so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Now listen:
You will conceive and give birth to a son,
and you will call His name Jesus.

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and His kingdom will have no end.

because He has looked with favor
on the humble condition of His slave.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,

Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son.

But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.”

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.

Now, Master,
You can dismiss Your slave in peace,
as You promised.

After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not know it.

“Why were you searching for Me?” He asked them. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds whether John might be the Messiah.

son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad,
son of Shem, son of Noah,
son of Lamech,

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.’”

He also said, “I assure you: No prophet is accepted in his hometown.

“Leave us alone! What do You have to do with us, Jesus—Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.

and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”

Then He ordered him to tell no one: “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses prescribed for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”

But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”

Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for Him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests with them.

He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old.

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined.

But new wine should be put into fresh wineskins.

And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’”

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.

You who are now hungry are blessed,
because you will be filled.
You who now weep are blessed,
because you will laugh.

Woe to you who are now full,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are now laughing,
for you will mourn and weep.

I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him—she’s a sinner!”

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.

You gave Me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in.

So He said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that

Looking they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.

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.

As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.

“No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light.

When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs.

“Someone did touch Me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from Me.”

After He came to the house, He let no one enter with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.

They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead.

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

“Take nothing for the road,” He told them, “no walking stick, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt.

“You give them something to eat,” He told them.

“We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”

But He strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one,

After the voice had spoken, only Jesus was found. They kept silent, and in those days told no one what they had seen.

Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.

‘We are wiping off as a witness against you even the dust of your town that clings to our feet. Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades!

All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him.”

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Now He was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon came out, the man who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed.

As the crowds were increasing, He began saying: “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light.

If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

But the Lord said to him: “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil.

“Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it.”

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

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.

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.

And that slave who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten.

But the one who did not know and did things deserving of blows will be beaten lightly. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.

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

From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.

Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this time?

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!”

once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’

But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness!’

To this they could find no answer.

At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

Now great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them:

“Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty?

He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any.

I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands.’

The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

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.’

I know what I’ll do so that when I’m removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’

No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t be slaves to both God and money.”

“‘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.

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

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

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man:

People went on eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One—God.

You know the commandments:

Do not commit adultery;
do not murder;
do not steal;
do not bear false witness;
honor your father and mother.”

So He said to them, “I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

“He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow,

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.

Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

So they answered that they did not know its origin.

He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

But when they heard this they said, “No—never!”

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.

They questioned Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You don’t show partiality, but teach truthfully the way of God.