Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Now when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

So Simeon, directed by the Spirit, came into the temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law,

Now Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem every year for the feast of the Passover.

But when the feast was over, as they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

And all who heard Jesus were astonished at his understanding and his answers.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.

Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened,

So Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years old. He was the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,

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

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

Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside.

Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,

Jesus said to them, "No doubt you will quote to me the proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself!' and say, 'What we have heard that you did in Capernaum, do here in your hometown too.'"

"Ha! Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God."

But Jesus rebuked him: "Silence! Come out of him!" Then, after the demon threw the man down in their midst, he came out of him without hurting him.

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.

As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. He placed his hands on every one of them and healed them.

The next morning Jesus departed and went to a deserted place. Yet the crowds were seeking him, and they came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them.

But Jesus said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, for that is what I was sent to do."

Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God.

He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

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

and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came to him who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Just then some men showed up, carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and place him before Jesus.

But since they found no way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on the stretcher through the roof tiles right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

When Jesus perceived their hostile thoughts, he said to them, "Why are you raising objections within yourselves?

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," he said to him.

Then Levi gave a great banquet in his house for Jesus, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them.

Jesus answered them, "Those who are well don't need a physician, but those who are sick do.

So Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?

Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them.

Jesus answered them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry --

On another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching. Now a man was there whose right hand was withered.

The experts in the law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a reason to accuse him.

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?"

But they were filled with mindless rage and began debating with one another what they would do to Jesus.

Now it was during this time that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God.

After Jesus had finished teaching all this to the people, he entered Capernaum.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave.

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

So Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!"

Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him.

So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

This report about Jesus circulated throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

and sent them to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"

When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?'"

At that very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight to many who were blind.

When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

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.

Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil.

So Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." He replied, "Say it, Teacher."

Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from one town after another, he spoke to them in a parable:

Now Jesus' mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd.

One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake." So they set out,

As Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man from the town met him who was possessed by demons. For a long time this man had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, "Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I beg you, do not torment me!"

For Jesus had started commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so he would be bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard. But he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.)

Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.

Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demonic spirits begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission.

So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and left.

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

"Return to your home, and declare what God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him.

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him.

Then a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue, came up. Falling at Jesus' feet, he pleaded with him to come to his house,

because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed around him.

She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and at once the bleeding stopped.

Then Jesus asked, "Who was it who touched me?" When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!"

But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me."

But when Jesus heard this, he told him, "Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

Now when he came to the house, Jesus did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother.

But Jesus gently took her by the hand and said, "Child, get up."

After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,

Herod said, "I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.

When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.

Now the day began to draw to a close, so the twelve came and said to Jesus, "Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in an isolated place."

So they did as Jesus directed, and the people all sat down.

Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

Now about eight days after these sayings, Jesus took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray.

Then as the men were starting to leave, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he was saying.

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. So they kept silent and told no one at that time anything of what they had seen.

Jesus answered, "You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you and endure you? Bring your son here."

As the boy was approaching, the demon threw him to the ground and shook him with convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

ThenBut while the entire crowd was amazed at everything Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples,

But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts, he took a child, had him stand by his side,

But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you."

Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem.

But Jesus turned and rebuked them,

Jesus said to him, "Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Jesus said to another, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."