As they were handed down to us by those who saw them from the first and were preachers of the word,

So that you might have certain knowledge of those things about which you were given teaching.

They were upright in the eyes of God, keeping all the rules and orders of God, and doing no wrong.

And they were without children, because Elisabeth had never given birth, and they were at that time very old.

And all the people were offering prayers outside, at the time of the burning of perfumes.

And the people were waiting for Zacharias and were surprised because he was in the Temple for such a long time.

And when the days of his work in the Temple were ended, he went back to his house.

The Lord has done this to me, for his eyes were on me, to take away my shame in the eyes of men.

and blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of the things that were told her from the Lord.

He hath wrought powerfully with his arm; He hath confounded those that were proud in the imagination of their heart.

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard, that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they were rejoicing with her.

And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they were about to call him Zachariah, after the name of his father.

And they were making signs to his father, what he wished him to be called.

And he sent for writing materials and put down: His name is John; and they were all surprised.

And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God.

And fear came on all those who were living round about them: and there was much talk about all these things in all the hill-country of Judaea.

And everyone who heard about this incident remembered it [i.e., for some time]. They were saying, "What will this child become? For the hand of the Lord was [surely] with him."

Even as he promised by the mouth of his holy prophets which were since the world began.

to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And all were going to be enrolled, each to his own city.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

And in the same country there were keepers of sheep in the fields, watching over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a large number of the heavenly "army" [i.e., of angels], who were praising God and saying,

And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into Heaven, that the shepherds were saying one to another, "Let us go over at once to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord made known to us."

After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,

And all those to whose ears it came were full of wonder at the things said by the keepers of the sheep.

And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, his name was called JESUS, which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord

by the divine direction he came into the temple, just as the parents of Jesus were bringing in the child to perform what the law required in his behalf.

And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

And his father and mother were full of wonder at the things which were said about him.

And coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, talking of him to all those who were waiting for the freeing of Jerusalem.

And when they had done all the things which were ordered by the law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to Nazareth, the town where they were living.

Now his parents were accustomed to go up to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

And when the days of the feast came to an end and they were going back, the boy Jesus was still in Jerusalem, but they had no knowledge of it:

and, having supposed him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and were seeking him among the kindred and among the acquaintances,

And all to whose ears it came were full of wonder at his knowledge and the answers which he gave.

And when they saw him they were surprised, and his mother said to him, Son, why have you done this to us? see, your father and I have been looking for you with sorrow.

And he said to them, Why were you looking for me? was it not clear to you that my right place was in my Father's house?

Now it was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler of the regions of Ituraea and Trachonitus [Note: These two men were sons of Herod the Great (See Matt. 2:1) and ruled over provinces east of the Jordan River] and Lysanias was ruler of Abilene [Note: This was a province just north of the two previously mentioned ones].

When Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the waste land.

And he came into all the country round about Jordan, preaching baptism as a sign of forgiveness of sin for those whose hearts were changed.

Then said he to the people that were come to be baptised of him, "O generation of vipers: who hath taught you to fly away from the wrath to come?

And the multitudes were asking him, saying, "What, then, shall we do?"

And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no one, neither accuse any one falsely, and be content with your wages."

And while the people were waiting, and all men were questioning in their hearts about John, if he was the Christ or not,

whether perhaps he were the Christ, John answered, saying to all of them. "I indeed am baptizing you in water, but One is coming after me, mightier than I, whose shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and in fire.

Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

When beginning his work, Jesus was about thirty years old. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, whose ancestors were--Eli,

during forty days, being tempted of the devil. And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they were completed, he hungered.

And when all these tests were ended the Evil One went away from him for a time.

And shutting the book he gave it back to the servant and took his seat: and the eyes of all in the Synagogue were fixed on him.

The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him, and he began to say to them, "Today is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing."

And they were all giving witness, with wonder, to the words of grace which came from his mouth: and they said, Is not this the son of Joseph?

And he said to them, Without doubt you will say to me, Let the medical man make himself well: the things which to our knowledge were done at Capernaum, do them here in your country.

Truly I say to you, There were a number of widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months and there was no food in the land;

And there were a number of lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and not one of them was made clean, but only Naaman the Syrian.

And all who were in the Synagogue were very angry when these things were said to them.

And rising up, they cast Him out of the city, and were leading Him to the brink of the mountain on which their city was built, to hurl Him down;

And they were surprised at his teaching, for his word was with authority.

Now there was a man in the synagogue who was dominated by the spirit of an evil demon [Note: These "evil spirits" or "demons" were powerful beings sent by Satan to inhabit people, causing physical, mental and spiritual harm to them]. He was shouting with a loud voice,

And they were all amazed, and said one to another, What a speech is this? for with authority and power He commandeth the impure spirits, and they come out!

Now [as] the sun was setting, all who had those who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and placing [his] hands on every one of them, he healed them.

From many people daemons were also driven out, clamouring aloud, "You are God's son!" But he checked them and refused to let them say anything, as they knew he was the Christ.

And, day coming on, going forth, He went into a desert place; and the multitudes were seeking after Him, and came to Him, and were trying to restrain Him from going away from them.

And when the people were pressing on Him to hear the word of God, as He stood by the lake of Gennesareth, seeing two vessels at the edge of the lake,

And he saw two boats by the edge of the water, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

And Simon, answering, said, Master, we were working all night and we took nothing: but at your word I will let down the nets.

And when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking;

And they made signs to their friends in the other boat to come to their help. And they came, and the two boats were so full that they were going down.

For he was full of wonder and so were all those who were with him, at the number of fish which they had taken;

And so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were working with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Have no fear; from this time forward you will be a fisher of men.

Then He ordered the man not to tell anyone [about the healing], saying, "Go on your way and show yourself to the priest and offer the proper sacrifice for your healing that Moses required [Lev. 13:49; 14:2ff] as evidence to people [that you were healed]."

But the report concerning Him was going abroad the more; and many multitudes were coming together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities.

And it came about that on one of these days he was teaching; and some Pharisees and teachers of the law were seated there, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judaea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him, to make those who were ill free from their diseases.

And, behold, men bearing on a couch a man who was a paralytic, and they were seeking to bring him in, and place him before Him.

And the scribes and Pharisees were having an argument, saying, Who is this, who has no respect for God? who is able to give forgiveness for sins, but God only?

When Jesus became aware of the way in which they were debating, he turned to them and exclaimed: "What are you debating with yourselves?

And they were all amazed and glorified God, and were filled with awe, saying, we have seen wonderful things to-day.

And after these things he went out, and saw Levi, a tax-farmer, seated at the place where taxes were taken, and said to him, Come after me.

And Levi made a great feast for him in his house: and a great number of tax-farmers and others were seated at table with them.

And the Pharisees and their scribes were murmuring against the disciples, saying, "Why are ye eating and drinking with the tax-collectors and sinners?"

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.

And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read what David did, when he himself was hungry and those that were with him? how he went into the house of God,

How he went into the house of God and took for food the holy bread, which only the priests may take, and gave it to those who were with him?

And the scribes and Pharisees were watching him to see if he would make him well on the Sabbath, so that they might be able to say something against him.

But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue." So he got up and stood there.

And they were filled with confusion: and consulted together, what they might do to Jesus.

They were Simon (whom Jesus also named Peter), and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Afterwards Jesus came down the hill with them and took his stand on a level place. With him were a large crowd of his disciples, and great numbers of people from the whole of Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast district of Tyre and Sidon,

even those that were tormented by impure spirits: and they were healed.

And all the people were desiring to be touched by him, for power came from him and made them all well.

"Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward is great in Heaven; for, after the same manner, were their fathers wont to do to the prophets.

"Woe to you when all men speak well of you; for in this same manner were their fathers wont to do to the false prophets.

but he that does not practise what he hears, is like a man who built his house upon the loose earth without any foundation: the current beat impetuously against it: in the instant down it fell, and great were its ruins.

After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were there listening, he went to Capernaum.

And they, coming to Jesus, were earnestly beseeching Him, saying, "He is worthy for whom Thou shalt do this;

And when these things were said to Jesus, he was surprised, and, turning to the mass of people coming after him, said, I have not seen such great faith, no, not in Israel.