I have thoroughly investigated the entire series of events [myself], I felt it would be good for me also to write you an orderly account of them.

And they were without children, because Elisabeth had never given birth, and they were at that time very old.

And thou wilt have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice for his birth.

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

And cried aloud: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!

And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?

And blessed [spiritually fortunate and favored by God] is she who believed and confidently trusted that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her [by the angel sent] from the Lord.”

And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father.

And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

And they were all amazed. Then his voice and the use of his tongue were immediately restored, and he blessed God aloud.

(As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old),

that he would save us from our enemies and from the grip of all who hate us.

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

Then the shepherds went away back, glorifying and extolling God for all they had heard and seen as they had been told they would.

When he was eight days old and it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, as the angel had named him, before his birth was first expected.

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.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

"Now, Lord, thou wilt let thy servant go, According to thy word, in peace,

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,

and has been a widow [all these years], and is now eighty-four years old.) She has never left the Temple, but worships [God] by fasting [i.e., going without food and/or water for religious reasons] and praying night and day.

Every year Jesus' parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

And all of them who heard Him were amazed at His understanding [i.e., of spiritual matters] and His answers [to questions they would ask Him].

He went into the whole region around the Jordan River proclaiming that those immersed on the basis of their repentance [i.e., determining to change their hearts and lives] would receive the forgiveness of sins [from God].

as it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying aloud! 'In the Desert prepare ye a road for the Lord: make His highway straight.

John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

And even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which fails to yield good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire."

The crowds would ask him, "Then what ought we to do?"

And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”

And soldiers would ask him, "And what ought we to do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money or make false charges against people, but be satisfied with your pay."

Now as people were anticipating [what would happen] and everyone was wondering in their hearts if perhaps John were the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one],

So with many varied exhortations he would preach the good news to the people,

And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old; being as was supposed son of Joseph; of Eli,

If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

to proclaim the year of the Lord's acceptance [i.e., the time when people would become His obedient followers]."

he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled, as you've heard it read aloud."

Now in the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean daemon, who shrieked aloud,

When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him. As He laid His hands on each one of them, He would heal them.

Demons also were coming out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place: and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him, that he should not go from them.

And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

And when they had done this, they got such a great number of fish that it seemed as if their nets would be broken;

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

But the news about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

to which he answered, would you have the bridemen fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

But they were filled with mindless rage and began debating with one another what they would do to Jesus.

"Blessed are you who hunger now, because your hunger shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who now weep aloud, because you shall laugh.

"Alas for you who now have plenty to eat, because you will be hungry! "Alas for you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep aloud!

To him that smites thee on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him that would take away thy garment, forbid not thy body-coat also.

And give to every one that asketh thee; and from him who would take thy goods, demand them not again.

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

And if ye love them loving you, what grace is to you? for also the sinful would love those loving them.

He also spoke to them in figurative language. "Can a blind man lead a blind man?" He asked; "would not both fall into the ditch?

How canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me take out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself perceivest not the beam in thine own eye? Hypocrite! first cast the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou wilt see clearly to take out the mote that is in thy brothers eye.

And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

And when they came to Jesus, they entreated him importunately, saying, He is a worthy man on whom thou wilt confer this favour:

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of Moses, who would not be immersed by John, rejected God's purpose for themselves.

They're like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other, "A wedding song we played for you, the dance you all did scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds devoured it.

But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

And he said, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the others in parables, so that seeing they would not see, and hearing they would not understand.

And those by the way are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, lest having believed, they would be saved.

That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection.

But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

And they told him, saying, "Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, and would see thee."

And, when he went forth upon the land, there met him a certain man, out of the city, having demons; and, for a considerable time, he had put on no garment, and, in a house, would not abide, but among the tombs.

But, seeing Jesus, he cried out aloud, and fell down before him, and, with a loud voice, said - What have I in common with thee, O Jesus, Son of Godthe Most High? I beg of thee - Do not torment me! -

Now He was [already] commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him [violently] many times; and he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.

And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

And all the whole multitude of the country of the Gaderenites, besought him that he would depart from them: for they were taken with great fear. And he gat him into the ship and returned back again.

And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. And as he went the crowds thronged him.

When he reached the house he would not allow anyone to come in with him except Peter and James and John, and the child's father and mother.

The people were all weeping aloud and beating their breasts for her; but He said, "Leave off wailing; for she is not dead, but asleep."

He, however, took her by the hand and called aloud, "Child, awake!"

And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats.

And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

For what advantage hath a man in gaining all the would, if he destroy himself, or be punished with the loss of life?

They had a glorified appearance, and were discussing Jesus' departure that he would shortly bring about in Jerusalem.

Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!”

And behold, a man cried aloud from the crowd, saying, Teacher, I beseech You, look on my son, for he is my only-born son.

And I begged your disciples that they would expel it, and they were not able [to do so]."

But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

Then an argument started among them about who would be the greatest of them.

And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

"Foxes have holes," he replied, "and wild birds their roosting-places, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.