The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.

When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her

After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.

John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry.

Then the Devil took Him to the holy city, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

When He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee.

Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,

“No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.

Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying?

When Jesus had finished this sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching,

because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

When He had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

“Go!” He told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs. And suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.

Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything—especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed.

When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men.

Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe,

But when the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

When the demon had been driven out, the man spoke. And the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!

But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.

When Jesus had finished giving orders to His 12 disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago!

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.

If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.

There He saw a man who had a paralyzed hand. And in order to accuse Him they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?

But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered.

When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.

When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there.

For Herod had arrested John, chained him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,

since John had been telling him, “It’s not lawful for you to have her!”

And prompted by her mother, she answered, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter!”

So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison.

His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

The disciples reached the other shore, and they had forgotten to take bread.

Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them.

Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.

“Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’

When Jesus had finished this instruction, He departed from Galilee and went to the region of Judea across the Jordan.

When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!’

“But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go, work in the vineyard today.’

In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”

When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together.

and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’

Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another.

But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.

“When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more.

But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’

“Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed.

So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’

When Jesus had finished saying all this, He told His disciples,

While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had a serious skin disease,

a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.

So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!”

Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened.

and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?”

When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!”

and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Messiah?”

For he knew they had handed Him over because of envy.

They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Then they spit on Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head.

When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Above His head they put up the charge against Him in writing:

THIS IS JESUS

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!”

Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him were there, looking on from a distance.

When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb.

As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.

After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money

The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all those who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.

Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

Now He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed hand.

Since He had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch Him.

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul in Him!” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons!”

The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head.

On that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”

because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had snapped off the chains and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

For He had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed by the legion, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

The eyewitnesses described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs.