just as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning passed on to us,

so that you may know the certainty concerning the things about which you were taught.

And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.

And {they did not have} a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced {in years}.

And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.

And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple.

And behold, your relative Elizabeth--she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.

So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb!

For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!

He has filled those who are hungry with good [things], and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.

just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants {forever}."

And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah.

And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name."

and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished.

And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God.

And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed.

salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us,

to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us

[that] we, being rescued from the hand of [our] enemies, could serve him without fear

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

because of the merciful compassion of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high,

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace."

And it happened that while they were there, {the time came} for her to give birth.

And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and {they were terribly frightened}.

And all who heard [it] were astonished concerning what had been said to them by the shepherds.

And when eight days were completed {so that he could be circumcised}, he was named Jesus, his name [that] [he] was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of their purification were completed according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present [him] to the Lord

and to offer a sacrifice according to what was stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

"Now dismiss your slave in peace, Lord, according to your word.

For my eyes have seen your salvation

a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory to your people Israel."

And his father and mother were astonished at what was said about him.

and a sword will pierce your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed!"

And at [that] same hour she approached [and] began to give thanks to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And his parents went every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.

And [after] the days were completed, while they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And his parents did not know [it],

And all who heard him were amazed at his insight and [his] answers.

And [when they] saw him, they were astounded and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have been searching for you anxiously!"

And he said to them, "{Why} were you searching for me? Did you not know that it was necessary [for] me to be in the [house] of my Father?"

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, [when] Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

And the crowds were asking him, saying, "What then should we do?"

And he said to them, "Collect no more than {what you are ordered to}."

And those who served in the army were also asking him, saying, "What should we also do?" And he said to them, "Extort from no one, and do not blackmail [anyone], and be content with your pay."

And [while] the people were waiting expectantly and all were pondering in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he might be the Christ,

Now it happened that when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and [while he] was praying, heaven was opened,

and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Addi, the [son] of Cosam, the [son] of Elmadam, the [son] of Er,

forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days, and [when] they were completed, he was hungry.

So the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, order this stone that it become bread!"

And Jesus answered [and] said to him, "It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

and 'on [their] hands they will lift you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

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

And he came to Nazareth, where {he had been brought up}, and according to {his custom} he entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath and stood up to read.

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll he found the place where it was written,

"The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because of which he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send out in freedom those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."

And he rolled up the scroll [and] gave [it] back to the attendant [and] sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were looking intently at him.

And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

And they were all speaking well of him, and were astonished at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. And they were saying, "Is this man not the son of Joseph?"

And he said to them, "Doubtless you will tell me this parable: 'Physician, heal yourself!' Whatever we have heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in your hometown also!"

But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months while a great famine took place over all the land.

And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was made clean except Naaman the Syrian."

And all [those] in the synagogue were filled with anger [when they] heard these [things].

And they were astounded at his teaching, because {he spoke} with authority.

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

Now [as] the sun was setting, all who had those who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and placing [his] hands on every one of them, he healed them.

And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Son of God!" And he rebuked [them] [and] did not permit them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

And [when it] was day, he departed [and] went to an isolated place. And the crowds were seeking him, and came to him and were trying to prevent him from departing from them.

and he saw two boats there beside the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them [and] were washing their nets.

And when he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."

And Simon answered [and] said, "Master, [although we] worked hard through the whole night, we caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets."

For amazement had seized him and all those [who were] with him at the catch of fish that they had caught,

and so also [were] James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were business partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid! From now on you will be catching people!"

And it happened that while he was in one of the towns, {there was} a man {covered with leprosy}. And [when he] saw Jesus, he fell down on [his] face [and] begged him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean."

And he ordered him, "Tell no one, but go [and] show yourself to the priest and bring [the offering] for your cleansing just as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.

But the report about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering to hear [him] and to be healed of their illnesses.

And it happened that on one of the days as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting [there] who {had come} from every village of Galilee and Judea and [from] Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was [there] in order [for] him to heal.

And behold, men [came] carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and place [him] before him.

And [when he] saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."

But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered [and] said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk?'

But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," he said to the one who was paralyzed, "I say to you, 'Get up and pick up your stretcher [and] go to your home.'"

And amazement seized [them] all, and they began to glorify God. And they were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen wonderful things today!"

And Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining for the meal with them.

And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those {who are sick}.

And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and make prayers--likewise also the [disciples] of the Pharisees--but yours are eating and drinking!"

So he said to them, "You are not able to make the {bridegroom's attendants} fast as long as the bridegroom is with them, [are you]?

Now it happened that on a Sabbath he went through the grain fields, and his disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing [them] in [their] hands.

But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath?

And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Have you not read this, what David did when he and those [who were] with him were hungry--

So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely [to see] if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find [a reason] to accuse him.

And Jesus said to them, "I ask you whether it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy [it]?"

And [after] looking around at them all, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand," and he did, and his hand was restored.

But they were filled with fury, and began discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.