Now they were both upright in the sight of God, walking without reproach in all the Lord's commands and requirements.

And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both of them were far advanced in years.

while all the throng of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense burning.

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 must name him John.

Then the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and so your child will be called holy, the Son of God.

And listen! your relative, Elizabeth, has herself too become pregnant, although she is old, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

and with a loud shout she said: "Blessed are you among women, And blessed is your child!

For as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy within me!

He has done mighty deeds with His arm. He has scattered those that are proud in the purpose of their hearts.

as He promised our forefathers, Abraham and his descendants forever."

And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and so they were rejoicing with her.

Then they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives that bears that name."

Then he asked for a writing-tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all astonished.

And all the neighbors were overwhelmed with awe, and all over the hill country of Judea these things were being talked,

deliverance from our foes and from the hands of all who hate us,

to show mercy to our forefathers, and carry out His sacred covenant,

the oath which He swore to our forefather Abraham,

to grant us deliverance from the dreaded hand of our foes, so that we could serve Him

in holiness and uprightness In His own presence all our days.

Because the heart of our God is merciful. And so the day will dawn upon us from on high,

to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth,

Now there were some shepherds in the same neighborhood, living in the open fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

Then an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, so that they were fearfully frightened.

for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord.

And all who heard it were astounded at what was told them by the shepherds,

and to offer the sacrifice in accordance with what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons."

"Now, Master, you will let your slave go free in peace, as you have promised;

for my eyes have seen your Salvation,

a light of revelation to the heathen, and a glory to your people Israel."

yea, a sword will pierce your heart -- so that the secret purposes of many hearts will be revealed."

Just at that time she came up and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were expecting the deliverance of Jerusalem.

His parents were in the habit of going to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

and stayed the usual time. When they returned, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents were not aware of it.

When His parents saw Him, they were utterly amazed, and yet His mother said to Him, "My child, why did you treat us so? Just see how your father and I, in agony of mind, have been searching for you!"

Then He said to them, "Why is it that you were searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

In the fifteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was governor of Galilee, and his brother Philip was governor of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was governor of Abilene,

Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance that you profess, and do not even begin to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather,' for I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones.

So the crowds were asking him this question, "What then ought we to do?"

Then some soldiers too were asking him, "What ought we too to do?" So he said to them, "Never extort money from anyone, never make a false accusation, and always be satisfied with your wages."

Now while the people were on tiptoe in their expectations, and they were all arguing in their hearts about John whether he was himself the Christ,

and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him in bodily form as a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are my Son, my Beloved! In you I am delighted!"

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

Then the devil said to Him, "If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn to a loaf of bread."

But Jesus answered him, "The Scripture says, 'You must worship the Lord your God, and serve Him alone.'"

Then he took Him to Jerusalem, and had Him stand on the tip-top turret of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here,

and, 'They will bear you up on their hands, so that you will never strike your foot against a stone.'"

And Jesus answered him, "It has been said, 'You must not try the Lord your God.'"

So He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, and as His habit was on the Sabbath, He went to the synagogue and stood up to read.

The roll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him, and He unrolled it and found the place where it was written:

to announce the year of favor from the Lord."

Then He rolled up the roll and gave it back to the attendant and took His seat. Now the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were gazing at Him.

Then He began to speak to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled here in your hearing."

He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote this proverb to me, 'Doctor, cure yourself! Do the things here in your hometown that we hear you did in Capernaum.'"

But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the heaven was closed for three years and a half, and there was a great famine over all the land,

And there were many lepers in Israel in Elisha's time, and yet not one of them was cured except Naaman the Syrian."

Then all the people in the synagogue, on hearing these things, were filled with fury,

and they were completely astounded, because His message was spoken with authority.

"Ha! What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are God's Holy One."

Even demons came out of many people, shrieking and saying, "You are the Son of God!" But He reproved them and would not let them speak, because they knew that He was the Christ.

Then He saw two boats lying up on the shore of the lake, but the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

When He stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Push out into deep water, and set your nets for a haul."

as well as James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Stop being afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

Then He warned him not to tell anybody, but rather He said, "Go, show yourself to the priest, and, to prove it to the people, make the offering for your purification, just as Moses prescribed."

But the news about Him continued to spread, and great crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be cured of their diseases.

One day as He was teaching, there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Him to cure people.

Now some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were trying to get him in and lay him before Jesus.

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

Jesus saw that they were arguing, and answered them: "Why are you arguing so in your hearts?

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

But to show you that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth" -- turning to the man who was paralyzed, He said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet, and go home."

Then an overwhelming wonder seized them all and they began to give praise to God. They were filled with awe and continued to say, "We have seen unthinkable wonders today!"

Then Levi gave a great reception for Him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others who were at table with them.

Now the Pharisees and their scribes were grumbling at His disciples, and were saying, "Why are you eating and drinking with tax-collectors and notorious sinners?"

After that they said to Him, "John's disciples rigidly practice fasting and offering up prayers; so do the Pharisees, but your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."

Then He told them a short story: "No one tears a piece from a new coat and puts it on an old one; or if he does, he will tear the new one too, and the patch from the new coat will not match the old one.

So no one puts fresh wine into old wine bottles; or, if he does, the fresh wine will burst the bottles, the wine will run out, and the bottles will be ruined.

One Sabbath He happened to be passing through the wheat fields, and His disciples were pulling and eating the heads of wheat, rubbing them in their hands.

And some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath?"

And the scribes and the Pharisees were closely watching Him to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, in order to get a charge against Him.

But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and stand at the front." So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, "Is it right on the Sabbath to do people good, or to do them evil, to save life or to take it?"

Then He glanced around at them all and said to him, "Put out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was at once completely restored.

But they were filled with fury and began to discuss what they could do to Jesus.

Then He came down with them and took His stand on a level place, where there was a great throng of His disciples and a vast crowd of people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be cured of their diseases.

Even those who were troubled by foul spirits were being cured.

So all the people were trying to touch Him, because power continued to go forth from Him and to cure them all.

Then He fixed His eyes upon His disciples, and began to speak. "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours!

Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be completely satisfied! Blessed are you who are weeping now, for you will laugh!

Blessed are you when people hate you and exclude you and denounce you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.

Burst into joy on that day and leap for ecstasy, for your reward will be rich in heaven; for this is the way your forefathers used to treat the prophets.

But a curse on you who are rich, for you are now receiving your comforts in full.

But I say to you who listen now to me, practice loving your enemies, practice doing good to those who hate you,

To the man who strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other too; and from the man who takes away your coat, do not keep back your shirt either,

Practice giving to everyone who asks of you, and stop demanding back your goods from him who takes them away.

But you must practice loving your enemies, doing good to them, and lending to them, despairing of nothing; so that your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Continue to be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Practice forgiving others, and you will be forgiven. Practice giving to others, and they will give to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, people will pour into your lap. For the measure you use with others they in turn will use with you."

Why do you continue to look at the tiny speck in your brother's eye, but pay no attention to the heavy girder in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me get that tiny speck out of your eye,' when you cannot see the girder in your own eye? You hypocrite! First get the girder out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to get out the tiny speck in your brother's eye.