Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, [but] before they came together, she was found {to be pregnant} by the Holy Spirit.

But [as] he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary [as] your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

But [when he] heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee.

But [when he] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I [am], whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing shovel [is] in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

But John tried to prevent him, saying, "{I need} to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

But Jesus answered [and] said to him, "Permit [it] now, for in this way it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted him.

But he answered [and] said, "It is written, 'Man will not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God."

Jesus said to him, "On the other hand it is written, 'You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.'"

And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the [son] of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.

And immediately they left the boat and their father [and] followed him.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It is good for nothing any longer except to be thrown outside [and] trampled under foot by people.

nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house.

"Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy [them] but to fulfill [them].

Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps [them] and teaches [them], this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

But I say to you that everyone who is angry at his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Stupid fool!' will be subject to the council, and whoever says, 'Obstinate fool!' will be subject to fiery hell.

Truly I say to you, you will never come out of there until you have paid back the last penny!

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

"Again you have heard that it was said to the {people of old}, 'Do not swear falsely, but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.'

But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, because it is the throne of God,

But let your statement be 'Yes, yes; no, no,' and anything beyond these is from the evil one.

But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also.

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

But you, [when you] practice charitable giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door [and] pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"But [when you] pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard.

And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

But [when] you are fasting, {put olive oil on your head} and wash your face

so that you will not be seen by people as fasting, but to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor consuming [insect] destroy and where thieves do not break in or steal.

But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. Therefore if the light in you is darkness, how great [is] the darkness!

but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these.

But if God dresses the grass of the field in this way, [although it] is [here] today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not [do so] much more [for] you, you of little faith?

But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these [things] will be added to you.

And why do you see the speck [that is] in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam of wood in your [own] eye?

"Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves.

In the [same] way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.

A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree to produce good fruit.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock.

And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and its fall was great."

And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."

And the centurion answered [and] said, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof. But only say the word and my slave will be healed.

But I say to you that many will come from east and west and {be seated at the banquet} with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!"

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky [have] nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead!"

And [as] he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

And behold, a great storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being inundated by the waves, but he himself was asleep.

And getting into a boat, he crossed over and came to his own town.

But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your stretcher and go to your home."

But [when] the crowds saw [this], they were afraid and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

And [when he] heard [it], he said, "Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those {who are sick}.

But go [and] learn what it means, "I want mercy and not sacrifice." For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Then the disciples of John approached him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"

And Jesus said to them, "{The bridegroom's attendants} are not able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. But days are coming when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse.

Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. {Otherwise} the wineskins burst and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved."

[As] he was saying these [things] to them, behold, one of the rulers came [and] knelt down before him, saying, "My daughter has just now died, but come, place your hand on her and she will live!"

But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, "Have courage, daughter! Your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that hour.

he said, "Go away, because the girl is not dead, but is sleeping." And they ridiculed him.

But when the crowd had been sent out, he entered [and] took her hand, and the girl got up.

But they went out [and] spread the report about him in that whole region.

But the Pharisees were saying, "By the ruler of demons he expels the demons!"

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest [is] plentiful, but the workers [are] few.

but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

But beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils, and they will flog you in their synagogues.

But whenever they hand you over, do not be anxious how [to speak] or what you should say, for what you should say will be given to you at that hour.

For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father [who is] speaking through you.

"And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father [his] children, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death,

and you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end--this one will be saved.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but instead be afraid of the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

But whoever denies me before people, I also will deny him before my Father [who is] in heaven.

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth! I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings.

But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet!

Truly I say to you, among [those] born of women there has not arisen [one] greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim it.

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another,

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a man [who is] a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

But [when] the Pharisees saw [it], they said to him, "Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not permitted to do on the Sabbath!"

how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?

But I tell you that [something] greater than the temple is here!

But he said to them, "What man will there be among you who will have one sheep and if this one fell into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift [it] out?

But the Pharisees went out {and plotted} against him in order that they could destroy him.

"Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

But the Pharisees, [when they] heard [it], said, "This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!"

But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you!

For this [reason] I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven!

And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one!

"Either make the tree good and its fruit [is] good, or make the tree bad and its fruit [is] bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment!

But he answered [and] said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah!

Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came out.' And [when it] arrives it finds [the house] unoccupied and swept and put in order.

But he answered [and] said to the one who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"