The birth of Jesus Christ took place as follows:--His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but, before the marriage took place, she found herself to be with child by the power of the Holy Spirit.

He made Mary his wife, but did not live with her as her husband until after the birth of her son; and to this son he gave the name Jesus.

But afterwards, having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another road.

But, on the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said:

But, hearing that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as King of Judea, he was afraid to go back there; and having been warned in a dream, he went into the part of the country called Galilee.

I, indeed, baptize you with water to teach repentance; but He who is Coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire."

But John tried to prevent him. "It is I," he said, "who need to be baptized by you; why then do you come to me?"

But Jesus answered: "Scripture says--'It is not on bread alone that man is to live, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

It is you who are the Salt of the earth; but, if the salt should lose its strength, what will you use to restore its saltiness? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown away, and trampled underfoot.

Men do not light a lamp and put it under the corn-measure, but on the lamp-stand, where it gives light to every one in the house.

Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to do away with them, but to complete them.

Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these commandments, even the least of them, and teaches others to do so, will be the least- esteemed in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps them, and teaches others to do so, will be esteemed great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Again, you have heard that to our ancestors it was said--'Thou shalt not break an oath, but thou shall keep thine oaths as a debt due to the Lord.'

I, however, say to you that you must not resist wrong; but, if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also;

But, when you do acts of charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

But, when one of you prays, let him go into his own room, shut the door, and pray to his Father who dwells in secret; and his Father, who sees what is secret, will recompense him.

And take us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil.'

But, if you do not forgive others their offences, not even your Father will forgive your offences.

But, when one of your fasts, let him anoint his head and wash his face,

That he may not be seen by men to be fasting, but by his Father who dwells in secret; and his Father, who sees what is secret, will recompense him.

But store up treasures for yourselves in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.

But, if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkened. And, if the inner light is darkness, how intense must that darkness be!

But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong his life a single moment?

But first seek his Kingdom and the righteousness that he requires, and then all these things shall be added for you.

Beware of false Teachers--men who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves.

Not every one who says to me 'Master! Master!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.

The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, for its foundations were upon the rock.

And then Jesus said to him: "Be careful not to say a word to any one, but go and show yourself to the Priest, and offer the gift directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

"Sir," the Captain went on, "I am unworthy to receive you under my roof; but only speak, and my manservant will be cured.

"Foxes have holes," answered Jesus, "and wild birds their roosting-places, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

But Jesus answered: "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead."

Suddenly so great a storm came on upon the Sea, that the waves broke right over the boat. But Jesus was asleep;

But, that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then he said to the paralyzed man-- "Get up, take up your bed, and return to your home."

On hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill.

Go and learn what this means--'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'; for I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast."

Jesus answered: "Can the bridegroom's friends mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be parted from them, and they will fast then.

Nor do people put new wine into old wine-skins; for, if they do, the skins burst, and the wine runs out, and the skins are lost; but they put new wine into fresh skins, and so both are preserved."

While Jesus was saying this, a President of a Synagogue came up and bowed to the ground before him. "My daughter," he said, "Has just died; but come and place your hand on her, and she will be restored to life."

But meanwhile a woman, who had been suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind and touched the tassel of his cloak.

But, when the people had been sent out, Jesus went in, and took the little girl's hand, and she rose.

But the men went out, and spread the news about him through all that part of the country.

But the Pharisees said: "He drives out the demons by the help of the chief of the demons."

But, when he saw the crowds, his heart was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and harassed, 'like sheep without a shepherd';

And he said to his disciples: "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.

But make your way rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Then, if the house is worthy, let your blessing rest upon it, but, if it is unworthy, let your blessing return upon yourselves.

For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks within you.

But, when they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for, I tell you, you will not have come to the end of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; rather be afraid of him who is able to destroy both soul and body in the Pit.

But, if any one disowns me before his fellow men, I, too, will disown him before my Father who is in Heaven.

Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring, not peace, but the sword.

And, if any one gives but a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones because he is a disciple, I tell you that he shall assuredly not lose his reward."

But to what shall I compare the present generation? It is like little children sitting in the market-places and calling out to their playmates--

'We have played the flute for you, but you have not danced; We have wailed, but you have not mourned.'

But, when the Pharisees saw this, they said: "Look! your disciples are doing what it is not allowable to do on a Sabbath!"

How he went into the House of God, and how they ate the consecrated bread, through it was not allowable for him or his companions to eat it, but only for the priests?

But Jesus said to them: "Which of you, if he had only one sheep, and that sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, would not lay hold of it and pull it out?

but he warned them not to make him known,

But the Pharisees heard of it and said: "He drives out demons only by the help of Baal-zebub the chief of the demons."

But, if it is by the help of the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God must already be upon you.

Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven every sin and slander; but slander against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in the present age, or in the age to come.

Then it says 'I will go back to the home which I left'; but, on coming there, it finds it unoccupied, and swept, and put in order.

Some, again, fell into the brambles; but the brambles shot up and choked it.

"To you," answered Jesus, "the knowledge of the hidden truths of the Kingdom of Heaven has been imparted, but not to those.

For, to all who have, more will be given, and they shall have abundance; but, from all who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear;

But, as he has no root, he stands for only a short time; and, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Message, he falls away at once.

By the seed which was sown among the brambles is meant the man who hears the Message, but the cares of life and the glamour of wealth completely choke the Message, so that it gives no return.

But by the seed which was sown on the good ground is meant the man who hears the Message and understands it, and really yields a return, sometimes one hundred, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty fold."

But, while every one was asleep, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and then went away.

Let both grow side by side till harvest; and then I shall say to the reapers, Gather the tares together first, and tie them in bundles for burning; but bring all the wheat into my barn.'"

This seed is smaller than all other seeds, but, when it has grown up, it is larger than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that 'the wild birds come and roost in its branches.'"

When it was full, they hauled it up on the beach, and sat down and sorted the good fish into baskets, but threw the worthless ones away.

But, when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before his guests, and so pleased Herod,

But Jesus said: "They need not go away, it is for you to give them something to eat."

But, when they saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they exclaimed, and cried out for fear.

But Jesus at once spoke to them. "Courage!" he said, "It is I; do not be afraid!"

But, when he felt the wind, he was frightened, and, beginning to sink, cried out: "Master! Save me!"

But the men in the boat threw themselves on their faces before him, and said: "You are indeed God's Son."

But the people of that place, recognizing Jesus, sent out to the whole country round, and brought to him all who were ill,

But you say 'Whenever any one says to his father or mother "Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is 'Given to God,'"

But vainly do they worship me, For they teach but the precepts of men.'"

It is not what enters a man's mouth that 'defiles' him, but what comes out from his mouth--that does defile him!"

Let them be; they are but blind guides; and, if one blind man guides another, both of them will fall into a ditch."

But the things that come out from the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile a man;

These are the things that defile a man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

But Jesus did not answer her a word; and his disciples came up and begged him to send her away. "She keeps calling out after us," they said.

But the woman came, and, bowing to the ground before him, said: "Master, help me."

On leaving that place, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee; and then went up the hill, and sat down., you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!' it would be done.

But Jesus answered: [ "In the evening you say 'It will be fine weather, for the sky is as red as fire.'

But in the morning you say 'To-day it will be stormy, for the sky is as red as fire and threatening.' You learn to read the sky; yet you are unable to read the signs of the times!]

A wicked and unfaithful generation is asking for a sign, but no sign shall be given it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and went away.

But the disciples began talking among themselves about their having brought no bread.

Then they understood that he had told them to be on their guard, not against the leaven of bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

"But you," he said, "who do you say that I am?"

"Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah," Jesus replied. "For no human being has revealed this to you, but my Father who is in Heaven.

But Peter took Jesus aside, and began to rebuke him. "Master," he said, "please God that shall never be your fate!"

Jesus, however, turning to Peter, said: "Out of my way, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you look at things, not as God does, but as man does."