Inasmuch as a number of writers have essayed to draw up a narrative of the established facts in our religion

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

and inasmuch as I have gone carefully over them all myself from the very beginning, I have decided, O Theophilus, to write them out in order for your excellency,

They were both just in the sight of God, blameless in their obedience to all the commands and regulations of God;

but they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren. Both of them were advanced in years.

but the angel said to him, "Fear not, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard; your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you must call his name John.

Now the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering that he stayed so long inside the sanctuary.

You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must call his name Jesus.

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;

she called out with a loud cry, "Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

Why, as soon as the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the babe leapt for joy within my womb.

as he promised our fathers, to have mercy on Abraham and his offspring for ever."

and on the eighth day came to circumcise the child. They were going to call it by the name of its father Zechariah,

They said to her, "None of your family is called by that name."

Then fear fell on all their neighbours, and all these events were talked of through the whole of the hill-country of Judaea.

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

to deal mercifully with our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant,

of the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that freed from fear and from the hand of our foes we should worship him

in holiness and uprightness all our days within his presence.

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."

and while they were there the days elapsed for her delivery;

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

and an angel of the Lord flashed upon them, the glory of the Lord shone all round them. They were terribly afraid,

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

and also to offer the sacrifice prescribed in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

His father and mother were astonished at these words about him,

but Symeon blessed them, and to his mother Mary he said, "This child is destined for the downfall as well as for the rise of many a one in Israel; destined to be a Sign for man's attack ??35 to bring out the secret aims of many a heart. And your own soul will be pierced by a spear."

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.

Every year his parents used to travel to Jerusalem at the passover festival;

till all his hearers were amazed at the intelligence of his own answers.

When his parents saw him they were astounded, and his mother said to him, "My son, why have you behaved like this to us? Here have your father and I been looking for you anxiously!"

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, Philip his brother tetrarch of the country of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysias tetrarch of Abilene,

Now, produce fruits that answer to your repentance, instead of beginning to say to yourselves, 'We have a father in Abraham.' I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

The crowds asked him, "Then what are we to do?"

Taxgatherers also came to get baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

He said to them, "Never exact more than your fixed rate."

Soldiers also asked him, "And what are we to do?" He said to them, "Never extort money, never lay a false charge, but be content with your pay."

Now as people's expectations were roused and as everybody thought to himself about John, "Can he be the Christ,"

the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Kosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

and for forty days he was led by the Spirit in the desert, while the devil tempted him. During these days he ate nothing, and when they were over he felt hungry.

The devil said to him, "If you are God's son, tell this stone to become a loaf."

Jesus answered him, "It is written, You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone."

Then he brought him to Jerusalem and placing him on the pinnacle of the temple said to him, "If you are God's son, throw yourself down from this;

and They will bear you on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone."

Jesus answered him, "It has been said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God."

Then he came to Nazaret, where he had been brought up, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue as was his custom. He stood up to read the lesson

and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah; on opening the book he came upon the place where it was written,

to proclaim the Lord's year of favour.

Then, folding up the book, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him,

and he proceeded to tell them that "To-day, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

So he said to them, "No doubt you will repeat to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' 'Do here in your own country all we have heard you did in Capharnahum.'"

I tell you for a fact, In Israel there were many widows during the days of Elijah, when the sky was closed for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land:

And in Israel there were many lepers in the time of the prophet Elisha, yet none of these was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage;

they were astounded at his teaching, for his word came with authority.

"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!"

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.

When day broke he went away out to a lonely spot, but the crowds made inquiries about him, came to where he was, and tried to keep him from leaving them.

Now as the crowd were pressing on him to listen to the word of God, he saw, as he stood beside the lake of Gennesaret,

two boats on the shore of the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.

When he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out to the deep water and lower your nets for a take."

Simon replied, "Master, we worked all night and got nothing! However, I will lower the nets at your command."

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."

Jesus ordered him not to say a word to anybody, but to "Go off and show yourself to the priest, and offer whatever Moses prescribed for your cleansing, to notify men."

When he saw their faith he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

Conscious that they were arguing to themselves, Jesus addressed them, saying, "Why argue in your hearts?

Which is the easier thing, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?

But to let you see the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins" ??he said to the paralysed man, "Rise, I tell you, lift your mattress and go home."

And all were seized with astonishment; they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen incredible things to-day."

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:

They said to him, "The disciples of John fast frequently and offer prayers, as do the disciples of the Pharisees; but your adherents eat and drink."

Some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not allowed on the sabbath?"

But Jesus answered them, "And have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry?

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it right on the sabbath to help or to hurt, to save life or to kill?"

And glancing round at them all in anger he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was quite restored.

Those who were annoyed with unclean spirits also were healed.

Then, raising his eyes he looked at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you poor! the Realm of God is yours.

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

Blessed are you when men will hate you, when they will excommunicate you and denounce you and defame you as wicked on account of the Son of man;

rejoice on that day and leap for joy! rich is your reward in heaven for their fathers did the very same to the prophets.

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:

If a man strikes you on the one cheek, offer him the other as well: if anyone takes your coat, do not deny him your shirt as well;

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

No, you must love your enemies and help them, you must lend to them without expecting any return; then you will have a rich reward, you will be sons of the Most High for he is kind even to the ungrateful and the evil.

Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.

give, and you will have ample measure given you ??they will pour into your lap measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over; for the measure you deal out to others will be dealt back to yourselves."

Why do you note the splinter in your brother's eye and fail to see the plank in your own eye?

How dare you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,' and you never notice the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite! take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see properly to take out the splinter in your brother's eye.

each tree is known by its fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, and grapes are not plucked from a bramble-bush.

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

Just as he was near the gate of the town, there was a dead man being carried out; he was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the town were with her.

All were seized with awe and glorified God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said, "God has visited his people."

So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to ask the Lord, "Are you the Coming One? Or are we to look out for someone else?"

When the men reached Jesus they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask if you are the Coming One or if we are to look out for someone else?"

So he replied, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard; that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached.

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.