There was in the time of Herod, the king of Judaea, a priest of the name of Zechariah, belonging to the class of Abijah. He had a wife who was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren; and both of them were far advanced in life.

Now while he was doing priestly duty before God in the prescribed course of his class,

and Zechariah on seeing him was agitated and terrified.

When, however, he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they knew that he must have seen a vision in the Sanctuary; but he kept making signs to them and continued dumb.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

to a maiden betrothed to a man of the name of Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary.

She was greatly agitated at his words, and wondered what such a greeting meant.

And see, your relative Elizabeth--she also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

and as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the babe leapt within her. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Now when Elizabeth's full time was come, she gave birth to a son;

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.

And Zechariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke in a rapture of praise.

Just at this time an edict was issued by Caesar Augustus for the registration of the whole Empire.

It was the first registration made during the governorship of Quirinius in Syria;

So Joseph went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judaea, to David's town of Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

to have himself registered together with Mary, who was betrothed to him and was with child.

and she gave birth to her first-born son, and wrapped Him round, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And immediately there was with the angel a multitude of the army of Heaven praising God and saying,

When eight days had passed and the time for circumcising Him had come, He was called JESUS, the name given Him by the angel before His conception in the womb.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem of the name of Symeon, an upright and God-fearing man, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

There was also Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, belonging to the tribe of Asher. She was of a very great age, having had after her maidenhood seven years of married life,

and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night, with fasting and prayer.

And when He was twelve years old they went up as was customary at the time of the Feast, and,

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was always obedient to them; but His mother carefully treasured up all these incidents in her memory.

The soldiers also once and again inquired of him, "And we, what are we to do?" His answer was, "Neither intimidate any one nor lay false charges; and be content with your pay."

Now when all the people had been baptized, and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the sky opened,

And He--Jesus--when He began His ministry, was about thirty years old. He was the son (it was supposed)

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led about by the Spirit in the Desert for forty days,

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

He came to Nazareth also, where He had been brought up; and, as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

And there was handed to Him the book of the Prophet Isaiah, and, opening the book, He found the place where it was written,

But I tell you in truth that there was many a widow in Israel in the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three years and six months and there came a severe famine over all the land;

and yet to not one of them was Elijah sent: he was only sent to a widow at Zarephath in the Sidonian country.

And there was also many a leper in Israel in the time of the Prophet Elisha, and yet not one of them was cleansed, but Naaman the Syrian was."

They rose, hurried Him outside the town, and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to throw Him down the cliff;

But in the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of a foul demon. In a loud voice he cried out,

Now when He rose and left the synagogue He went to Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from an acute attack of fever; and they consulted Him about her.

Next morning, at daybreak, He left the town and went away to a solitary place; but the people flocked out to find Him, and, coming to the place where He was, they endeavoured to detain Him that He might not leave them.

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."

On one occasion the crowd was pressing on Him and listening to God's Message, while He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

and going on board one of them, which was Simon's He asked him to push out a little from land. Then He sat down and taught the crowd of people from the boat.

(For he was astonished and terrified--he and all his companions--at the haul of fish which they had taken;

On another occasion, when He was in one of the towns, there was a man there covered with leprosy, who, seeing Jesus, threw himself at His feet and implored Him, saying, "Sir, if only you are willing, you are able to make me clean."

One day He was teaching, and there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village in Galilee and Judaea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present for Him to cure people.

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."

Levi also gave a great entertainment at his house in honour of Jesus, and there was a large party of tax-gatherers and others at table with them.

Now on the second-first Sabbath while He was passing through the wheatfields, His disciples were plucking the ears and rubbing them with their hands to eat the grain.

On another Sabbath He had gone to the synagogue and was teaching there; and in the congregation was a man whose right arm was withered.

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

When it was day, He called His disciples; and He selected from among them twelve, whom He also named Apostles.

With these He came down till He reached a level place, where there was a great crowd of His disciples, and a multitude of people from every part of Judaea, from Jerusalem, and from the sea-side district of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be cured of their diseases;

Here the servant of a certain Captain, a man dear to his master, was ill and at the point of death;

Then Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the Captain sent friends to Him with the message: "Sir, do not trouble to come. I am not worthy of having you come under my roof;

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."

And just as He reached the gate of the town, they happened to be bringing out for burial a dead man who was his mother's only son; and she was a widow; and a great number of the townspeople were with her.

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

And there was a woman in the town who was a notorious sinner. Having learnt that Jesus was at table in the Pharisee's house she brought a flask of perfume,

And when a great crowd was assembling, and was receiving additions from one town after another, He spoke a parable to them.

But He was told, "Your mother and brothers are standing on the edge of the crowd, and want to see you."

So they came and woke Him, crying, "Rabbi, Rabbi, we are drowning." Then He roused Himself and rebuked the wind and the surging of the water, and they ceased and there was a calm.

Here, on landing, He was met by one of the townsmen who was possessed by demons--for a long time he had not put on any garment, nor did he live in a house, but in the tombs.

Now there was a great herd of swine there feeding on the hill-side; and the demons begged Him to give them leave to go into them, and He gave them leave.

And those who had seen it told them how the demoniac was cured.

Then the whole population of the Gerasenes and of the adjacent districts begged Him to depart from them; for their terror was great. So He went on board and returned.

Now when Jesus was returning, the people gave Him a warm welcome; for they had all been looking out for Him.

for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. And as He went, the dense throng crowded on Him.

Then the woman, perceiving that she had not escaped notice, came trembling, and throwing herself down at His feet she stated before all the people the reason why she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured.

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."

And they jeered at Him, knowing that she was dead.

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,

So they ate and were fully satisfied, all of them; and what they had remaining over was gathered up, twelve baskets of fragments.

One day when He was praying by Himself the disciples were present; and He asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?"

It was about eight days after this that Jesus, taking with Him Peter, John, and James, went up the mountain to pray.

And while He was praying the appearance of His face underwent a change, and His clothing became white and radiant.

They came in glory, and kept speaking about His death, which He was so soon to undergo in Jerusalem.

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.

But while he was thus speaking, there came a cloud which spread over them; and they were awe-struck when they had entered into the cloud.

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.

Now while the youth was coming, the spirit dashed him to the ground and cruelly convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, and cured the youth and gave him back to his father.

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,

But they did not understand His meaning: it was veiled from them that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

Now there arose a dispute among them, which of them was to be the greatest.

And Jesus, knowing the reasoning that was in their hearts, took a young child and made him stand by His side

But the people there would not receive Him, because He was evidently going to Jerusalem.

On that same occasion Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit with rapturous joy. "I give Thee fervent thanks," He exclaimed, "O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from sages and men of understanding, and hast revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for such has been Thy gracious will.

Jesus replied, "A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell among robbers, who after both stripping and beating him went away, leaving him half dead.

But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came where he lay, and seeing him was moved with pity.

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."

On once occasion He was expelling a dumb demon; and when the demon was gone out the dumb man could speak, and the people were astonished.

Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more malignant than itself, and they enter and dwell there; and in the end that man's condition becomes worse than it was at first.

Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting.

Observe the lilies, how they grow. They neither labour nor spin. And yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was as beautifully dressed as one of these.

Of this be sure, that if the master of the house had known what time the robber was coming, he would have kept awake and not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Once He was teaching on the Sabbath in one of the synagogues

where a woman was present who for eighteen years had been a confirmed invalid: she was bent double, and was unable to lift herself to her full height.

But the Lord's reply to him was, "Hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his bullock or his ass from the stall and lead him to water?

And this woman, daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan had bound for no less than eighteen years, was she not to be loosed from this chain because it is the Sabbath day?"

When He had said this, all His opponents were ashamed, while the whole multitude was delighted at the many glorious things continually done by Him.