As a number of attempts have been made to put together in order an account of those events which took place among us,

as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,

it seemed best to me also--[because I] have followed all [things] carefully from the beginning--to write [them] down in orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus,

So that you might have certain knowledge of those things about which you were given teaching.

And {they did not have} a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced {in years}.

But the angel said, Have no fear, Zacharias, for your prayer has come to the ears of God, and your wife Elisabeth will have a son, and his name will be John.

And you will be glad and have great delight; and numbers of people will have joy at his birth.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and he will not drink any wine or intoxicating drinks [Note: This restriction suggests that John may have taken the special vow of consecration making him a "Nazarite"]. And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is born.

And he will go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, turning the hearts of fathers to their children, and wrongdoers to the way of righteousness; to make ready a people whose hearts have been turned to the Lord.

And the angel, answering, said, I am Gabriel, whose place is before God; I have been sent to say these words to you and to give you this good news.

Now, see, you will be without voice or language till the day when these things come about, because you had not faith in my words, which will have effect at the right time.

When, however, he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they knew that he must have seen a vision in the Sanctuary; but he kept making signs to them and continued dumb.

Now after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she secluded herself completely, saying,

"This is what the Lord has done for me," she said, "now that he has deigned to remove the disgrace I have endured."

Gabriel came into her presence and said: "Hail, you who have been highly favored! The Lord is with you."

And the angel said to her, Have no fear, Mary, for you have God's approval.

He will have rule over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

And Mary said to the angel, How may this be, because I have had no knowledge of a man?

And consider this, your relative Elizabeth is also pregnant with a son in spite of her old age, and [even though] she was said to be unable to have children, she is now six months along.

Then Mary said: "Behold I am Lord's slave. Let it be to me as you have said." Then the angel departed from her.

Why is this privilege mine, to have the mother of my Lord come to me?

And, happy, is she who hath believed, that there shall be a perfecting of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!

He shows mercy to generation after generation of people who have reverence for Him.

With his arm he has done acts of power; he has put to flight those who have pride in their hearts.

As he promised our forefathers To have mercy on Abraham and his descendants forever!"

Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

And on the eighth day they came to see to the circumcision of the child, and they would have given him the name of Zacharias, his father's name;

Said they, "You have no relatives of that name!"

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

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began;

Salvation from those who are against us, and from the hands of those who have hate for us;

since we have been rescued
from our enemies’ clutches,
to serve Him without fear

to have himself registered together with Mary, who was betrothed to him and was with child.

And it happened while they were there that the due date came for her to have the baby.

And the angel said, Have no fear; for truly, I give you good news of great joy which will be for all the people:

To-day you have a saviour born in the town of David, the Lord messiah.

And this is the sign to you: you will see a young child folded in linen, in the place where the cattle have their food.

Now you are letting your servant go in peace, O Lord, as you have said;

For my eyes have seen your salvation,

Which you have made ready before the face of all nations;

But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

And when they saw him they were surprised, and his mother said to him, Son, why have you done this to us? see, your father and I have been looking for you with sorrow.

And he said to them, Why is it that ye have sought me? did ye not know that I ought to be occupied in my Father's business?

Make clear by your acts that your hearts have been changed; and do not say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say to you that God is able from these stones to make children of Abraham.

And even now the axe is put to the root of the trees; and every tree which does not have good fruit will be cut down and put into the fire.

And the people put questions to him, saying, What have we to do?

And he answered [and] said to them, "The one who has two tunics must share with the one who does not have [one], and the one who has food must do likewise."

Then tax-farmers came to him for baptism and said to him, Master, what have we to do?

He told them, “Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”

And men of the army put questions to him, saying, And what have we to do? And he said to them, Do no violent acts to any man, and do not take anything without right, and let your payment be enough for you.

and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove upon him; and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight.

Jesus answered, "We have been told, 'You shall not try the Lord your God.' "

And he began to say to them: This scripture which you have heard, is this day fulfilled.

And he said to them, "Doubtless you will tell me this parable: 'Physician, heal yourself!' Whatever we have heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in your hometown also!"

Let us be! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? have you come to put an end to us? I have knowledge who you are, the Holy One of God.

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.

But he said to them, I have to give the good news of the kingdom of God in other towns, because that is why I was sent.

Now it came about that while the people came pushing to be near him, and to have knowledge of the word of God, he was by a wide stretch of water named Gennesaret;

And Simon answering said to him, Master, having laboured through the whole night we have taken nothing, but at thy word I will let down the net.

And so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were working with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Have no fear; from this time forward you will be a fisher of men.

And it came about that while he was in one of the towns, there was a leper there: and when he saw Jesus he went down on his face in prayer to him, saying, Lord, if it is your pleasure, you have power to make me clean.

Jesus ordered him to tell no one [that he might happen to meet], “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony (witness) to them [that this is a work of Messiah].”

And seeing their faith he said, Man, you have forgiveness for your sins.

Which is the simpler: to say, You have forgiveness for your sins; or to say, Get up and go?

And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are in health have no need of a physician; but they that are sick.

I have come, not to get the upright, but sinners, so that they may be turned from their sins.

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

But days will come when also the bridegroom will have been taken away from them; then shall they fast in those days.

And he also told a parable to them: "No one tears a patch from a new garment [and] puts [it] on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch [that is] from the new.

And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read even this, what David did, when he was hungry, he, and they that were with him;

now the Scribes and Pharisees were upon the watch to see if he would work a cure upon the sabbath-day, and so have matter of accusation against him.

At length he came down the hill with them, and stayed with the rest of his disciples in the plain, where a great multitude of people from all Judea, from Jerusalem, and the maritime country of Tyre and Sidon, came to hear him, and to have their diseases cured.

Then He looked at His disciples and said, "Those of you who have a [sense of personal] need are blessed, because the kingdom of God belongs to you.

Those of you who now have an appetite [i.e., for doing what is right] are blessed, because you will be satisfied [eventually]. Those of you who cry now [i.e., over your sins] are blessed, because you will laugh [i.e., when you are forgiven later].

Happy are you, when men have hate for you, and put you away from among them and say angry words to you, turning away in disgust at your name, because of the Son of man.

But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

Woe to you who have been filled -- because ye shall hunger. 'Woe to you who are laughing now -- because ye shall mourn and weep.

"Alas for you when men shall all have spoken well of you; for that is just the way their forefathers behaved to the false Prophets!

But I say to you who give ear to me, Have love for those who are against you, do good to those who have hate for you,

to him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and let him that taketh away thy cloke, have thy coat too rather than strive with him:

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them.

And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same.

And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much.

But be loving to those who are against you and do them good, and give them your money, not giving up hope, and your reward will be great and you will be the sons of the Most High: for he is kind to evil men, and to those who have hard hearts.

Give [to others] and you will have [things] given to you. People will pour into your lap a full measure [of goods]; it will be pressed down, shaken together and running over [the edges]. Because the standard you use in giving [to others] will be the standard used [by them or God] in giving back to you."

But those who have listened and not acted upon what they have heard may be compared to a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation. The river swept down upon it, and the house immediately collapsed; and great was the crash that followed."

When they came to Jesus, they urged him earnestly, "He is worthy to have you do this for him,

Then Jesus started to go with them. But when He was not far from the house, the captain sent friends to say to Him, "My Lord, stop troubling yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.

That is why I did not think I was fit to come to you. But simply say the word, and have my servant cured.

For I likewise am a man under power, and have under me soldiers, and I say unto one, 'Go': and he goeth. And to another, 'Come': and he cometh. And to my servant, 'Do this': and he doeth it."

And when Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned and said unto the multitude that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

And he answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them.

And the messengers of John having gone away, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John: 'What have ye gone forth to the wilderness to look on? a reed by the wind shaken?

But what did you go out to see? a man in soft clothing? See now, those who have beautiful clothing and delicate food are in kings' houses.

'But what have ye gone forth to see? a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet:

But the Pharisees and expounders of the Law have frustrated God's purpose as to their own lives, by refusing to be baptized.

They are like children sitting in the market-place, and calling one to another and saying, We have piped to you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

Now one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table.