Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah happened in this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they lived together she was discovered to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice and be extremely glad, because your reward in heaven is great! That's how they persecuted the prophets who came before you."

In the same way, let your light shine before people in such a way that they will see your good actions and glorify your Father in heaven."

leave your gift there before the altar and first go and be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift.

So whenever you give to the poor, don't blow a trumpet before you like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they will be praised by people. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you."

Suddenly, a leper came up to him, fell down before him, and said, "Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean."

Suddenly, they screamed, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the proper time?"

While Jesus was telling them these things, an official came up and fell down before him. "My daughter has just died," he said. "But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."

You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, to testify to them and to unbelievers.

So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, because I tell all of you with certainty that you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

"Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven."

This is the man about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

But when Herod's birthday celebration was held, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests. She pleased Herod

Shortly before dawn, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

Then she came and fell down before him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

I tell all of you with certainty, some people standing here will not experience death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Then the servant fell down and bowed low before him, saying, "Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything!'

In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark.

Jesus told him, "I tell you with certainty, before a rooster crows this very night, you will deny me three times."

Peter remembered the words of Jesus when he said, "Before a rooster crows, you'll deny me three times." Then he went outside and cried bitterly.

The following day (that is, after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

He saw that his disciples were straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he came to them, walking on the sea. He intended to go up right beside them,

"As for yourselves, be on your guard! People will hand you over to local councils, and you will be beaten in their synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings to testify to them because of me.

So be on your guard! I've told you everything before it happens."

Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and to have him put to death,

Jesus told him, "I tell you with certainty, today, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you'll deny me three times."

He went away again and prayed the same prayer as before.

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Don't you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?"

Just then a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered that Jesus told him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." Then he broke down and cried.

It was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath. Since it was already evening,

Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord.

because he will be great in the Lord's presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

He is the one who will go before the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord."

and be holy and righteous before him all of our days.

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.

This is the man about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

The Pharisee was surprised to see that he didn't first wash before the meal.

"But I tell you, the Son of Man will acknowledge before God's angels everyone who acknowledges me before people.

But whoever denies me before people will be denied before God's angels.

When people bring you before synagogue leaders, rulers, or authorities, don't worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,

So they couldn't catch him before the people in what he said. Amazed at his answer, they became silent.

"But before all these things take place, people will arrest you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.

He told them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer,

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."

As soon as day came, the elders of the people, the high priests, and the scribes assembled and brought him before their Council.

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

They answered him, "The events involving Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in what he said and did before God and all the people, and how our high priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and had him crucified.

John told the truth about him when he cried out, "This is the person about whom I said, "The one who comes after me ranks higher than me, because he existed before me.'"

This is the one about whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks above me, because he existed before me.'

Nathaniel asked him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

The official told him, "Sir, please come down before my little boy dies."

Do not suppose that I will be the one to accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope,

What if you saw the Son of Man going up to the place where he was before?

But the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. After setting her before them,

Jesus told them, "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, before there was an Abraham, I AM!"

All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep didn't listen to them.

Now the Jewish Passover was approaching, and before the Passover many people from the countryside went up to Jerusalem to purify themselves.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived, the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

Now before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

I'm telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe that I AM.

I've told you this now, before I leave, so that when I do leave, you will believe.

"If the world hates you, you should realize that it hated me before you.

"So now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed.

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

The sun will become dark, and the moon turn to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.

you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.

When they brought them back, they made them stand before the Council, and the high priest began to question them.

They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes. Then they rushed at Stephen, grabbed him, and brought him before the Council.

"The glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. God told him, "Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land I'll show you.'

and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler of Egypt and of his whole household.

Before this, he had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

This was the passage of Scripture he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led away to be slaughtered, and like a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.

That very night, before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, and guards in front of the door were watching the prisoners.

Before Jesus' appearance, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel.

When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities who met together in the public square.

They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They are Jews

He brought Paul and Silas upstairs into his house and set food before them. He was thrilled, as was his household, to believe in God.

When they didn't find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials and shouted, "These fellows who have turned the world upside down have come here, too,

Then they took him, brought him before the Areopagus, and asked, "May we know what this new teaching of yours is?

While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jewish leaders gathered together, attacked Paul, and brought him before the judge's seat.

Some of the crowd concluded it was because of Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front. So Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people.

"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you."

The next day, since the tribune wanted to find out exactly what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the high priests and the entire Council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

Paul looked straight at the Council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day."

In the morning, the Jewish leaders formed a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink anything before they had killed Paul.

They went to the high priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to taste any food before we have killed Paul.

Now then, you and the Council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you on the pretext that you want to look into his case more carefully, but before he arrives we'll be ready to kill him."

Don't believe them, because more than 40 of them are planning to ambush him. They've taken an oath not to eat or drink before they've killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent."

I wanted to know the exact charge they were making against him, so I had him brought before their Council.

Since a plot against the man has been reported to me, I'm sending him to you at once, and I've also ordered his accusers to present their charges against him before you."

Five days later, the high priest Ananias arrived with certain elders and Tertullus, an attorney, and they summarized their case against Paul before the governor.

Therefore, I always do my best to have a clear conscience before God and people.

But some Jews from Asia were there, and they should be here before you to accuse me if they have anything against me.

Otherwise, these men themselves should tell what wrong they found when I stood before the Council

unless it is for the one thing I shouted as I stood among them: "It is for the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'"