“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah

because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and His name is holy.

He has done a mighty deed with His arm;
He has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;

Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high will visit us

So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.

Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

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.”

He told them, “Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”

Some soldiers also questioned him: “What should we do?”

He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages.”

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him about Herodias, his brother’s wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,

So he took Him to Jerusalem, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

They got up, drove Him out of town, and brought Him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl Him over the cliff.

Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath.

But Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet and come out of him!”

And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all.

He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”

and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”

Just then some men came, carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before Him.

Jesus replied to them, “The healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.

After coming down with them, He stood on a level place with a large crowd of His disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.

If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either.

Give to everyone who asks you, and from one who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.

Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck in your brother’s eye.

“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?

Jesus went with them, and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Him, “Lord, don’t trouble Yourself, since I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.

Soon afterward He was on His way to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were traveling with Him.

Just as He neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Don’t cry.”

And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil

Soon afterward He was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

As a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking to Him from every town, He said in a parable:

and as they were sailing He fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger.

When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What do You have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God? I beg You, don’t torment me!”

The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside.

“Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town all that Jesus had done for him.

Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house,

When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured.

While He was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the Teacher anymore.”

When Jesus heard it, He answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well.”

“Take nothing for the road,” He told them, “no walking stick, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt.

If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. He took them along and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.

(For about 5,000 men were there.)

Then He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about 50 each.”

They did so, and had them all sit down.

The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.

As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and gave him back to his father.

“Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”

When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

After this, the Lord appointed 70 others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go.

Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road.

Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t be moving from house to house.

When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you.

When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say,

‘We are wiping off as a witness against you even the dust of your town that clings to our feet. Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’

I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

“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 long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes!

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades!

However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”

because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’

Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’

Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first.”

As He was speaking, a Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and reclined at the table.

“But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

“Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it.”

Then He said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.

“And I say to you, My friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.

Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!

Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say.

He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops?

I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there.

Then He said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear.

Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?

“Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!

Don’t keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious.

Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, those slaves are blessed.

Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this time?

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil?’

Perhaps it will bear fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’”

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.”

He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making His way to Jerusalem.

once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’

But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness!’

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.

He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.