exactly as these have been handed down to us by the original eyewitnesses who were in the service of the Gospel Message,

In the days of Herod king of Judaea there was a priest called Zechariah, who belonged to the division of Abijah; he had a wife who belonged to the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

to a maiden who was betrothed to a man called Joseph, belonging to the house of David. The maiden's name was Mary.

Look, there is your kinswoman Elizabeth! Even she has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month;

And blessed is she who believed that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled."

for He who is Mighty has done great things for me. His name is holy,

his mercy is on generation after generation, for those who reverence him.

All who heard of it bore it in mind; they said, "Whatever will this child become?" For the hand of the Lord was indeed with him.

to save us from our foes and from the hand of all who hate us,

by the tender mercy of our God, who will make the Dawn visit us from on high,

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

There were some shepherds in the district who were out in the fields keeping guard over their flocks by night;

"Glory to God in high heaven, and peace on earth for men whom he favours!"

all who heard it were astonished at the story of the shepherds,

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Symeon, an upright and devout man, who was on the outlook for the Consolation of Israel. The holy Spirit was upon him;

There was also a prophetess, Hannah the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher; she was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her girlhood

Now at that very hour she came up, and she offered praise to God and spoke of him to all who were on the outlook for the redemption of Jerusalem.

and he went into all the Jordan-district preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins ??4 as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah, The voice of one who cries in the desert, 'Make the way ready for the Lord, level the paths for him.

To the crowds who came out to get baptized by him John said, "You brood of vipers, who told you to flee from the coming Wrath?

He replied, "Let everyone who possesses two shirts share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise."

John said to them all, "I baptize you with water, but after me one who is mightier will come, and I am not fit to untie the string of his sandals; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.

But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife as well as for all the wickedness that he, Herod, had committed,

Now in the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean daemon, who shrieked aloud,

"Ha! Jesus of Nazaret, what business have you with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, you are God's holy One!"

At sunset all who had any people ill with any sort of disease brought them to him; he laid his hands on everyone and healed them.

as was the case with James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, who were partners of Simon. Then said Jesus to Simon, "Have no fear; from now your catch will be men."

When he was in one of their towns, there was a man full of leprosy who, on seeing Jesus, fell on his face and besought him, "If you only choose, sir, you can cleanse me."

One day he was teaching, and near him sat Pharisees and doctors of the Law who had come from every village of Galilee and Judaea as well as from Jerusalem. Now the power of the Lord was present for the work of healing.

Some men came up carrying a man who was paralysed; they tried to carry him inside and lay him in front of Jesus,

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to argue, "Who is this blasphemer? Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"

Levi held a great banquet for him in his house; there was a large company present of taxgatherers and others who were guests along with them.

Jesus replied to them, "Healthy people have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill:

Another sabbath he happened to go into the synagogue and teach. Now a man was there who had his right hand withered,

and when day broke he summoned his disciples, choosing twelve of them, to whom he gave the name of 'apostles':

Simon (to whom he gave the name of Peter), Andrew his brother, 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 turned traitor).

With them he came down the hill and stood on a level spot. There was a great company of his disciples with him, and a large multitude of people from all Judaea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to get cured of their diseases.

Those who were annoyed with unclean spirits also were healed.

Blessed are you who hunger to-day! you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep to-day! you shall laugh.

Woe to you who have your fill to-day! you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh to-day! you will wail and weep.

I tell you, my hearers, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you:

bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

give to anyone who asks you, and do not ask your goods back from anyone who has taken them.

If you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you? Why, even sinful men love those who love them.

If you help only those who help you, what merit is that to you? Why, even sinful men do that.

If you only lend to those from whom you hope to get something, what credit is that to you? Even sinful men lend to one another, so as to get a fair return.

Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like.

He is like a man engaged in building a house, who dug deep down and laid his foundation on the rock; when a flood came, the river dashed against that house but could not shake it, for it had been well built.

He who has listened and has not obeyed is like a man who built a house on the earth with no foundation; the river dashed against it and it collapsed at once, and the ruin of that house was great."

Now there was an army-captain who had a servant ill whom he valued very highly. This man was at the point of death;

"for he is a lover of our nation; it was he who built our synagogue."

And blessed is he who is repelled by nothing in me!"

Come, what did you go out to see? A man arrayed in soft robes? Those who are gorgeously dressed and luxurious live in royal palaces.

This is he of whom it is written, Here I send my messenger before your face, to prepare the way for you.

but the Pharisees and jurists, who had refused his baptism, frustrated God's purpose for themselves.)

Now there was a woman in the town who was a sinner, and when she found out that Jesus was at table in the house of the Pharisee, she brought an alabaster flask of perfume

When his host the Pharisee noticed this, he said to himself, "If he was a prophet he would know what sort of a woman this is who is touching him; for she is a sinner."

"There was a moneylender who had two debtors; one owed him fifty pounds, the other five.

"I suppose," said Simon, "the man who had most forgiven." "Quite right," he said.

Therefore I tell you, many as her sins are, they are forgiven, for her love is great; whereas he to whom little is forgiven has but little love."

His fellow guests began to say to themselves, "Who is this, to forgive even sins?"

and by some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses, Mary called Magdalene (out of whom seven daemons had been driven),

Joanna the wife of Chuza the chancellor of Herod, Susanna, and a number of others, who ministered to him out of their means.

some other seed fell on sound soil, and springing up bore a crop, a hundredfold." When he said this he called out, "He who has an ear, let him listen to this."

Those 'on the road' are people who hear; but then the devil comes and carries off the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

Those 'on the rock' are people who on hearing the word welcome it with enthusiasm, but they have no root; they believe for a while and fall away in the hour of trial.

As for the seed that fell among thorns, that means people who hear but who go and get choked with worries and money and the pleasures of life, so that they never ripen.

As for the seed in the good soil, that means those who hear and hold fast the word in a good and sound heart and so bear fruit stedfastly.

No one lights a lamp and hides it under a vessel or puts it below the bed: he puts it on a stand so that those who come in can see the light.

So take care how you listen; for he who has, to him shall more be given, while as for him who has not, from him shall be taken even what he thinks he has."

But he answered, "My mother and brothers are those who listen to the word of God and obey it."

As he stepped out on land he was met by a man from the town who had daemons in him; for a long while he had worn no clothing, and he stayed not in a house but among the tombs.

The people came out to see what had occurred and when they reached Jesus they discovered the man whom the daemons had left, seated at the feet of Jesus, clothed and sane. That frightened them.

They got a report from those who had seen how the lunatic was cured,

The man whom the daemons had left begged that he might accompany him. Jesus, however, sent him away, saying,

A man called Jairus came, who was a president of the synagogue, and falling at the feet of Jesus entreated him to come to his house,

and a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years which no one could cure,

Jesus said, "Who touched me?" As everyone denied it, Peter and his companions said, "Master, the crowds are all round you pressing hard!"

Herod said, "John I beheaded. But who is this, of whom I hear such tales?" And he made efforts to see him.

but the crowds learned this and followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of the Reign of God, and cured those who needed to be healed.

Now it happened that while he was praying by himself his disciples were beside him. So he inquired of them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

He said to them, "And who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "The Christ of God."

I tell you plainly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death till they see the Reign of God."

who appeared in a vision of glory and said he must go through with his death and departure at Jerusalem.

Now Peter and his companions had been overpowered with sleep, but on waking up they saw his glory and the two men who were standing beside him.

then he said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For it is the lowliest of you all who is great."

Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; he who is not against you is for you."

Jesus said to him, "No one is any use to the Reign of God who puts his hand to the plough and then looks behind him."

heal those in the town who are ill, and tell them, 'The Reign of God is nearly on you.'

He who listens to you listens to me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

"All has been handed over to me by my Father: and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Anxious to make an excuse for himself, however, he said to Jesus, "But who is my neighbour?"

Jesus rejoined, "A man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among robbers who stripped and belaboured him and then went off leaving him half-dead.

So did a Levite who came to the spot; he looked at him but passed on the opposite side.

Which of these three men, in your opinion, proved a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?"

He said, "The man who took pity on him." Jesus said to him, "Then go and do the same."

She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the feet of the Lord to listen to his talk.

and forgive us our sins for we do forgive everyone who has offended us; and lead us not into temptation."

for everyone who asks receives, the seeker finds, the door is opened to anyone who knocks.