In the days of Herod king of Judaea there was a priest called Zechariah, who belonged to the division of Abijah; he had a wife who belonged to the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

the mass of the people all remaining in prayer outside at the hour of incense.

The angel went in and said to her, "Hail, O favoured one! the Lord be with you!"

But the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, you have found favour with God.

The angel answered her, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence what is born will be called holy, Son of God.

Look, there is your kinswoman Elizabeth! Even she has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month;

Mary said, "I am here to serve the Lord. Let it be as you have said." Then the angel went away.

and when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leapt in her womb. Then Elizabeth was filled with the holy Spirit;

And blessed is she who believed that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled."

Mary stayed with her about three months and then returned home.

When her neighbours and kinsfolk heard of the Lord's great mercy to her they rejoiced with her,

They said to her, "None of your family is called by that name."

and while they were there the days elapsed for her delivery;

she gave birth to her firstborn son, and as there was no room for them inside the khan she wrapped him up and laid him in a stall for cattle.

And here is a proof for you: you will find a baby wrapped up and lying in a stall for cattle."

There was also a prophetess, Hannah the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher; she was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her girlhood

Now at that very hour she came up, and she offered praise to God and spoke of him to all who were on the outlook for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When his parents saw him they were astounded, and his mother said to him, "My son, why have you behaved like this to us? Here have your father and I been looking for you anxiously!"

Then he went down along with them to Nazaret, and did as they told him. His mother treasured up everything in her heart.

So he said to them, "No doubt you will repeat to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' 'Do here in your own country all we have heard you did in Capharnahum.'"

When he got up to leave the synagogue he went to the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was laid up with a severe attack of fever, so they asked him about her;

he stood over her and checked the fever, and it left her. Then she instantly got up and ministered to them.

But the news of him spread abroad more and more; large crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their complaints,

With them he came down the hill and stood on a level spot. There was a great company of his disciples with him, and a large multitude of people from all Judaea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to get cured of their diseases.

Just as he was near the gate of the town, there was a dead man being carried out; he was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the town were with her.

And when the Lord saw her, he felt pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep."

So he replied, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard; that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached.

This is he of whom it is written, Here I send my messenger before your face, to prepare the way for you.

the Son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of taxgatherers and sinners!'

Nevertheless, Wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

and stood behind him at his feet in tears; her tears began to wet his feet, so she wiped them with the hair of her head, pressed kisses on them, and anointed them with the perfume.

Then turning to the woman he said to Simon, "You see this woman? When I came into your house, you never gave me water for my feet, while she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair;

Therefore I tell you, many as her sins are, they are forgiven, for her love is great; whereas he to whom little is forgiven has but little love."

And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Those 'on the road' are people who hear; but then the devil comes and carries off the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

Those 'on the rock' are people who on hearing the word welcome it with enthusiasm, but they have no root; they believe for a while and fall away in the hour of trial.

As for the seed that fell among thorns, that means people who hear but who go and get choked with worries and money and the pleasures of life, so that they never ripen.

As for the seed in the good soil, that means those who hear and hold fast the word in a good and sound heart and so bear fruit stedfastly.

came up behind him and touched the tassel of his robe. Her hemorrhage instantly ceased.

"Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well; depart in peace."

Everyone was weeping and bewailing her, but he said, "Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep."

But he took her hand and called to her, "Rise, little girl."

And her spirit returned, she got up instantly, and he ordered them to give her something to eat.

Her parents were amazed, but he charged them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Herod said, "John I beheaded. But who is this, of whom I hear such tales?" And he made efforts to see him.

Now as the day began to decline the twelve came up to him and said, "Send the crowd off to lodge in the villages and farms around and get provisions there, for here we are in a desert place."

I tell you plainly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death till they see the Reign of God."

When they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is a good thing we are here; let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (not knowing what he was saying).

Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long must I still be with you and bear with you? Fetch your son here."

He thrilled with joy at that hour in the holy Spirit, saying, "I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for concealing this from the wise and learned and revealing it to the simple-minded; yes, Father, I praise thee that such was thy chosen purpose." Then turning to the disciples he said,

For I tell you many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, but they have not seen it: and to hear what you hear, but they have not heard it."

In the course of their journey he entered a certain village, and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house.

Now Martha was so busy attending to them that she grew worried; she came up and said, "Lord, is it all one to you that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Come, tell her to lend me a hand."

The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha,

But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear and who observe the word of God!"

The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here is One greater than Solomon.

The men of Ninive will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for when Jonah preached they did repent, and here is One greater than Jonah.

for the holy Spirit will teach you at that hour what you should say."

Be sure that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

So be ready yourselves, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

that servant's lord and master will arrive on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know; he will cut him in two and assign him the fate of unbelievers.

You think I am here to make peace on earth? No, I tell you, it is dissension.

So he said to the vinedresser, 'Here have I come for three years in search of fruit on this fig tree without finding any; cut it down, why should it take up space?'

Jesus noticed her and called to her, "Woman, you are released from your weakness."

He laid his hands on her, and instantly she became erect and glorified God.

And this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for all these eighteen years, was she not to be freed from her bondage on the sabbath?"

Just then some Pharisees came up to tell him, "Get away from here, for Herod intends to kill you."

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, slaying the prophets and stoning those who have been sent to you! How often I would fain have gathered your children as a fowl gathers her brood under her wings! But you would not have it!

No, when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in he will tell you, 'Move higher up, my friend.' Then you will be honoured before your fellow guests.

At the hour for supper he sent his servant to tell the guests, 'Come, things are all ready.'

And when she finds it she gathers her women-friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the shilling I lost.'

But when he came to his senses he said, 'How many hired men of my father have more than enough to eat, and here am I perishing of hunger!

for my son here was dead and he has come to life, he was lost and he is found.' So they began to make merry.

We could not but make merry and rejoice, for your brother here was dead and has come to life again, he was lost but he has been found.' "

So he summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Hand in your accounts; you cannot be factor any longer.'

'A hundred barrels of oil,' he said. The factor told him, 'Here is your bill; sit down at once and enter fifty barrels.'

Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' 'A hundred quarters of wheat,' he said. 'Here is your bill,' said the factor, 'just enter eighty.'

no one will say, 'Here it is' or 'There it is,' for the Reign of God is now in your midst."

Men will say, 'See, here he is!' 'See, there he is!' but do not go out or run after them,

still, as this widow is bothering me, I will see justice done to her ??not to have her for ever coming and pestering me.'

And Jesus said of him, "To-day salvation has come to this house, since Zacchaeus here is a son of Abraham.

Then the next came and said, 'Here is your five pounds, sir; I kept it safe in a napkin,

And now for these enemies of mine who objected to me reigning over them ??bring them here and slay them in my presence.' "

But when the vinedressers saw him, they argued to themselves, 'Here is the heir, let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.'

At that hour the scribes and high priests tried to lay hands on him, but they were afraid of the people. They knew he had meant this parable for them.

and the third took her, as indeed all the seven did, dying and leaving no children.

for these people all contributed out of their surplus, but she has given out of her neediness all her living."

And when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be scared; these have to come first, but the end is not at once."

there will be great earthquakes with famine and pestilence here and there, there will be awful portents and great signs from heaven.

but not a hair of your head will perish.

But whenever you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then be sure her desolation is not far away.

From hour to hour keep awake, praying that you may succeed in escaping all these dangers to come and in standing before the Son of man."

and when the hour came he took his place, with the apostles beside him.

"Lord," they said, "here are two swords!" "Enough! Enough!" he answered.

Day after day I was beside you in the temple, and you never stretched a hand against me. But this is your hour, and the dark Power has its way."

About an hour had passed when another man insisted, "That fellow really was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!"

But they insisted, "He stirs up the people by teaching all over Judaea. He started from Galilee and now he is here."

He is not here, he has risen. Remember how he told you when he was still in Galilee

So they got up and returned that very hour to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven and their friends all gathered,

Even yet they could not believe it for sheer joy; they were lost in wonder. So he said to them, "Have you any food here?"