And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And, suddenly, there came to be, with the messenger, the throng of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying -

"Glory be to God in the highest Heavens, And on earth peace among men who please Him!"

Now when the angels had left them and gone away to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us be off to Bethlehem to see this thing that the Lord has told us of."

So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, his name was called JESUS, which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days for their purification appointed by the Law of Moses had passed, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord--

(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

and to offer the sacrifice prescrib'd by the law, which was a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pidgeons.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

And be took him into his arms, and praised God, and said :

"Master, you may now allow your servant to be released [i.e., die] in peace, according to what you said.

[to be] a light for revealing [God's way of salvation] to the [unconverted] Gentiles, and a [source of] glory to your people, the Israelites."

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken by him.

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night, with fasting and prayer.

And she coming by at that time, praised God, and spoke of him [the child] to all who expected a redemption in Jerusalem.

And when they had done all the things which were ordered by the law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to Nazareth, the town where they were living.

The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on Him.

Now His parents used to go up year by year to Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover.

and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not;

but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance:

And when they saw him they were amazed. And his mother said to him: Child, why have you acted thus toward us? Be hold, your father and I have sought for you in sorrow.

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

in pursuance of which, he went into all the country about Jordan, exhorting all to repent and be baptized, in order to obtain the remission of their sins.

as it is written in the book of the discourses of Isaiah the prophet: A voice of one crying aloud! In the desert, prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight, be making his paths;

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’”

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Make clear by your acts that your hearts have been changed; and do not say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say to you that God is able from these stones to make children of Abraham.

Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And, answering, he said unto them - He that hath two tunics, let him share with him that hath none, and, he that hath food, in like manner, let him be doing.

Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

But as the people were in expectation, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John whether he might be the Christ,

John answered them all by saying, “As for me, I baptize you [only] with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire.

His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.”

And many other things by way of exhortation did he preach unto the people.

But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Crowned them all by shutting John up in prison.

Now it happened when all the people had been immersed [by John], that Jesus was also immersed [by him]. And while Jesus was praying, heaven was opened

And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

forty days being tempted by the Devil, and he did not eat anything in those days, and they having been ended, he afterward hungered,

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

And Jesus answering him said, 'Get thee behind me, Adversary, for it hath been written, Thou shalt bow before the Lord thy God, and Him only thou shalt serve.'

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

And, In their hands they will keep you up, so that your foot may not be crushed against a stone.

Then Jesus returned to Galilee by the power of the Spirit. Meanwhile, the news about him spread throughout the surrounding country.

and he was teaching in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah),
Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy),

He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

They were all speaking well of Him and were amazed by the gracious words that came from His mouth, yet they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

So He said to them, “You will no doubt quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal Yourself! Whatever [miracles] that we heard were done [by You] in Capernaum, do here in Your hometown as well.’”

And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and not one of them was cleansed [by being healed] except Naaman the Syrian.”

And they were greatly impressed by His teaching, because He spoke with the language of authority.

There was a man in the synagogue who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud and terrible voice,

Let us be! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? have you come to put an end to us? I have knowledge who you are, the Holy One of God.

And Jesus did rebuke him, saying, 'Be silenced, and come forth out of him;' and the demon having cast him into the midst, came forth from him, having hurt him nought;

And having arisen from the synagogue, he entered into the house of Simon. And Simon's mother-in-law was gripped by a great fever, and they besought him about her.

Then He took His stand by her and reproved the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

At sunset all who had friends suffering from any illness brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on them all, one by one, and cured them.

and demons also went out from many, crying out and saying, Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them, he suffered them not to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ.

But He told them, "I must go to other towns also to preach the good news of God's [coming] kingdom, for this is why I was sent [by God]."

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

And when they had done this, they got such a great number of fish that it seemed as if their nets would be broken;

And they beckoned to their partners in the other boat, after coming, to assist them. And they came and filled both the boats, so as for them to be sunk down.

and in like manner also on James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; henceforth thou shalt be catching men.

Then Jesus told Simon, "Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people." So when they brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

And it came to pass, while he was in one of the cities, that lo! there was a man full of leprosy; and, seeing Jesus, he fell on his face, and entreated him, saying - Lord! if thou be willing, thou canst cleanse me.

And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

And he gave him orders: Say nothing to any man, but let the priest see you and give an offering so that you may be made clean, as the law of Moses says, and for a witness to them.

But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

But he went away by himself to a waste place for prayer.

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

Then the experts in the law of Moses and the Pharisees began to reason [in their minds], saying, "Who is this man who speaks things against God [i.e., by claiming the ability to forgive sins]? Who can forgive sins except God only?"

Well aware of their reasonings, Jesus answered their questions by asking in turn, "What is this that you are debating in your hearts?

Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

And that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority upon the earth to forgive sins -- (he said to the one struck with palsy) -- I say to thee, Arise, and having taken up thy little couch, be going on to thy house.'

They were all astonished, and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with [reverential] fear and kept saying, “We have seen wonderful and incredible things today!”

And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me.

I have come, not to get the upright, but sinners, so that they may be turned from their sins.

But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

And he said to them, in a story, No man takes a bit of cloth from a new coat and puts it on to an old coat, for so the new coat would be damaged and the bit from the new would not go well with the old.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

Now it happened on a Sabbath day that Jesus was walking through some grainfields. His disciples picked off some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands and ate [the kernels]. [Note: It was an accepted practice for people in that day to be permitted to do this as they walked along paths bordering a grainfield].

But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

The Scribes and the Pharisees were on the watch to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath that they might be able to bring an accusation against Him.

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it permitted by the law of Moses to do something good or to do something harmful on the Sabbath day? To save a life or to destroy it?"

James's relative Judas, and Judas Iscariot who proved to be a traitor.