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

"Thus has the Lord dealt with me," she said, "now that He has graciously taken away my reproach among men."

So Gabriel went into the house and said to her, "Joy be to you, favoured one! the Lord is with you."

But the angel said, "Do not be frightened, Mary, for you have found favour with God.

and uttered a loud cry of joy. "Blest among women are you," she said, "and the offspring of your body is blest!

Then Mary said: "My soul extols the Lord,

His mother, however, said, "No, he is to be called John."

"There is not one of your family," they said, "who has that name."

All who heard the story treasured it in their memories. "What then will this child be?" they said. For the lord's hand was indeed with him.

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel," he said, "Because He has not forgotten His people but has effected redemption for them,

But the angel said to them, "Put away all fear; for I am bringing you good news of great joy--joy for all the People.

Then, as soon as the angels had left them and returned to Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go over as far as Bethlehem and see this that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

And when they saw the child, they told what had been said to them about Him;

he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

Symeon blessed them and said to Mary the mother, "This child is appointed for the falling and the uprising of many in Israel and for a token to be spoken against;

When they saw Him, they were smitten with amazement, and His mother said to Him, "My child, why have you behaved thus to us? Your father and I have been searching for you in anguish."

and the Holy Spirit came down in bodily shape, like a dove, upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said, "Thou art My Son, dearly loved: in Thee is My delight."

Then the Devil said to Him, "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to become bread."

And the Devil said to Him, "To you will I give all this authority and this splendour; for it has been handed over to me, and on whomsoever I will I bestow it.

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem and caused Him to stand on the roof of the Temple, and said to Him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here; for it is written,

The reply of Jesus was, "It is said, 'Thou shalt not put the Lord they God to the proof.'"

"Doubtless," said He, "you will quote to me the proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself: all that we hear that you have done at Capernaum, do here also in your native place.'"

But He said to them, "I have to tell the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because for this purpose I was sent."

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Push out into deep water, and let down your nets for a haul."

Reaching out His hand and touching him, Jesus said, "I am willing; be cleansed!" And instantly the leprosy left him.

He ordered him to tell no one. "But go," He said, "show yourself to the Priest, and make the offering for your purification which Moses appointed, as evidence for them."

He saw their faith and said to him, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" --Turning to the paralytic He said, "I bid you, Rise, take up your bed, and go home."

Amazement seized them all. "Glory to God!" was the abiding feeling. Yet fear flashed through their minds and they said, "We have seen strange things to-day."

After this He went out and noticed a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the Toll office; and He said to him, "Follow me."

Again they said to Him, "John's disciples fast often and pray, as do also those of the pharisees; but yours eat and drink."

He also spoke in figurative language to them. "No one," He said, "tears a piece from a new garment to mend an old one. Otherwise he would not only spoil the new, but the patch from the new would not match the old.

He knew their thoughts, and said to the man with the withered arm, "Rise, and stand there in the middle." And he rose and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, "I put it to you all whether we are allowed to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil; to save a life, or to destroy it."

And looking round upon them all He said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." He did so, and the arm was restored.

Then fixing His eyes upon His disciples, Jesus said to them, "Blessed are you poor, because the Kingdom of God is yours.

Jesus listened to the Captain's message and was astonished at him, and He turned and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I tell you that not even in Israel have I found faith like that."

The Lord saw her, was moved with pity for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."

Then He went close and touched the bier, and the bearers halted. "Young man," He said, "I command you, wake!"

All were awe-struck, and they gave glory to God--some saying, "A Prophet, a great Prophet, has risen up among us." Others said, "God has not forgotten His People."

The men came to Jesus and said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you with this question: 'Are you the Coming One, or is there another that we are to expect?'"

Noticing this, the Pharisee, His host, said to himself, "This man, if he were really a Prophet, would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him--and would know that she is an immoral woman."

In answer to his thoughts Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have a word to say to you." "Rabbi, say on," he replied.

"There were once two men in debt to one money-lender," said Jesus; "one owed him five hundred shillings and the other fifty.

Then turning towards the woman He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house: you gave me no water for my feet; but she has made my feet wet with her tears, and then wiped the tears away with her hair.

And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

But He said to the woman, "Your faith has cured you: go, and be at peace."

"The sower," He said, "goes out to sow his seed; and as he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and is trodden upon, or the birds of the air come and peck it up.

But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

One day He went on board a boat--both He and his disciples; and He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the Lake." So they set sail.

"Where is your faith?" He asked them. But they were filled with terror and amazement, and said to one another, "Who then is this? for He gives orders both to wind and waves, and they obey Him."

When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? Do not torture me, I beseech you."

"Return home," He said, "and tell there all that God has done for you." So he went and published through the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

"Who is it touched me?" Jesus asked. And when all denied having done so, Peter and the rest said, "Rabbi, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing on you."

"Daughter," said He, "your faith has cured you; go, and be at peace."

While He was still speaking, some one came to the Warden of the Synagogue from his house and said, "Your daughter is dead; trouble the Rabbi no further."

Jesus heard the words and said to him, "Have no fear. Only believe, and she shall be restored to life."

The people were all weeping aloud and beating their breasts for her; but He said, "Leave off wailing; for she is not dead, but asleep."

Now Herod the Tetrarch heard of all that was going on; and he was bewildered because of its being said by some that John had come back to life,

And Herod said, "John I have beheaded; but who is this, of whom I hear such reports?" And he sought for an opportunity of seeing Jesus.

Now when the day began to decline, the Twelve came to Him and said, "Send the people away, that they may go to the villages and farms round about and find lodging and a supply of food; because here we are in an uninhabited district."

"You yourselves," He said, "must give them food." "We have nothing," they replied, "but five loaves and a couple of fish, unless indeed we were to go and buy provisions for all this host of people."

But He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in parties of about fifty each."

and He said, "The Son of Man must suffer much cruelty, be rejected by the Elders and High Priests and Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day be raised to life again."

And He said to all, "If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross day by day, and so be my follower.

And when they were preparing to depart from Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, we are thankful to you that we are here. Let us put up three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying.

After this voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept it to themselves, and said not a word to any one at that time about what they had seen.

And all were awe-struck at the mighty power of God. And while every one was expressing wonder at all that He was doing, He said to his disciples,

and said to them, "Whoever for my sake receives this little child, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives Him who sent me. For the lowliest among you all--he is the greatest."

"Do not forbid him," said Jesus, "for he who is not against you is on your side."

When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Master, do you wish us to order fire to come down from Heaven and consume them?"

And, as they proceeded on their way, a man came to Him and said, "I will follow you wherever you go."

"The foxes have holes," said Jesus, "and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

"Follow me," He said to another. "Master," the man replied, "allow me first to go and bury my father."

"Master," said yet another, "I will follow you; but allow me first to go and say good-bye to my friends at home."

And He turned towards His disciples and said to them apart, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!

"Go to the Law," said Jesus; "what is written there? how does it read?"

"A right answer," said Jesus; "do that, and you shall live."

But he, desiring to justify himself, said, "But what is meant by my 'fellow man'?"

The next day he took out two shillings and gave them to the innkeeper. "'Take care of him,' he said, 'and whatever further expense you are put to, I will repay it you at my next visit.'

"The one who showed him pity," he replied. "Go," said Jesus, "and act in the same way."

Martha meanwhile was busy and distracted in waiting at table, and she came and said, "Master, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the waiting? Tell her to assist me."

At one place where He was praying, when He rose from His knees one of His disciples said to Him, "Master, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

So He said to them, "When you pray, say, 'Father may Thy name be kept holy; let Thy Kingdom come;

And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him in the middle of the night and say, "'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;

But some among them said, "It is by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of the demons, that he expels the demons."

And, knowing their thoughts, He said to them, "Every kingdom in which civil war rages goes to ruin: family attacks family and is overthrown.

The Master however said to him, "Here we see how you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup or plate, while your secret hearts are full of greed and selfishness.

"For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said, 'I will send Prophets and Apostles to them, of whom they will kill some and persecute others,'

Whatever therefore you have said in the dark, will be heard in the light; and what you have whispered within closed doors will be proclaimed from the house-tops.

Just then a man in the crowd appealed to Him. "Rabbi," he said, "tell my brother to give me a share of the inheritance."

And to the people He said, "Take care, be on your guard against all covetousness, for no one's life consists in the superabundance of his possessions."

And He spoke a parable to them. "A certain rich man's lands," He said, "yielded abundant crops,

"And he said to himself, "'This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store up all my harvest and my wealth;

"But God said to him, "'Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?'

Then turning to His disciples He said, "For this reason I say to you, 'Dismiss all anxious care for your lives, inquiring what you are to eat, and for your bodies, what you are to put on.'

"Master," said Peter, "are you addressing this parable to us, or to all alike?"

Then He said to the people also, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'There is to be a shower;' and it comes to pass.

And He gave them the following parable. "A man," He said, "who had a fig-tree growing in his garden came to look for fruit on it and could find none.

So he said to the gardener, "'See, this is the third year I have come to look for fruit on this fig-tree and cannot find any. Cut it down. Why should so much ground be actually wasted?'