But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

But the angel said to him:

Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you will name him John.

Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!”

because He has looked with favor
on the humble condition of His slave.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,

because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and His name is holy.

He has done a mighty deed with His arm;
He has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited
and provided redemption for His people.

Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high will visit us

And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,

Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

The Devil said to Him, “I will give You their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.

The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,
because He has anointed Me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent Me
to proclaim freedom to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed,

They were astonished at His teaching because His message had authority.

Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.

But He said to them, “I must proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”

Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the mat through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’”

The whole crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming out from Him and healing them all.

Then looking up at His disciples, He said:

You who are poor are blessed,
because the kingdom of God is yours.

You who are now hungry are blessed,
because you will be filled.
You who now weep are blessed,
because you will laugh.

You are blessed when people hate you,
when they exclude you, insult you,
and slander your name as evil
because of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.

But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your comfort.

Woe to you who are now full,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are now laughing,
for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you
when all people speak well of you,
for this is the way their ancestors
used to treat the false prophets.

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.

because he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.”

And anyone who is not offended because of Me is blessed.”

(And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism.

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, but they could not meet with Him because of the crowd.

“What is your name?” Jesus asked him.

“Legion,” he said—because many demons had entered him.

Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked Him to leave them, because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, He returned.

because he had an only daughter about 12 years old, and she was at death’s door.

While He was going, the crowds were nearly crushing Him.

They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead.

Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was going on. He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead,

Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.

Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he’s my only child.

John responded, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.”

“Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”

But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem.

In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.

because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’

I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look—something greater than Solomon is here!

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation, and look—something greater than Jonah is here!

Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’

He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

And He responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things?

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.”

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able

Yet I must travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem!

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.

He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’

When she finds it, she calls her women friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’

because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

So he called the manager in and asked, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be my manager.’

“The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people.

‘Father Abraham!’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!’

because I have five brothers—to warn them, so they won’t also come to this place of torment.’

Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded?

yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’”

I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.

So He said to them, “I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.

When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today I must stay at your house.”

“Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham.

As they were listening to this, He went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.

“‘Well done, good slave!’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.’

because I was afraid of you, for you’re a tough man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’

They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were captivated by what they heard.

But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on Him that very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

For they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection.

He is not God of the dead but of the living, because all are living to Him.”

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of My name.

You will be hated by everyone because of My name,

because these are days of vengeance to fulfill all the things that are written.

People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the celestial powers will be shaken.

But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!”

The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death, because they were afraid of the people.

Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see Him because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see some miracle performed by Him.

Neither has Herod, because he sent Him back to us. Clearly, He has done nothing to deserve death.

[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”] And they divided His clothes and cast lots.

We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle.

But they urged Him: “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.

Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.”