and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

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

When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife,

saying, "Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

"In Bethlehem of Judea," they said, "for it is written this way by the prophet:

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.'"

After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.

He stayed there until Herod died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: "I called my Son out of Egypt."

Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

He came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.

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.

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."

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

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

After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on him.

But he answered, "It is written, 'Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

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.'"

Jesus said to him, "Once again it is written: 'You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Then Jesus said to him, "Go away, Satan! For it is written: 'You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"

so that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.

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.

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

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

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

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.

"It was said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.'

"Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, 'Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.'

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

not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

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

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?

And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don't they?

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

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

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

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.

"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?

Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you more valuable than they are?

And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?

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?'

Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but fail to see the beam of wood 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.

"Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.

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?'

The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock.

The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!"

He stretched out his hand and touched him saying, "I am willing. Be clean!" Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible anguish."

For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, 'Go' and he goes, and to another 'Come' and he comes, and to my slave 'Do this' and he does it."

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.

In this way what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: "He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases."

But he said to them, "Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was dead calm.

And the men were amazed and said, "What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!"

They cried out, "Son of God, leave us alone! Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

Then the demons begged him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."

And he said, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned in the water.

Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," he said to him. And he got up and followed him.

As Jesus was having a meal in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Go and learn what this saying means: 'I want mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved."

Then he touched their eyes saying, "Let it be done for you according to your faith."

But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region.

After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, "Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!"

But the Pharisees said, "By the ruler of demons he casts out demons."

Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest."

Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness.

Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: "Do not go to Gentile regions and do not enter any Samaritan town.

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

Whenever you enter a town or village, find out who is worthy there and stay with them until you leave.

As you enter the house, give it greetings.

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

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!

"I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

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.

For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

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!

What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

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

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.

Jesus answered them, "Go tell John what you hear and see:

Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings!

What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

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

"I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.