In the days when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the division of Abijah. His wife was also a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

to a maiden there who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary.

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

While they were there, the time came for her child to be born,

and she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped him up, and laid him in a manger, for there was no room for them at the inn.

There were some shepherds in that neighborhood keeping watch through the night over their flock in the open fields.

Suddenly there appeared with the angel a throng of the heavenly army, praising God, saying,

And they hurried there, and found Mary and Joseph, with the baby lying in the manger.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Symeon, an upright, devout man, who was living in expectation of the comforting of Israel, and under the influence of the holy Spirit.

And under the Spirit's influence he went into the Temple, and when Jesus' parents brought him there to do for him what the Law required,

There was also a prophetess there named Hannah, the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old, for after her girlhood she had been married for seven years,

So he would say to the crowds that came out there to be baptized by him, "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to fly from the wrath that is coming?

and the holy Spirit came down upon him in the material shape of a dove, and there came a voice from heaven, "You are my Son, my Beloved! You are my Chosen!"

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

And there were plenty of lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cured, but Naaman the Syrian."

There was a man in the synagogue who was possessed by the spirit of a foul demon and he cried out loudly,

One day as he was teaching, there were some Pharisees and experts in the Law sitting near by, who had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there, so that he might cure people.

Then Levi gave a great entertainment for him in his house, and there was a great throng of tax-collectors and others who were at table with them.

On another Sabbath he happened to go to the synagogue and teach. There was a man there whose right hand was withered.

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

If you love only those who love you, what merit is there in that? For even godless people love those who love them.

And if you help only those who help you, what merit is there in that? Even godless people act in that way.

And if you lend only to people from whom you expect to get something, what merit is there in that? Even godless people lend to godless people, meaning to get it back again in full.

He is like a man who was building a house, who dug deep and laid his foundation upon the rock, and when there was a flood the torrent burst upon that house and could not shake it, because it was well built.

Then what did you go out there to see? A man luxuriously dressed? Men who wear fine clothes and live in luxury you find in palaces.

Then what did you go out there to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet!

"I tell you, among men born of women there is none greater than John; and yet those who are of little importance in the Kingdom of God are greater than he.

So what is there to which I can compare the men of this age? What are they like?

Now there was a woman in the town who was leading a sinful life, and when she learned that he was having dinner at the Pharisee's house, she got an alabaster flask of perfume,

Jesus answered him, and said to him, "Simon, there is something I want to say to you." He said, "Proceed, Master."

For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor kept secret that shall not be known and come to light.

And they went to him and woke him up, and said to him, "Master! Master! We are lost!" Then he awoke and reproved the wind and the rough water, and they ceased, and there was a calm.

Now there was a large drove of pigs feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to give them leave to go into them. And he did so.

And the people came out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the demons had gone sitting there, at Jesus' feet, with his clothes on and in his right mind, and they were frightened.

Whatever house you go to stay in, remain there, and start on again from it.

For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each."

And the people there would not receive him, because he was going to Jerusalem.

If there is anyone there who loves peace, your blessing will rest upon him, but if there is not, it will come back to you.

and cure the sick there, and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is close upon you!'

indeed there is only one thing we need. For Mary has chosen the right thing, and it must not be taken away from her."

Then it goes and gets seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there, and in the end the man is worse off than he was before."

The queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation at the Judgment and will condemn them, for she came from the very ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and there is more than Solomon here!

Men of Nineveh will rise with this generation at the Judgment and will condemn it, for they repented at Jonah's preaching, and there is more than Jonah here.

There is nothing covered up that is not going to be uncovered, nor secret that is not going to be known.

For from now on if there are five people in a house they will be divided three against two and two against three.

and there was a woman there who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit. She was bent double and could not straighten herself up at all.

But the leader of the synagogue, in his vexation because Jesus had cured her on the Sabbath, spoke out and said to the crowd, "There are six days on which it is right to work. Come on them and be cured, but not on the Sabbath day."

There you will weep and gnash your teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, while you are put outside.

There are those now last who will then be first, and there are those now first who will be last."

There was a man in front of him who had dropsy.

And the slave said, 'What you ordered, sir, has been done, and there is still room.'

There were great crowds accompanying him, and once he turned and said to them,

I tell you, in just that way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinful person who repents, than over ninety-nine upright people who do not need any repentance.

In just that way, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinful person who repents!"

Not many days later, the younger son gathered up all he had, and went away to a distant country, and there he squandered his property by fast living.

And he said to his disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and it was reported to him that this man was squandering his property.

"There was once a rich man, who used to dress in purple and fine linen, and to live in luxury every day.

Besides there is a great chasm set between you and us, so that those who want to go over from this side to you cannot, and they cannot cross from your side to us.'

and people will not say, 'Look! here it is!' or 'There it is!' for the Kingdom of God is within you."

Men will say to you, 'Look! There he is!' or, 'Look! Here he is!' Do not go off in pursuit of him,

I tell you, there will be two men in the same bed that night; one will be taken and the other left.

There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left!"

They said to him, "Where will this be, Master?" And he said to them, "Wherever there is a dead body the vultures will flock!"

and he said, "There was once in a city a judge who had no fear of God and no respect for men.

There was a widow in the city and she came to him and said, 'Protect me from my opponent.'

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is one thing that you still lack. Sell all that you have, and divide the money among the poor, and then you will have riches in heaven; and come back and be a follower of mine."

And he said to them, "I tell you, there is no one who has given up home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the Kingdom of God

Now there was a man named Zaccheus, the principal tax-collector, a rich man,

and said to them, "Go to the village that lies in front of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

Then he went into the Temple and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things there,

And the scribes and high priests wanted to arrest him then and there, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that he had aimed this illustration at them.

Then some of the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came up and asked him,

Now there were seven brothers. And the eldest married a wife and died childless.

There will be great earthquakes, and pestilence and famine here and there. There will be horrors and great signs in the sky.

But alas for women who are with child at that time, or who have babies, for there will be great misery in the land and anger at this people.

There will be signs too in sun, moon, and stars, and on earth dismay among the heathen, bewildered at the roar of the sea and the waves.

And he will show you a large room upstairs with the necessary furniture. Make your preparations there."

And he said to them, "When I sent you out without any purse or bag or shoes, was there anything you needed?" They said, "No, nothing."

When they reached the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, with the criminals one at his right and one at his left.

For there was a notice above his head, "This is the king of the Jews!"

One of the criminals who were hanging there, abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us too!"

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and upright man,

The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was put there.

and one of them named Cleopas said to him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there lately?"