Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter told Jesus, "Master, it's good that we're here! Let's set up three shelters one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Peter didn't know what he was saying.)

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was alone. The disciples kept silent and at that time told no one about what they had seen.

But they didn't know what this meant. Indeed, the meaning was hidden from them so that they didn't understand it; and they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest."

Jesus told him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and the person to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Now as they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking him!"

Since he knew what they were thinking, he told them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is devastated, and a divided household collapses.

Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul.

Now as the crowds continued to throng around Jesus, he went on to say, "This people living today are an evil generation. It craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah,

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light.

Now if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays."

But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil.

So he began to think to himself, "What should I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'

But God told him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Now who will get the things you've accumulated?'

Now if that's the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you you who have little faith?

"Sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don't wear out a dependable treasure in heaven, where no thief can get close and no moth can destroy anything.

the master of that servant will come on a day when he doesn't expect him and at an hour that he doesn't know. Then his master will punish him severely and assign him a place with unfaithful people.

That servant who knew what his master wanted but didn't prepare himself or do what was wanted will receive a severe beating.

From now on, five people in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, yet you don't know how to interpret the present time?"

After the homeowner gets up and closes the door, you can stand outside, knock on the door, and say again and again, "Lord, open the door for us!' But he will answer you, "I don't know where you come from.'

But he will tell you, "I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you who practice evil!'

Now one of those eating with him heard this and told him, "How blessed is the person who will eat in the kingdom of God!"

When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, "Come! Everything is now ready.'

Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and told them,

"Now, salt is good. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can its flavor be restored?

Now all the tax collectors and sinners kept coming to listen to Jesus.

No one would give him anything, even though he would gladly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating.

"Now the father's older son was in the field. As he was coming back to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Now Jesus was saying to the disciples, "A rich man had a servant manager who was accused of wasting his assets.

So he called for him and asked him, "What's this I hear about you? You can't be my manager any longer. Now give me a report about your management!'

I know what I'll do so that people will welcome me into their homes when I'm dismissed from my job.'

"No servant 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 both God and wealth!"

Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

"But Abraham said, "My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer.

"But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.'

He fell on his face at Jesus' feet and thanked him. Now that man was a Samaritan.

People won't be saying, "Look! Here it is!' or "There it is!' because now the kingdom of God is among you."

"Just as it was in Noah's time, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man.

People were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed all of them.

Now some people were even bringing their infants to Jesus to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people not to do that.

You know the commandments: "Never commit adultery. Never murder. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.'"

Jesus told them, "I tell all of you with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God

But they didn't understand any of this. What he said was hidden from them, and they didn't know what he meant.

The king told him, "I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, and that I withdraw what I didn't deposit and harvest what I didn't plant?