In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.

And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”

Then the angel told her:

Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

The angel replied to her:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore, the holy One to be born
will be called the Son of God.

And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.

“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

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

And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.”

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

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.

But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.

So he took Him to Jerusalem, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.

Then He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. So all we’ve heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in Your hometown also.’”

After He left the synagogue, He entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him about her.

So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them.

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.

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 He knew their thoughts and told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up and stand here.” So he got up and stood there.

They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well.

Just as He neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Don’t cry.”

He replied to them, “Go and report to John the things you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news.

Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil.

Turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she, with her tears, has washed My feet and wiped them with her hair.

Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her);

Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times what was sown.” As He said this, He called out, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”

And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, welcome the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and depart in a time of testing.

But He replied to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”

approached from behind and touched the tassel of His robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped.

“Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But He said, “Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep.”

So He took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”

Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then He gave orders that she be given something to eat.

Her parents were astounded, but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

“I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see Him.

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.”

I tell you the truth: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

As the two men were departing from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it’s good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious generation! How long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

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.

For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.”

While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”

The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,

but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

As He was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “The womb that bore You and the one who nursed You are blessed!”

He said, “Even more, those who hear the word of God and keep it are blessed!”

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!

For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.”

But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

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

that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Do you think that I came here to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!

They will be divided, father against son,
son against father,
mother against daughter,
daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

When Jesus saw her, He called out to her, “Woman, you are free of your disability.”

Then He laid His hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God.

At that time some Pharisees came and told Him, “Go, get out of here! Herod wants to kill You!”

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

“But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored in the presence of all the other guests.

“So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’

It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”

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!’

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!

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

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.’

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and everyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

“‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.

Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’

no one will say, ‘Look here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is among you.”

They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Don’t follow or run after them.

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

“And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth

But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’”

and said, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

“But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so the inheritance will be ours!’

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.

and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children.

In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

When you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed. Indeed, these things must take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

but not a hair of your head will be lost.

Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear Him in the temple complex.

When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.

“Lord,” they said, “look, here are two swords.”

“Enough of that!” He told them.

Every day while I was with you in the temple complex, you never laid a hand on Me. But this is your hour—and the dominion of darkness.”

About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with Him, since he’s also a Galilean.”

But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where He started even to here.”

“He is not here, but He has been resurrected! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,

That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together,

But while they still were amazed and unbelieving because of their joy, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”