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

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.

When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord
and will never drink wine or beer.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit
while still in his mother’s womb.

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me!

So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called.

All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high will visit us

So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.

The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on Him.

Assuming He was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends.

When His parents saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”

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

during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

and everyone will see the salvation of God.

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him about Herodias, his brother’s wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,

So he took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

So he took Him to Jerusalem, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.

and
they will support you with their hands,
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

They were all speaking well of Him and were amazed by the gracious words that came from His mouth, yet they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land.

And in the prophet Elisha’s time, there were many in Israel who had serious skin diseases, yet not one of them was healed —only Naaman the Syrian.”

After He left the synagogue, He entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him about her.

So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them.

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.

He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”

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!”

While He was in one of the towns, a man was there who had a serious skin disease all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged Him: “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

On one of those days while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in Him.

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

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.”

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!”

So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow Him.

Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but Yours eat and drink.”

The scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely, to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against Him.

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.

After looking around at them all, He told him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored.

“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you,

“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck in your brother’s eye.

“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?

A centurion’s slave, who was highly valued by him, was sick and about to die.

That is why I didn’t even consider myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be cured.

For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

Jesus heard this and was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel!”

Just as He neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Don’t cry.”

Then John’s disciples told him about all these things. So John summoned two of his disciples

After John’s messengers left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft robes? Look, those who are splendidly dressed and live in luxury are in royal palaces.

What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.

(And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism.

For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Then one of the Pharisees invited Him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil

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!”

Jesus replied to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

“Teacher,” he said, “say it.”

Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”

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.

Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Those who were at the table with Him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”

Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.

“A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

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.

The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

“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.

He was told, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.”

One day He and His disciples got into a boat, and He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out,

They came and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What do You have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God? I beg You, don’t torment me!”

When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside.

Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked Him to leave them, because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, He returned.

because he had an only daughter about 12 years old, and she was at death’s door.

While He was going, the crowds were nearly crushing Him.

When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured.

While He was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the Teacher anymore.”

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

So He took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”

So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

“I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see Him.

Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

They did so, and had them all sit down.

While He was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

“But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah!”

I tell you the truth: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep, and when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him.

As the two men were departing from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it’s good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.