I have thoroughly investigated the entire series of events [myself], I felt it would be good for me also to write you an orderly account of them.

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 Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is [also] very old."

And consider this, you will [have to] remain a mute and be unable to speak until the day when these things happen because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in due time."

"The Lord has done this for me, and at this time [in my life] He has favored me by removing the stigma placed on me by people [i.e., for not having children]."

And Mary said, "Here I am, the Lord's slave-girl; let it happen to me according to what you say." Then the angel left her.

But why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to [visit] me?

For listen, when I heard your voice greeting me, the baby in my womb "kicked" for joy.

Then Mary said, "My soul lifts up the Lord,

and my spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior.

For He has looked favorably on the humble circumstances of His servant-girl. And consider this, all generations of people will call me 'blessed' from now on.

For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy.

"May the Lord be praised, [who is] the God of the Israelites, for He has come to [the aid of] His people and bought them back [i.e., from bondage].

Yes, you [my] child [i.e., John], will be called the prophet of the Highest [i.e., God], for you will go ahead of the Lord's presence to prepare His ways.

"May there be glory to God in the highest [heavens], and may there be peace on earth among men who are pleasing to God."

"Master, you may now allow your servant to be released [i.e., die] in peace, according to what you said.

For my eyes have seen your salvation [i.e., Jesus],

And He replied to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father's house [i.e., the Temple]?"

John answered [their concerns] by saying to all of them, "I am [the one] immersing you in water, but One who is more powerful than I will follow my [ministry]. I am not [even] worthy to loosen the straps of His sandals. He will immerse you people with the Holy Spirit and with fire [i.e., the punishment of hell. See Matt. 3:10-12].

and the Holy Spirit came down on Him in a physical form, as a dove, and a voice spoke out of heaven [saying], "You are my dearly loved Son. I am very pleased with you."

And the devil said to Him, "I will give you full authority [over them] and their splendor, for it has [all] been granted to me and to whom I want to give it.

Therefore, if you will worship in front of me it will all be yours."

"The Holy Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me [i.e., specially chose me] to preach good news to poor people. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to those who are captives [i.e., to sin]; recovery of sight to the [spiritually as well as physically] blind; to set free those who are oppressed [i.e., by Satan] and

And He replied to them, "No doubt you will tell me this proverb, 'Doctor, heal yourself,' and 'Perform [the miracles] here in your own home town also that we heard you did in Capernaum.'"

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

And it happened while Jesus was in one of the towns [i.e., surrounding Lake Galilee], that a man covered with an infectious skin disease appeared and, when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face [to the ground] and begged Him, saying, "If you want to, you can heal me." [Note: Throughout this narrative the terms "heal/healing" are originally "clean/cleansing" because the Jews viewed a person with such a disease as ceremonially "unclean." See Lev. 13:1-3].

Then after these things happened, Jesus went out [i.e., probably walking along a street] and saw a publican [Note: This was a person with a bad reputation for dishonest tax collecting activities] named Matthew [i.e., the same as Levi. See Mark 2:14] sitting at the toll booth [collecting taxes] and said, "Become my follower."

But I tell you people who are listening [to me], love your enemies and do good things to those who hate you.

Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take that speck of sawdust out of your eye,' when you cannot see the board in your own eye? You hypocrite, take the board out of your own eye first; then you will be able to see clearly enough to take out the speck of sawdust that is in your brother's eye.

And why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and [yet] not obey what I tell you to do?

Every person who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys them, I will show you who he is like.

But the person who hears [my words] and does not obey them is like a man who built a house on the ground, without a foundation. [When] the river pounded against it, immediately it collapsed and the destruction of that house was complete."

So, Jesus went with them. And when He got close to the military officer's house, the officer sent [his] friends to Jesus, saying to Him [i.e., speaking on behalf of the military officer], "Sir, do not trouble yourself, for I do not deserve for you to come into my house;

[and] for the same reason I did not think I deserved to come to you either. So, [just] say the word and [I know] my slave will be healed.

For I also am a man [who was] placed under the authority [of others], and I have soldiers [who serve] under me. I can say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another one, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

The person who does not find an occasion for having doubts about my identity is fortunate indeed."

He is the one about whom it was written [Mal. 3:1], 'Look, I [will] send my messenger on ahead of you. He will prepare the pathway in front of you.'

Then Jesus turned to the woman [who had just poured the perfume on Him] and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house and you did not give me any water for [washing] my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them dry with her hair.

You did not give me a kiss [of greeting], but from the time I came in [to your house] she has not stopped kissing my feet.

You did not pour [aromatic] oil on my head, but she poured perfume on my feet.

But He replied to them, "My mother and my brothers are those people who hear God's word and obey it."

And when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet [i.e., in worship. See Mark 5:6] and shouted out with a loud voice saying, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Highest God? I beg you, do not torture me."

Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, " [My name is] 'Legion'" [Note: This word means a number consisting of between 5,000 and 6,000], for many evil spirits had entered the man.

Jesus said, "Who touched me?" And when everyone denied [doing it], Peter and the disciples said, "Master, many people are pressing in on you and crowding you."

But Jesus replied, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that [healing] power had gone out from me."

But when Jesus heard this, He said [to the man], "Do not be afraid. Just believe [i.e., in my power to restore your daughter] and she will be made well [i.e., restored to life]."

Then He said to everyone, "If anyone wants to be my follower, he should deny self [i.e., of always having its own way] and accept his cross [i.e., his responsibilities, with all their difficulties] everyday, and [then he can] become my follower.

For whoever would [try to] save his life [i.e., by neglecting spiritual things] will lose it [i.e., miss out on the blessings of God]. But whoever [willingly] loses his life [i.e., in commitment to God's service] for my sake, that person will save it [i.e., obtain both temporal and spiritual blessings].

For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will [also] be ashamed of him when He returns in His own splendor and that of the Father and of the holy angels.

Then a voice spoke out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, [whom] I have chosen; listen to Him."

Just then a man from the crowd shouted out, "Teacher, I beg you, look at my son [i.e., favorably], for he is my only child.

and said to the disciples, "The person who welcomes this little child in my name [i.e., because he belongs to me], welcomes me [also]. And the person who welcomes me [i.e., into his life ?] welcomes God, who sent me. For that person who is the least [significant] among you men is the one who is the greatest [in importance]."

And [then] He said to another person, "Become my follower." But he replied, "Lord, allow me to go and bury my father first."

Then another person said [to Jesus], "Lord, I will become your follower, but first let me say goodbye to my family." [Note: There was the likelihood that family members might try to dissuade him from his commitment to follow the Lord].

The person who listens to you, [actually] listens to me. And the person who rejects you, [actually] rejects me. And the person who rejects me, [actually] rejects Him who sent me [i.e., God]."

Everything has been handed over to me by my Father and no one knows the Son except the Father. And [no one knows] the Father except the Son and whatever person the Son wants to reveal Him to."

But, wanting to justify himself, the teacher of the law of Moses asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

But Martha was preoccupied with all the preparations [i.e., for entertaining her beloved guest] and came up to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Ask her to help me."

And He said to them, "When you pray you should say, 'Father, may your name be highly honored. May your kingdom come [to earth].

And Jesus said to His disciples, "Suppose one of you who has a friend would go to him at midnight and say to him, ' [Please] lend me three loaves of bread,

for a friend of mine has come to [visit] me while on a trip and I do not have anything to feed him?'

Then the man will answer from inside [his house], 'Do not bother me. My door is [already] locked, my children are [already] in bed with me and I cannot get up to give you anything.'

But, if I drive out evil spirits by the finger of God [i.e., by God's direct, supernatural intervention], then [that is evidence that] the kingdom of God has come into your midst [i.e., by my presence and ministry].

But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away all the armament the strong man relied on, and [then] divides up his storehouse of possessions. [Note: The word here translated "possessions" may be translated "arms" so the meaning could be "divides up his armament"].

The person who is not on my side is [actually] against me. And the person who does not gather [people to me] is [actually] driving them away [from me].

"When an evil spirit has been driven out of a man, it roams through desert regions trying to find rest, but [when it] cannot find any, it says [to itself], 'I will return to my house from which I came [i.e., the body of the person it dominated].'

so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the beginning of the world, may be required of this generation of people.'

And I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who can kill your body and after that can do nothing more.

"And I tell you, every person who acknowledges me in front of people [i.e., to be his Lord and Christ], the Son of man will also acknowledge him in front of God's angels.

But that person who disowns me in front of people [i.e., denies that I am the Christ, or that he is a disciple. See John 18:15-17, 25-27], will be disowned in front of God's angels.

Then someone out of the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the [family] inheritance with me."

But He said to him, "Man, who appointed me to judge or [decide on how] to divide [the property] between you two?"

so he thought to himself, 'What should I do, because I do not have any [more] room to store my crops?'

Then he said [to himself], 'This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build larger [ones]; then I will store all my grain and [other] goods there [i.e., farm supplies].

But if that slave should think to himself, 'My master will not be back soon,' and then becomes physically abusive to his men and women servants, and eats and drinks and gets drunk,

"I have come to bring fire to the earth. [Note: This means division within families. See verses 51-53] And how I wish that fire were already started [i.e., so I could complete my mission sooner]!

And He will say [i.e., the Lord is represented as saying this in the judgment. See Matt. 7:23; 8:11-12], 'I tell you, I do not know where you came from, [so] go away from me, all you people who have done sinful things.'

Look, your house [i.e., the Jewish Temple] is being abandoned [by me ?]. You will not see me until [the time when] you will be saying, 'Praise the One who is coming in the name of the Lord.'"

Then all of them, in the same way, began to excuse themselves [from attending]. The first one said to the host, 'I just bought some land and I need to go out and look it over, so please excuse me [from attending the supper].'

And another person said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen and I need to go and test them out, so please excuse me [from attending the supper].'

And the slave said, 'Master, I did what you ordered me to do, and still there is room [at the dinner table].'

Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and along the brushy trails and urge people to attend [the supper] so that my house will be full [of guests].'

For I tell you, not one of those who were invited will [even] taste my supper."

"If anyone comes to me [i.e., to be my disciple], and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers and sisters and, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

[And] whoever does not carry his own cross [i.e., his responsibilities with all their difficulties] and follow me cannot be my disciple.

So therefore, every one of you who does not say 'goodbye' to everything he owns, cannot be my disciple.

And when he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors together and says to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I found my sheep that was lost.'

And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I found the coin I had lost.'

The younger one said to his father, 'Father, [please] give me my share of your property that I have coming.' So, the father divided up what he had to live on [with his two sons].

But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread to eat, and here I am, dying from hunger!

I will get up and go to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against [the God of] heaven and against you.

I do not deserve to be called your son [anymore]. Consider me as [just] one of your hired servants.'

For my son here was dead [spiritually], but is [now] alive again. He was lost [from me], but [now] is found.' And they began to celebrate.

But he replied to his father, 'Look, I have served you [as a slave] for all these years and have never disobeyed any of your orders, yet you never gave me [even] a young goat, so I could enjoy myself with my friends.

And the father replied, 'Son, you are always [here] with me, and everything I have is yours.

But it was [only] proper that we celebrate and have a good time, for this brother of yours was dead [spiritually], but is [now] alive again; he was lost [from me] but [now] is found.'"

So, he called his property manager in and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Turn in a [full] report of [all] your financial transactions, for you are not working for me anymore.'

Then the property manager said to himself, What am I going to do since my master is taking away my job? I am not strong enough to dig [i.e., as a farm laborer], and I am too ashamed to beg.

I know what I will do, so when I am fired they [i.e., his master's customers] will welcome me into their homes.

So, he called on each one of his master's customers and said to the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?'