So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled:

"Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel," which means "God with us."

When King Herod heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him.

After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well."

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

Then people from Jerusalem, as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him,

Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

"I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am -- I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

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

So Jesus replied to him, "Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John yielded to him.

and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you' and 'with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur.

And he said to him, "I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship me."

While in Galilee, he moved from Nazareth to make his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

He said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people."

Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people.

So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, paralytics, and those possessed by demons, and he healed them.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me.

People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.

So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

"You have heard that it was said to an older generation, 'Do not murder,' and 'whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.'

But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says 'Fool' will be sent to fiery hell.

Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison.

I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

But I say to you, do not take oaths at all -- not by heaven, because it is the throne of God,

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

Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.

so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

"Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.

may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

"For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

"When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.

When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!

So then, don't worry saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'

But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged.

For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive.

Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye,' while there is a beam in your own?

Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?

So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

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

On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?'

Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!'

Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."

But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed.

I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,

but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; just as you believed, it will be done for you." And the servant was healed at that hour.

When it was evening, many demon-possessed people were brought to him. He drove out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.

Then an expert in the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.

As he was saying these things, a ruler came, bowed low before him, and said, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live."

For she kept saying to herself, "If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed."

But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, "Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed from that hour.

Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.

And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or that town.

I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!

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

And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles.

Whenever they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, for what you should say will be given to you at that time.

"Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise 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 will be saved.

Whenever they persecute you in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

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

"Do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known.

Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.

Even all the hairs on your head are numbered.