just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning,

During the reign of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

He is the one who will go before the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord."

The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!"

And listen! Elizabeth, your relative, has herself conceived a son in her old age, this woman who was rumored to be barren is in her sixth month.

His mercy lasts from generation to generation for those who fear him.

He displayed his mighty power with his arm. He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart.

Everyone who heard about it kept thinking what had happened and asked, "What will this child become?" because it was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him.

that he would save us from our enemies and from the grip of all who hate us.

to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death's shadow, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."

He went there to be registered with Mary, who had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant.

"Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!"

So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in the feeding trough.

All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

Now a man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. This man was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Just then she came forward and began to thank God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

All who heard him were amazed at his intelligence and his answers.

John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

He answered them, "The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn't have any, and the person who has food must do the same."

John replied to all of them, "I'm baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

and the Holy Spirit descended on him, appearing in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!"

In the synagogue was a man who had a demon. He screamed with a loud voice,

"Oh, no! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!"

When the sun was setting, everyone who had any friends suffering from various diseases brought them to him. He placed his hands on each of them and began healing them.

because Simon and all the people who were with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught,

The scribes and the Pharisees began to argue among themselves, saying, "Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, "The old wine is good enough!'"

When daylight came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles:

Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the Zealot),

Judas (the son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).

They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were being tormented by unclean spirits were being healed.

Then Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "How blessed are you who are destitute, because the kingdom of God is yours!

How blessed are you who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied! How blessed are you who are crying now, because you will laugh!

"But how terrible it will be for you who are rich, because you have had your comfort!

How terrible it will be for you who are full now, because you will be hungry! How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now, because you will mourn and cry!

"But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who insult you.

Keep on giving to everyone who asks you for something, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not insist on getting it back.

"If you love those who love you, what thanks do you deserve? Why, even sinners love those who love them.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners do that.

If you lend to those from whom you expect to get something back, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back what they lend.

A disciple is not better than his teacher. But everyone who is fully-trained will be like his teacher.

I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.

They are like a person building a house, who dug a deep hole to lay the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the floodwaters pushed against that house but couldn't shake it, because it had been founded on the rock.

But the person who hears what I say but doesn't act on it is like someone who built a house on the ground without any foundation. When the floodwaters pushed against it, that house quickly collapsed, and the resulting destruction of that house was extensive."

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

There a centurion's servant, whom he valued highly, was sick and about to die.

Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant in perfect health.

As he approached the entrance to the city, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.

Then he went up and touched the bier, and the men who were carrying it stopped. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"

The man who had been dead sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

At that time Jesus had healed many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind.

How blessed is anyone who is not offended by me!"

Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look! Those who wear fine clothes and live in luxury are in royal palaces.

This is the man about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

I tell you, no one has ever been born who is greater than John. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

By having been baptized with John's baptism, all the people who listened, including the tax collectors, acknowledged God's justice.

They're like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other, "A wedding song we played for you, the dance you all did scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'

There was a woman who was a notorious sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume

Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and told himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!"

Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled." Jesus told him, "You have answered correctly."

So I'm telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that's why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."

Those who were at the table with them began to say among themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?"

as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;

But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced 100 times as much as was planted." As he said this, he called out, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

The ones on the path are the people who listen, but then the Devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

The ones on the stony ground are the people who joyfully welcome the word when they hear it. But since they don't have any roots, they believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away.

The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn't mature.

But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance."

"No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light.

So pay attention to how you listen, because to the one who has something, more will be given. However, from the one who doesn't have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

But he answered those people, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear a message from God and heed it."

Then he asked the disciples, "Where's your faith?" Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, "Who is this man? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!"

Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside.

So the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened.

The people who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.

Now the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. While Jesus was on his way, the crowds continued to press in on him.

A woman was there who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. Although she had spent all she had on doctors, no one could heal her.

Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" While everyone was denying it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing in on you."

Herod said, "I beheaded John. But who is this man I'm hearing so much about?" So Herod kept trying to see Jesus.

But the crowds found out about this and followed him. He welcomed them and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God and to heal those who needed healing.

One day, while Jesus was praying privately and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

They answered, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the ancient prophets who has come back to life."

He asked them, "But who do you say I am?" "God's Messiah," Peter replied.

I tell you with certainty, some people who are standing here won't experience death until they see the kingdom of God."

Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Keep listening to him!"

Then he told them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, because the one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest."

Jesus told him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

The person who listens to you listens to me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and the person to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

"Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the bandits?"

He said, "The one who showed mercy to him." Jesus told him, "Go and do what he did."

She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord's feet and kept listening to what he was saying.

and forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sins against us. And never bring us into temptation.'"

because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking him!"

Jesus was driving a demon out of a man who was unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man began to speak, and the crowds were amazed.