it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble Theophilus,

and the messenger said unto him, 'Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication was heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name John,

and there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy,

And the messenger answering said to him, 'I am Gabriel, who have been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to proclaim these good news to thee,

And the messenger having come in unto her, said, 'Hail, favoured one, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women;'

And the messenger answering said to her, 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also the holy-begotten thing shall be called Son of God;

And, having seen him, they were amazed, and his mother said unto him, 'Child, why didst thou thus to us? lo, thy father and I, sorrowing, were seeking thee.'

and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily appearance, as if a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, saying, 'Thou art My Son -- the Beloved, in thee I did delight.'

and the Devil said to him, 'To thee I will give all this authority, and their glory, because to me it hath been delivered, and to whomsoever I will, I do give it;

And Jesus answering him said, 'Get thee behind me, Adversary, for it hath been written, Thou shalt bow before the Lord thy God, and Him only thou shalt serve.'

for it hath been written -- To His messengers He will give charge concerning thee, to guard over thee,

and -- On hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou mayest dash against a stone thy foot.'

saying, 'Away, what -- to us and to thee, Jesus, O Nazarene? thou didst come to destroy us; I have known thee who thou art -- the Holy One of God.'

and he having seen their faith, said to him, 'Man, thy sins have been forgiven thee.'

which is easier -- to say, Thy sins have been forgiven thee? or to say, Arise, and walk?

And that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority upon the earth to forgive sins -- (he said to the one struck with palsy) -- I say to thee, Arise, and having taken up thy little couch, be going on to thy house.'

and to him smiting thee upon the cheek, give also the other, and from him taking away from thee the mantle, also the coat thou mayest not keep back.

'And to every one who is asking of thee, be giving; and from him who is taking away thy goods, be not asking again;

wherefore not even myself thought I worthy to come unto thee, but say in a word, and my lad shall be healed;

and having come near, he touched the bier, and those bearing it stood still, and he said, 'Young man, to thee I say, Arise;'

And having come near to him, the men said, 'John the Baptist sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he who is coming, or for another do we look?'

this is he concerning whom it hath been written, Lo, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee;

And Jesus answering said unto him, 'Simon, I have something to say to thee;' and he saith, 'Teacher, say on.'

therefore I say to thee, her many sins have been forgiven, because she did love much; but to whom little is forgiven, little he doth love.'

and he said unto the woman, 'Thy faith have saved thee, be going on to peace.'

and it was told him, saying, 'Thy mother and thy brethren do stand without, wishing to see thee;'

and having seen Jesus, and having cried out, he fell before him, and with a loud voice, said, 'What -- to me and to thee, Jesus, Son of God Most High? I beseech thee, mayest thou not afflict me!'

'Turn back to thy house, and tell how great things God did to thee;' and he went away through all the city proclaiming how great things Jesus did to him.

And Jesus said, 'Who is it that touched me?' and all denying, Peter and those with him said, 'Master, the multitudes press thee, and throng thee, and thou dost say, Who is it that touched me!'

and he said to her, 'Take courage, daughter, thy faith hath saved thee, be going on to peace.'

And it came to pass, in their parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus, 'Master, it is good to us to be here; and we may make three booths, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah,' not knowing what he saith:

and lo, a man from the multitude cried out, saying, 'Teacher, I beseech thee, look upon my son, because he is my only begotten;

And it came to pass, as they are going on in the way, a certain one said unto him, 'I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go, sir;'

And another also said, 'I will follow thee, sir, but first permit me to take leave of those in my house;'

'Woe to thee, Chorazin; woe to thee, Bethsaida; for if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the mighty works that were done in you, long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes, they had reformed;

In that hour was Jesus glad in the Spirit, and said, 'I do confess to thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, that Thou didst hide these things from wise men and understanding, and didst reveal them to babes; yes, Father, because so it became good pleasure before Thee.

and on the morrow, going forth, taking out two denaries, he gave to the innkeeper, and said to him, Be careful of him, and whatever thou mayest spend more, I, in my coming again, will give back to thee.

'Who, then, of these three, seemeth to thee to have become neighbour of him who fell among the robbers?'

and he from within answering may say, Do not give me trouble, already the door hath been shut, and my children with me are in the bed, I am not able, having risen, to give to thee.

And it came to pass, in his saying these things, a certain woman having lifted up the voice out of the multitude, said to him, 'Happy the womb that carried thee, and the paps that thou didst suck!'

take heed, then, lest the light that is in thee be darkness;

if then thy whole body is lightened, not having any part darkened, the whole shall be lightened, as when the lamp by the brightness may give thee light.'

And God said to him, Unthinking one! this night thy soul they shall require from thee, and what things thou didst prepare -- to whom shall they be?

for, as thou art going away with thy opponent to the ruler, in the way give diligence to be released from him, lest he may drag thee unto the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and the officer may cast thee into prison;

I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till even the last mite thou mayest give back.'

then ye may begin to say, We did eat before thee, and did drink, and in our broad places thou didst teach;

On that day there came near certain Pharisees, saying to him, 'Go forth, and be going on hence, for Herod doth wish to kill thee;'

and he who did call thee and him having come shall say to thee, Give to this one place, and then thou mayest begin with shame to occupy the last place.

'But, when thou mayest be called, having gone on, recline in the last place, that when he who called thee may come, he may say to thee, Friend, come up higher; then thou shalt have glory before those reclining with thee;

And he said also to him who did call him, 'When thou mayest make a dinner or a supper, be not calling thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kindred, nor rich neighbours, lest they may also call thee again, and a recompense may come to thee;

and happy thou shalt be, because they have not to recompense thee, for it shall be recompensed to thee in the rising again of the righteous.'

'And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of thee, have me excused.

'And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of thee, have me excused:

having risen, I will go on unto my father, and will say to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before thee,

and the son said to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before thee, and no more am I worthy to be called thy son.

and he answering said to the father, Lo, so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry;

and having called him, he said to him, What is this I hear about thee? render the account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest not any longer be steward.

'And he said, I pray thee, then, father, that thou mayest send him to the house of my father,

'Take heed to yourselves, and, if thy brother may sin in regard to thee, rebuke him, and if he may reform, forgive him,

and if seven times in the day he may sin against thee, and seven times in the day may turn back to thee, saying, I reform; thou shalt forgive him.'

and he said to him, 'Having risen, be going on, thy faith hath saved thee.'

the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer;

and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, 'Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things -- as many as thou hast -- sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;'

And Peter said, 'Lo, we left all, and did follow thee;'

saying, 'What wilt thou I shall do to thee?' and he said, 'Sir, that I may receive sight.'

And Jesus said to him, 'Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee;'

for I was afraid of thee, because thou art an austere man; thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and reapest what thou didst not sow.

'And he saith to him, Out of thy mouth I will judge thee, evil servant: thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow!

'Because days shall come upon thee, and thine enemies shall cast around thee a rampart, and compass thee round, and press thee on every side,

and lay thee low, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone, because thou didst not know the time of thy inspection.'

and spake unto him, saying, 'Tell us by what authority thou dost these things? or who is he that gave to thee this authority?'

and ye shall say to the master of the house, The Teacher saith to thee, Where is the guest-chamber where the passover with my disciples I may eat?

and I besought for thee, that thy faith may not fail; and thou, when thou didst turn, strengthen thy brethren.'

And he said to him, 'Sir, with thee I am ready both to prison and to death to go;'

and he said, 'I say to thee, Peter, a cock shall not crow to-day, before thrice thou mayest disown knowing me.'

and having blindfolded him, they were striking him on the face, and were questioning him, saying, 'Prophesy who he is who smote thee?'

and Jesus said to him, 'Verily I say to thee, To-day with me thou shalt be in the paradise.'