Since many have attempted to compile an account concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us,

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

It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, [there was] a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And {he had a wife} from the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth.

And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak.

And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home.

And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

And why [is] this [granted] to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

And blessed [is] she who believed that [there] will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!"

Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

And her neighbors and relatives heard that {the Lord had shown his great mercy to her}, and they rejoiced with her.

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.

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

Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire.

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

that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!"

And [when they] saw [it], they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

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.

(just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord")

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit [that he would] not see death before he would see the Lord's Christ.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus so that they could do for him according to what was customary under the law,

that you have prepared in the presence of all the peoples,

And Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed--

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 it happened that after three days they found him in the temple [courts], sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and asking them [questions].

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?"

And they did not understand the statement that he spoke to them.

Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham [as] father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother's wife, and concerning all the evil deeds that Herod had done,

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

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

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!"

And he said, "Truly I say to you that no prophet is acceptable in his [own] hometown.

And they stood up [and] forced him out of the town and brought him up to the edge of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.

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.

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around him and hearing the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret,

And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come [and] help them, and they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink.

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

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 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.

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 he also told a parable to them: "No one tears a patch from a new garment [and] puts [it] on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch [that is] from the new.

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.

Now it happened that on another Sabbath he entered into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there, and his right hand was withered.

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.

Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God.

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward [is] great in heaven. For their fathers used to do the same [things] to the prophets.

"And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them!

And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same!

And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]!

And why do you see the speck [that is] in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam of wood [that is] in your own eye?

How are you able to say to your brother, "Brother, allow [me] to remove the speck [that is] in your eye," [while] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your [own] eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your [own] eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck [that is] in your brother's eye!

"For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit,

he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And [when] a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well.

But the one who hears [my words] and does not do [them] is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river burst against, and immediately it collapsed--and the collapse of that house was great!"

So [when he] heard about Jesus, he sent Jewish elders to him, asking him that he would come [and] cure his slave.

And [when they] came to Jesus, they began imploring him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy [that] you grant this for him,

So Jesus went with them. Now by this time he was not far away from the house, [and] the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof.

And [when] Jesus heard these [things], he marveled at him, and turning around to the crowd that was following him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith!"

And it happened that on the next [day] he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him.

In that hour he healed many [people] of diseases and suffering and evil spirits, and he granted sight to many blind [people].

And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, [when she] learned that he was dining in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of perfumed oil,

Now [when] the Pharisee who invited him saw [this], he spoke to himself, saying, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman [this is] who is touching him, that she is a sinner."

Simon answered [and] said, "I suppose that [it is the one] to whom he forgave more." And he said to him, "You have judged correctly."

And it happened that {afterward} also he was going about from [one] town and village [to another] preaching and proclaiming the good news concerning the kingdom of God, and the twelve [were] with him,

And he said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest [they are] in parables, so that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

and those beside the path are the ones who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe [and] be saved.

And the [seed] that fell into the thorn plants--these are the ones who hear and [as they] go along are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear fruit to maturity.

"And no one, [after] lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar or puts [it] under a bed, but puts [it] on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light.

For nothing is secret that will not become evident, and nothing hidden that will never be known and come to light.

Therefore consider how you listen, for whoever has, to him [more] will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks [that he] has will be taken away from him."

Now it happened that on one of the days both he and his disciples got into a boat, and he said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they set sail,

And he said to them, "Where [is] your faith?" But they were afraid [and] were astonished, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him?"

And they began imploring him that he would not order them to depart into the abyss.

Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding there on the hill, and they implored him that he would permit them to enter into those [pigs]. And he permitted them.

"Return to your home and tell all that God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

And [when] the woman saw that she did not escape notice, she came trembling and falling down before him. In the presence of all the people, she told for what reason she had touched him, and that she was healed immediately.

And they began laughing at him, [because they] knew that she was dead.

And [as for] all those who do not welcome you--[when you] depart from that town, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John has been raised from the dead,

and by some that Elijah had appeared, and others that some prophet of ancient times had risen.

And [when they] returned, the apostles described to him all that they had done. And he took them along [and] withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.

Now the day began to be far spent, and the twelve came up [and] said to him, "Send away the crowd so that they can go into the surrounding villages and farms to obtain lodging and find provisions, because we are here in a desolate place.

And it happened that while he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say [that] I am?"

And they answered [and] said, "John the Baptist, but others, Elijah, and others, that one of the ancient prophets has risen."

And he said to them, "But who do you say [that] I am?" And Peter answered [and] said, "The Christ of God."

Now it happened that about eight days after these words, he took along Peter and John and James [and] went up on the mountain to pray.

And it happened that as they were going away from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good [for] us to be here. And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah," not knowing what he was saying.

Now it happened that on the next day, [when] they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.

And I begged your disciples that they would expel it, and they were not able [to do so]."

But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they could not understand it. And they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

Now it happened that when the days were approaching {for him to be taken up}, he set [his] face to go to Jerusalem.

And he said to them, "The harvest [is] plentiful, but the workers [are] few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest.

"Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you! Nevertheless know this: that the kingdom of God has come near!"