it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

Now it happened, while he was performing the priest's office before God in the order of his division,

And the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.

When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute.

It happened, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.

"Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among people."

But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.

And Mary said, "See, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word." The angel departed from her.

It happened, when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

For at that moment when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

for he has looked at the humble state of his servant girl. For look, from now on all generations will call me blessed.

It happened on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zechariah, after the name of the father.

They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.

All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" The hand of the Lord was with him.

to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,

Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

It happened, while they were there, that the day had come that she should give birth.

It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the men, the shepherds, said one to another, "Let us go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.

All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

When eight days were fulfilled to circumcise him, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.

And his father and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him,

and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fastings and petitions night and day.

Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.

and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

It happened after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.

All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

As it is written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.

He said therefore to the crowds who went out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire."

The crowds asked him, "What then must we do?"

Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what must we do?"

Soldiers also asked him, saying, "What about us? What must we do?" He said to them, "Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages."

whose fan is in his hand, to thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Now it happened, when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened,

and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying "You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased."

the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. When they were completed, he was hungry.

Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"

The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.

If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours."

Jesus answered and said to him, "It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"

for it is written, 'He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;'

Jesus answering, said to him, "It is said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the scroll, and found the place where it was written,

He closed the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.

All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

He said to them, "Doubtless you will tell me this parable, 'Physician, heal yourself. Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.'"

Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian."

They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.

saying, "Ah. what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God."

Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him." When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."

News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.

He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them.

Demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, "You are the Son of God." Rebuking them, he did not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the crowds looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he would not go away from them.

Now it happened, while the crowd pressed on him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.

He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch."

Simon answered him, "Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the nets."

But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord."

For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;

It happened, while he was in one of the cities, look, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."

And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him.

He commanded him to tell no one, "But go your way, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."

It happened on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal.

After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me."

The Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"

They said to him, "The disciples of John often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."

He also told a parable to them. "No one having torn a piece from a new garment puts it on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.

Now it happened on a Sabbath that he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain, and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

Jesus, answering them, said, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he, and those who were with him;

how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?"

It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to destroy it?"

He looked around at them all, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his hand was restored.

But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

It happened in these days, that he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

All the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you."

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built.