Jacob fathered Joseph, the husband of Mary, who was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

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

and asked, "Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

"O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

Herod flew into a rage when he learned that he had been tricked by the wise men, so he ordered the execution of all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighboring regions, who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had determined from the wise men.

"Get up," he said. "Take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead."

But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Then a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!"

His fame spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him everyone who was sick those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed and he healed them.

"How blessed are those who are destitute in spirit, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!

"How blessed are those who mourn, because it is they who will be comforted!

"How blessed are those who are humble, because it is they who will inherit the earth!

"How blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because it is they who will be satisfied!

"How blessed are those who are merciful, because it is they who will receive mercy!

"How blessed are those who are pure in heart, because it is they who will see God!

"How blessed are those who make peace, because it is they who will be called God's children!

"How blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!

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

"You have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, "You are not to commit murder,' and, "Whoever murders will be subject to punishment.'

But I say to you, anyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be subject to punishment. And whoever says to his brother "Raka!' will be subject to the Council. And whoever says, "You fool!' will be subject to hell fire.

But I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

But I say to you, any man who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

"Again, you have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, "You must not swear an oath falsely,' but, "You must fulfill your oaths to the Lord.'

Give to the person who asks you for something, and do not turn away from the person who wants to borrow something from you."

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

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

so that your giving may be done in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

"And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees from the hidden place will reward you.

and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.

so that your fasting will not be noticed by others but by your Father who is in the hidden place. And your Father who watches from the hidden place will reward you."

Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won't he clothe you much better you who have little faith?

because it is the unbelievers who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them!

Because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.

"There isn't a person among you who would give his son a stone if he asked for bread, is there?

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who keep on asking him!

How narrow is the gate and how constricted is the road that leads to life, and there aren't many people who find it!"

"Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are savage wolves.

"Not everyone who keeps saying to me, "Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom from heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the will of my Father in heaven.

Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Get away from me, you who practice evil!'"

"Therefore, everyone who listens to these messages of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.

"Everyone who keeps on hearing these messages of mine and never puts them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

because he was teaching them like a person who had authority, and not like their scribes.

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and told those who were following him, "I tell all of you with certainty, not even in Israel have I found this kind of faith!

When evening came, people brought to him many who were possessed by demons. He drove out the spirits by speaking a command and healed everyone who was sick.

This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "It was he who took our illnesses away and removed our diseases."

He asked them, "Why are you afraid, you who have little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they came into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

Just then a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel of his garment,

As the men were going out, a man who couldn't talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

These were the Twelve whom Jesus sent out after he had given them these instructions: "Don't turn on to the road that leads to the unbelievers, and don't enter Samaritan towns.

"Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is receptive in it and stay there until you leave.

Watch out for people who will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues.

You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

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

"The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn't worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me.

The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me.

The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it."

"The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.

The one who receives a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.

How blessed is anyone who is not offended by me!"

Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? See, those who wear fancy clothes live in kings' houses.

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.'

I tell all of you with certainty, among those born of women no one has appeared who is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom from heaven is greater than he.

If you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.

Let the person who has ears listen!

"To what can I compare the people living today? They're like little children who sit in the marketplaces and shout to each other,

All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and the person to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.

But he asked them, "Is there a man among you who, if he had one sheep and it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't take hold of it and pull it out?

"Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased! I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to unbelievers.

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that the man could speak and see.

If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges!

The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who isn't gathering with me is scattering.

He asked the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"

Let the person who has ears listen!"

because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.

As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it joyfully at once,

As for what was sown among the thorn bushes, this is the person who hears the word, but the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of wealth choke the word so that it can't produce a crop.

But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, understands it, and produces a crop that yields 100, 60, or 30 times what was sown."

He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom from heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

He answered, "The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man,

while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to the evil one.

The enemy who sowed them is the Devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!"

Then he told them, "That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest."

Now those who had eaten were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

At once Jesus reached out his hand, caught him, and asked him, "You who have so little faith, why did you doubt?"

When the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word throughout that region and brought him everyone who was sick.

They kept begging him to let them touch just the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was completely healed.

As a result, the crowd was amazed to see those who were unable to talk speaking, the crippled healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.

Now those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.

Knowing this, Jesus asked them, "You who have little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don't have any bread?

When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

He asked them, "But who do you say I am?"