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

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.

"I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God," answered the angel, "and I have been sent to talk with you and tell you this good news.

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 blessed is she who has believed, for the word spoken to her from the Lord shall be fulfilled."

And His compassion is, generation after generation, Upon those who fear Him.

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

"There is not one of your family," they said, "who has that name."

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.

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.

To deliver us from our foes and from the power of all who hate us.

Dawning on those who now dwell in the darkness and shadow of death--To direct our feet into the path of peace."

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

For a Saviour who is the Anointed Lord is born to you to-day, in the town of David.

"Glory be to God in the highest Heavens, And on earth peace among men who please Him!"

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

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.

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.

Accordingly John used to say to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

"Let the man who has two coats," he answered, "give one to the man who has none; and let the man who has food share it with others."

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor; He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners of war and recovery of sight to the blind: to send away free those whom tyranny has crushed,

"Ha! Jesus the Nazarene, what have you to do with us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!"

At sunset all who had friends suffering from any illness brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on them all, one by one, and cured them.

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.

Then the Scribes and Pharisees began to cavil, asking, "Who is this, uttering blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?"

But Jesus replied to them, "It is not men in good health who require a physician, but the sick.

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

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

James's relative Judas, and Judas Iscariot who proved to be a traitor.

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;

and those who were tormented by foul spirits were cured.

"Blessed are you who hunger now, because your hunger shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who now weep aloud, because you shall laugh.

"Alas for you who now have plenty to eat, because you will be hungry! "Alas for you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep aloud!

"But to you who are listening to me I say, Love your enemies; seek the welfare of those who hate you;

bless those who curse you; pray for those who revile you.

To him who gives you a blow on one side of the face offer the other side also; and to him who is robbing you of your outer garment refuse not the under one also.

To every one who asks, give; and from him who takes away your property, do not demand it back.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you? Why, even bad men love those who love them.

And if you are kind to those who are kind to you, what credit is it to you? Even bad men act thus.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is it to you? Even bad men lend to their fellows so as to receive back an equal amount.

There is no disciple who is superior to his teacher; but every one whose instruction is complete will be like his teacher.

Every one who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them in practice, I will show you whom he is like.

He is like a man building a house, who digs and goes deep, and lays the foundation on the rock; and when a flood comes, the torrent bursts upon that house, but is unable to shake it, because it is securely built.

But he who has heard and not practised is like a man who has built a house upon the soft soil without a foundation, against which the torrent bursts, and immediately it collapses, and terrible is the wreck and ruin of that house."

And the friends who had been sent, on returning to the house, found the servant in perfect health.

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.

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

And blessed is every one who does not stumble and fall because of my claims."

But what did you go out to see? A man wearing luxurious clothes? People who are gorgeously dressed and live in luxury are found in palaces.

John is the man about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending My messenger before thy face, and he shall make ready thy way before thee.'

"I tell you that among all of women born there is not one greater than John. Yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, there is a man who is overfond of eating and drinking--he is a friend of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners!'

But wisdom is justified by all who are truly wise."

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,

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."

"I suppose," replied Simon, "the one to whom he forgave most." "You have judged rightly," Jesus rejoined.

This is the reason why I tell you that her sins, her many sins, are forgiven--because she has loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."

Then the other guests began to say to themselves, "Who can this man be who even forgives sins?"

and certain women whom He had delivered from evil spirits and various diseases--Mary of Magdala, out of whom seven demons had come,

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many other women, all of whom contributed to the support of Jesus and His Apostles.

But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

Those by the way-side are those who have heard, and then the Devil comes and carries away the Message from their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Those on the rock are the people who on hearing the Message receive it joyfully; but they have no root: for a time they believe, but when trial comes they fall away.

That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection.

But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

"When any one lights a lamp, he does not cover it with a vessel or hide it under a couch; he puts it on a lampstand, that people who enter the room may see the light.

"My mother and my brothers," He replied, "are these who hear God's Message and obey it."

"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."

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.

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.

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

But the man from whom the demons had gone out earnestly asked permission to go with Him; but He sent him away.

Just then there came a man named Jair, a Warden of the Synagogue, who threw himself at the feet of Jesus, and entreated Him to come to his house;

And a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with haemorrhage--and had spent on doctors all she had, but none of them had been able to cure her--

"Who is it touched me?" Jesus asked. And when all denied having done so, Peter and the rest said, "Rabbi, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing on you."

And Herod said, "John I have beheaded; but who is this, of whom I hear such reports?" And he sought for an opportunity of seeing Jesus.

But the immense crowd, aware of this, followed Him; and receiving them kindly He proceeded to speak to them of the Kingdom of God, and those who needed to be restored to health, He cured.

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

"But you," He asked, "who do you say that I am?" "God's Anointed One," replied Peter.

I tell you truly that there are some of those who stand here who will certainly not taste death till they have seen the Kingdom of God."

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

and said to them, "Whoever for my sake receives this little child, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives Him who sent me. For the lowliest among you all--he is the greatest."

"Do not forbid him," said Jesus, "for he who is not against you is on your side."

Jesus answered him, "No one who has put his hand to the plough, and then looks behind him, is fit for the Kingdom of God.

"He who listens to you listens to me; and he who disregards you disregards me, and he who disregards me disregards Him who sent me."

All things are delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is but the Father, nor who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son may choose to reveal Him."

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.

"Which of those three seems to you to have acted like a fellow man to him who fell among the robbers?"

"The one who showed him pity," he replied. "Go," said Jesus, "and act in the same way."

She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching.

and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every one who fails in his duty to us; and bring us not into temptation.'"

For every one who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door shall be opened.

And what father is there among you, who, if his son asks for a slice of bread, will offer him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish offer him a snake?

If you then, with all your human frailty, know how to give your children gifts that are good for them, how much more certainly will your Father who is in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

And if it is by the power of Baal-zebul that I expel the demons, by whom do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.

As He thus spoke a woman in the crowd called out in a loud voice, "Blessed is the mother who carried you, and the breasts that you have sucked."

"Nay rather," He replied, "they are blessed who hear God's Message and carefully keep it."

"When any one lights a lamp, he never puts it in the cellar or under the bushel, but on the lampstand, that people who come in may see the light.