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

They had no children because Elizabeth was barren and because both of them were getting old.

But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them but remained unable to speak.

Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen, since I have not had relations with a man?"

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

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.

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

When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about."

When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child.

Then the shepherds returned to their flock, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

After eight days had passed, the infant was circumcised and named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah.

He asked them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?"

Now Herod the tetrarch had been rebuked by John because he had married his brother's wife Herodias and because of all of the other evil things Herod had done.

When all the people had been baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened,

The Devil also took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. He told Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

After the Devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, he left him until another time.

Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been raised. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. When he stood up to read,

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

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.

He saw two boats lying on the shore, but the fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets.

When he had finished speaking, he told Simon, "Push out into deep water, and lower your nets for a catch."

After the men had done this, they caught so many fish that the nets began to tear.

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

One day, as Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law happened to be sitting nearby. The people had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present to heal them.

So the man immediately stood up in front of them and picked up what he had been lying on. Then he went home, praising God.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

When the men had come to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, "Are you the Coming One, or should we wait for someone else?'"

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

When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to ask the crowds about John. "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

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."

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;

Others fell on stony ground, and as soon as they came up, they dried up because they had no moisture.

When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a man from the city met him. This man was controlled by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house but in the tombs.

because Jesus was in the process of ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. On many occasions the unclean spirit had seized the man, and though he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

He answered, "Legion," because many demons had gone into him. Then the demons began begging Jesus not to order them to go into the bottomless pit.

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,

"Go home and tell what God has done for you." So the man left and kept proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for 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.

When the woman saw that she couldn't hide, she came forward trembling. Bowing down in front of him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched Jesus and how she had been instantly healed.

Her parents were amazed, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening. He was puzzled because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,

by others that Elijah had appeared, and by still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.

The apostles came back and told Jesus everything they had done. Then he took them away with him privately to a city called Bethsaida.

They had a glorified appearance, and were discussing Jesus' departure that he would shortly bring about in Jerusalem.

Now Peter and the men with him had been overcome by sleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was alone. The disciples kept silent and at that time told no one about what they had seen.

The next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.

But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.

"How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

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

But Martha was worrying about all the things she had to do, so she came to him and asked, "Lord, you do care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself, don't you? Then tell her to help me."

Once Jesus was praying in a certain place. After he had finished, one of his disciples told him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

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.

After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table.

Meanwhile, the people had gathered by the thousands and were trampling on one another. Jesus began to speak first to his disciples. "Watch out for the yeast that is, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees!

But be sure of this: if the homeowner had known at what time the thief were coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.

At that time, some people who were there told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Then Jesus told them this parable: "A man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but didn't find any.

A woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was hunched over and completely unable to stand up straight.

But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, told the crowd, "There are six days when work is to be done. So come on those days to be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

Then he told the man who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop inviting only your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return and you would be repaid.

Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons.

After he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.

But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and has been found.'"

Now Jesus was saying to the disciples, "A rich man had a servant manager who was accused of wasting his assets.

Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

But one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, came back and praised God with a loud voice.

"After he was appointed king, the prince came back. He ordered the servants to whom he had given the money to be called so he could find out what they had earned by investing.

After Jesus had said this, he traveled on and went up to Jerusalem.

So those who were sent went off and found it as Jesus had told them.

He was now approaching the descent from the Mount of Olives. The whole crowd of disciples began to rejoice and to praise God with a loud voice because of all the miracles they had seen.

"If you had only known today what could have brought you peace! But now it is hidden from your sight,

When the scribes and the high priests realized that Jesus had told this parable about them, they wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the crowd.

Now in the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be, since the seven had married her?"

because all the others contributed to the offering out of their surplus, but she, in her poverty, dropped in everything she had to live on."

So they went and found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

Then Jesus told the high priests, the Temple police, and the elders, who had come for him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit?

When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had taken their seats, Peter, too, sat down among them.

Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered the word from the Lord, and how he had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times."

Now Herod was very glad to see Jesus, because he had been wanting to see him for a long time on account of what he had heard about him. He was also hoping to see some sign done by him.

So Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day. Before this they had been enemies.

(This man had been put in prison for murder and for a revolt that had taken place in the city.)

So he released the man who had been put in prison for revolt and murder the man whose release they continued to demand but he let them have their way with Jesus.

because the sun had stopped shining, and the curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two.

When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "This man certainly was righteous!"

When all the crowds who had come together for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they beat their chests and left.

But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, were standing at a distance watching these things.

he had not voted for their plan and action from the Jewish town of Arimathea; and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb cut in the rock, in which no one had yet been laid.