It fell to him by lot, in accordance with the practice among the priests, to go into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense;

And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the Altar of Incense.

But the angel said to him: " Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, whom you shall call by the name John.

He shall go before him in the spirit and with the power of Elijah, 'to reconcile fathers to their children' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and so make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him."

And now, you shall be with child and give birth to a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus.

The child shall be great and shall be called 'Son of the Most High,' and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David,

From age to age his mercy rests On those who reverence him.

A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him 'Zechariah' after his father,

And all who heard it kept it in mind, asking one another-- "What can this child be destined to become?" For the Power of the Lord was with him.

And should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, In his presence all our days.

And she gave birth to her first child, a son. And because there was no room for them in the inn, she swathed him round and laid him in a manger.

Eight days after the birth of the child, when it was time to circumcise him, he received the name Jesus--the name given him by the angel before his conception.

When the period of purification of mother and child, enjoined by the Law of Moses, came to an end, his parents took the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ.

Moved by the Spirit, Simeon came into the Temple Courts, and, when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the Law,

While the child's father and mother were wondering at what was said about him,

The child grew and became strong and wise, and the blessing of God was upon him.

Thinking that he was with their fellow-travelers, they went one day's journey before searching for him among their relations and acquaintances;

And then, as they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching everywhere for him.

It was not till the third day that they found him in the Temple Courts, sitting among the Teachers, now listening to them, now asking them questions.

All who listened to him marveled at his intelligence and his answers.

His parents were amazed when they saw him, and his mother said to him: "My child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."

And John said to the crowds that went to be baptized by him: "You brood of vipers! who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?

"Let the man who has two coats," answered John, "share with him who has none; and the man who has food do the same."

And the Holy Spirit descended, in a visible form, like a dove, upon him, and from the heavens came a voice--"Thou art my Son, the Beloved; in thee I delight."

So the Devil said to him: "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread."

And Jesus answered him: "Scripture says--'It is not on bread alone that man is to live.'"

And the Devil led Jesus up, and showing him in a single moment all the kingdoms of the earth, said to him:

And Jesus answered him: "Scripture says--'Thou shalt do homage to the Lord thy God, and worship him only.'"

The Devil next led him into Jerusalem, and, placing him on the parapet of the Temple, said: "If you are God's Son throw yourself down from here,

But Jesus answered him: "It is said--'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'"

Moved by the power of the Spirit, Jesus returned to Galilee. Reports about him spread through all that neighborhood;

The book given him was that of the Prophet Isaiah; and Jesus opened the book and found the place where it says--

Then, closing the book and returning it to the attendant, he sat down. The eyes of all in the Synagogue were fixed upon him,

All who were present spoke well of him, and were astonished at the beautiful words that fell from his lips. "Is not he Joseph's son?" they asked.

Starting up, they drove Jesus out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town stood, intending to hurl him down.

In the Synagogue there was a man with the spirit of a foul demon in him, who called out loudly:

But Jesus rebuked the demon. "Be silent! Come out from him," he said. The demon flung the man down in the middle of the people, and then came out from him, without causing him further harm.

At daybreak, Jesus went out and walked to a lonely spot. But crowds of people began to look for him; and they came to where he was and tried to detain him and prevent his leaving them.

So, getting into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, Jesus asked him to push off a little way from the shore, and then sat down and taught the people from the boat.

For he and all who were with him were lost in amazement at the haul of fish which they had made;

And, when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything, and followed him.

Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying as he did so: "I am willing; become clean." Instantly the leprosy left the man;

And then Jesus impressed upon him that he was not to say a word to any one, "but," he added, "set out and show yourself to the priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing, in the manner directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

However, the story about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came together to listen to him, and to be cured of their illnesses;

And there some men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed. They tried to get him in and lay him before Jesus;

But, finding no way of getting him in owing to the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles, with his pallet, into the middle of the people and in front of Jesus.

After this, Jesus went out; and he noticed a tax-gatherer, named Levi, sitting in the tax-office, and said to him: "Follow me."

Levi left everything and got up and followed him.

The Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely, to see if he would work cures on the Sabbath, so that they might find a charge to bring against him.

Afterwards Jesus came down the hill with them and took his stand on a level place. With him were a large crowd of his disciples, and great numbers of people from the whole of Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast district of Tyre and Sidon,

Who had come to hear him and to be restored to health. Those, too, who were troubled with foul spirits were cured;

And every one in the crowd was trying to touch him, because a power went out from him which restored them all.

And, hearing about Jesus, he sent some Jewish Councillors to him, with the request that he would come and save his slave's life.

When they found Jesus, they earnestly implored him to do so. "He is a man who deserves that you should show him this favor," they said,

Jesus was surprised to hear these words from him; and, turning to the crowd which was following him, he said: "I tell you, nowhere in Israel have I met with such faith as this!"

Shortly after, Jesus went to a town called Nain, his disciples and a great crowd going with him.

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus restored him to his mother.

For now that John the Baptist has come, not eating bread or drinking wine, you are saying 'He has a demon in him';

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him, so Jesus went to his house and took his place at table.

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself: "Had this man been 'The Prophet,' he would have known who, and what sort of woman, this is who is touching him, and that she is an outcast."

But, addressing him, Jesus said: "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Pray do so, Teacher," Simon answered; and Jesus began:

As they were unable to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them, do you think, will love him the more?"

And for this, I tell you, her sins, many as they are, have been pardoned, because she has loved greatly; but one who has little pardoned him, loves but little."

Shortly afterwards, Jesus went on a journey through the towns and villages, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve,

Other seed fell into rich soil, and grew, and gave a hundred-fold return." After saying this, Jesus cried aloud: "Let him who has ears to hear with hear."

Presently Jesus' mother and brothers came where he was, but they were not able to join him on account of the crowd.

So word was brought to him--'Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.'

So the disciples came and roused him. "Sir, Sir," they cried, "we are lost!" Jesus rose and rebuked the wind and the rushing waves, and they fell, and a calm followed.

"Where is your faith?" he exclaimed. But in great awe and amazement they said to one another: "Who can this be, that he commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him?"

And, on getting ashore, Jesus met a man, who had demons in him, coming out of the town. For a long time this man had worn no clothing, and he had not lived in a house, but in the tombs.

Catching sight of Jesus, he shrieked out and threw himself down before him, and in a loud voice exclaimed: "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you not to torment me."

For Jesus was commanding the foul spirit to come out from the man. On many occasions it had seized him, and, even when secured with chains and fetters, and watched, he would break through anything that bound him, and be driven by the demon into the Wilds.

"What is your name?" Jesus asked. "Legion," he answered (for many demons had taken possession of him);

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus to let him be with him; but Jesus sent him away.

"Go back to your home," he said, "and relate the story of all that God has done for you." So the man went through the whole town and proclaimed, as he went, all that Jesus had done for him.

On his return, Jesus was welcomed by the people; for everyone was looking out for him.

Because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus was going, the people were pressing closely round him.

Then the woman, when she saw that she was discovered, came forward trembling, and threw herself down before him; and, in the presence of all the people, she told him her reason for touching him, and that she had been cured instantly.

When he reached the house, he did not allow any one to go in with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother.

They began to laugh at him, for they knew that she was dead.

But Herod himself said: "John I beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things?" And he endeavored to see him.

When the Apostles returned, they related to Jesus all that they had done. Then Jesus retired privately to a town called Bethsaida, taking the Apostles with him.

But the people recognized him and followed him in crowds; and Jesus welcomed them and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, while he cured those who were in need of help.

The day was drawing to a close, when the twelve came up to him, and said: "Send the crowd away, so that they may make their way to the villages and farms round about, and find themselves lodgings and provisions, for we are in a lonely spot here."

Afterwards, when Jesus was alone, praying, his disciples joined him, and he asked them this question-- "Who do the people say that I am?"

And to all present he said: "If any man wishes to walk in my steps, let him renounce self, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Whoever is ashamed of me and of my teaching, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Glory and the Glory of the father and of the holy angels.

About eight days after speaking these words, Jesus went up the mountain to pray, taking with him Peter, John, and James.

Peter and his companions had been overpowered by sleep but, suddenly becoming wide awake, they saw Jesus glorified and the two men who were standing beside him.

And from the cloud came a voice which said--"This is my Son, the Chosen One; him you must hear."

All at once a spirit will seize him, suddenly shriek out, and throw him into convulsions till he foams, and will leave him only when he is utterly exhausted.

While the boy was coming up to Jesus, the demon dashed him down and threw him into convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, and cured the boy, and gave him back to his father.

But the disciples did not understand the meaning of this; it had been concealed from them so that they did not see it, and they were afraid to question him as to what he meant.

And Jesus, knowing of the discussion that was occupying their thoughts, took hold of a little child, and placed it beside him,

And then said to them: "Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even this little child is welcoming me; and any one who welcomes me is welcoming him who sent me as his Messenger. For whoever is lowliest among you all--that man is great."

Thereupon John said: "Sir, we saw a man driving out demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow you with us."

"None of you must prevent him," Jesus said to John; "he who is not against you is for you."

On their way, they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him,

But the people there did not welcome him, because his face was set in the direction of Jerusalem.