on the authority of those who were from the beginning eye-witnesses and were devoted to the service of the divine Message,

They were both of them upright before God, blamelessly obeying all the Lord's precepts and ordinances.

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

and the whole multitude of the people were outside praying, at the hour of incense.

Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were surprised that he stayed so long in the Sanctuary.

When his days of service were at an end, he went to his home;

He has manifested His supreme strength. He has scattered those who were haughty in the thoughts of their hearts.

And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and were going to call him Zechariah, after his father.

Instantly his mouth and his tongue were set free, and he began to speak and bless God.

And all who lived round about them were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judaea reports of all these things were spread abroad.

But while they were there, her full time came,

Now there were shepherds in the same part of the country, keeping watch over their sheep by night in the open fields,

when suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them; and they were filled with terror.

and all who listened were astonished at what the shepherds told them.

And while the child's father and mother were wondering at the words of Symeon concerning Him,

And coming up just at that moment, she gave thanks to God, and spoke about the child to all who were expecting the deliverance of Jerusalem.

while all who heard Him were astonished at His intelligence and at the answers He gave.

When they saw Him, they were smitten with amazement, and His mother said to Him, "My child, why have you behaved thus to us? Your father and I have been searching for you in anguish."

And while the people were in suspense and all were debating in their minds whether John might possibly be the Anointed One,

And rolling up the book, He returned it to the attendant, and sat down--to speak. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

Then all in the synagogue, while listening to these words, were filled with fury.

And they were greatly impressed by His teaching, because He spoke with the language of authority.

All were astonished and awe-struck; and they asked one another, "What sort of language is this? For with authority and real power He gives orders to the foul spirits and they come out."

He, however, saw two fishing-boats drawn up on the beach (for the men had gone away from them and were washing the nets)

and so were Simon's partners James and John, the sons of Zabdi.)

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.

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.

"Have you never read so much as this," answered Jesus--"what David did when he and his followers were hungry;

The Scribes and the Pharisees were on the watch to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath that they might be able to bring an accusation against Him.

But they were filled with madness, and began to discuss with one another what they should do to Jesus.

These were Simon, to whom also He had given the name of Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

and those who were tormented by foul spirits were cured.

The whole crowd were eager to touch Him, because power went forth from him and cured every one.

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.

All were awe-struck, and they gave glory to God--some saying, "A Prophet, a great Prophet, has risen up among us." Others said, "God has not forgotten His People."

He immediately cured many of diseases, severe pain, and evil spirits, and to many who were blind He gave the gift of sight.

When John's messengers were gone, He proceeded to say to the multitude concerning John, "What did you go out into the Desert to gaze at? A reed waving in the wind?

Noticing this, the Pharisee, His host, said to himself, "This man, if he were really a Prophet, would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him--and would know that she is an immoral woman."

"There were once two men in debt to one money-lender," said Jesus; "one owed him five hundred shillings and the other fifty.

Shortly after this He visited town after town, and village after village, proclaiming His Message and telling the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

During the passage He fell asleep, and there came down a squall of wind on the Lake, so that the boat began to fill and they were in deadly peril.

"Where is your faith?" He asked them. But they were filled with terror and amazement, and said to one another, "Who then is this? for He gives orders both to wind and waves, and they obey Him."

The demons came out of the man and left him, and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed violently over the cliff into the Lake and were drowned.

whereupon the people came out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were terrified.

The people were all weeping aloud and beating their breasts for her; but He said, "Leave off wailing; for she is not dead, but asleep."

Her parents were astounded; but He forbad them to mention the matter to any one.

"You yourselves," He said, "must give them food." "We have nothing," they replied, "but five loaves and a couple of fish, unless indeed we were to go and buy provisions for all this host of people."

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?"

And suddenly there were two men conversing with Him, who were Moses and Elijah.

Now Peter and the others were weighed down with sleep; but, keeping themselves awake all through, they saw His glory, and the two men standing with Him.

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.

On the following day, when they were come down from the mountain, a great crowd came to meet Him;

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.

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.

Meanwhile the people had come streaming towards Him by tens of thousands, so that they were trampling one another under foot. And now He proceeded to say to His disciples first, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is to say, beware of hypocrisy.

"I came to throw fire upon the earth, and what is my desire? Oh that it were even now kindled!

"Do you suppose," He asked in reply, "that those Galilaeans were worse sinners than the mass of the Galilaeans, because this happened to them?

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.

One day--it was a Sabbath--He was taking a meal at the house of one of the Rulers of the Pharisee party, while they were closely watching Him.

For I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my dinner.'"

Now the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners were everywhere in the habit of coming close to Him to listen to Him;

and he longed to make a hearty meal of the pods the swine were eating, but no one gave him any.

To all this the Pharisees listened, bitterly jeering at Him; for they were lovers of money.

It would be well for him if, with a millstone round his neck, he were lying at the bottom of the sea, rather than that he should cause even one of these little ones to fall.

So you also, when you have obeyed all the orders given you, must say, "'There is no merit in our service: what we have done is only what we were in duty bound to do.'"

And as He entered a certain village, ten men met Him who were lepers and stood at a distance.

Perceiving this, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the Priests." And while on their way to do this they were made clean.

"Were not all ten made clean?" Jesus asked; "but where are the nine?

Men were eating and drinking, taking wives and giving wives, up to the very day on which Noah entered the Ark, and the Deluge came and destroyed them all.

The same was true in the time of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building;

Nothing of this did they understand. The words were a mystery to them, nor could they see what He meant.

No sooner were the words spoken than the man regained his sight and followed Jesus, giving glory to God; and all the people, seeing it, gave praise to God.

As they were listening to His words, He went on to teach them by a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

But as for those enemies of mine who were unwilling that I should become their king, bring them here, and cut them to pieces in my presence.'"

So those who were sent went and found things as He had told them.

And while they were untying the colt the owners called out, "Why are you untying the colt?"

And day after day He taught in the Temple, while the High Priests and the Scribes were devising some means of destroying Him, as were also the leading men of the people.

At this the Scribes and the High Priests wanted to lay hands on Him, then and there; only they were afraid of the people. For they saw that in this parable He had referred to them.

So, after impatiently watching their opportunity, they sent spies who were to act the part of good and honest men, that they might fasten on some expression of His, so as to hand Him over to the ruling power and the Governor's authority.

Now there were seven brothers. The first of them took a wife and died childless.

When some were remarking about the Temple, how it was embellished with beautiful stones and dedicated gifts, He said,

and the High Priests and the Scribes were contriving how to destroy Him. But they feared the people.

He accepted their offer, and then looked out for an opportunity to betray Him when the people were not there.

Those who were about Him, seeing what was likely to happen, asked Him, "Master, shall we strike with the sword?"

Meanwhile the High Priests and the Scribes were standing there and vehemently accusing Him.

A vast crowd of the people also followed Him, and of women who were beating their breasts and wailing for Him.

At this they were in great perplexity, when suddenly there stood by them two men whose raiment flashed like lightning.

The women were terrified; but, as they stood with their faces bowed to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you search among the dead for Him who is living?

The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; and they and the rest of the women related all this to the Apostles.

On that same day two of the disciples were walking to Emmaus, a village seven or eight miles from Jerusalem,

and were conversing about all these recent events;

though they were prevented from recognizing Him.

But we were hoping that it was He who was about to ransom Israel. Yes, and moreover it was the day before yesterday that these things happened.

When they had come near the village to which they were going, He appeared to be going further.

their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. But He vanished from them.

"Were not our hearts," they said to one another, "burning within us while He talked to us on the way and explained the Scriptures to us?"

While they were thus talking, He Himself stood in their midst and said, "Peace be to you!"