For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him and put him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

And whatever village or town or farm he went to, they would lay their sick in the market-place and beg him to let them touch just the tassel of his cloak, and all who touched it were cured.

The Pharisees gathered about him with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem.

And they brought to him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

Then Jesus and his disciples went away to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he questioned his disciples and said to them, "Who do people say that I am?"

And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to him, "You are the Christ."

And he said to them, "I tell you, some of you who stand here will certainly live to see the reign of God come in its might."

Jesus said to him, " 'If there is anything I can do!' Everything is possible for one who has faith!"

"Whoever welcomes one child like this on my account is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but him who has sent me."

But Jesus said, "Do not tell him not to do so, for there is no one who will use my name to do a mighty act, and be able soon after to abuse me.

For the man who is not against us is for us.

And he said to them, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his former wife,

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have money to enter the Kingdom of God!"

They were perfectly astounded and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus said, "I tell you, there is no one who has given up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news,

But many who are first now will be last then, and the last will be first."

As they went on their way up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of them, and they were in dismay, and those who still followed were afraid. And he took the Twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.

but as for sitting at my right or at my left, that is not mine to give, but belongs to those for whom it is destined."

And Jesus called them to him, and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule the heathen lord it over them, and their great men tyrannize over them;

And those in front and those behind shouted, "God bless him! Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name!

When they reached Jerusalem, he went into the Temple, and began to drive out of it those who were buying or selling things in it, and he upset the money-changers' tables and the pigeon-dealers' seats,

and said to him, "What authority have you for doing as you do? And who gave you a right to do as you are doing?"

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question.

And in the course of his teaching he said to them, "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes and to be saluted with respect in public places,

And he called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all these others who have been putting money into the treasury.

You will be hated by everyone, because you bear my name. But he who holds out to the end will be saved.

But as soon as you see the dreadful desecration standing where he has no right to stand" (the reader must take note of this), "then those who are in Judea must fly to the hills;

Alas for women who are with child at that time, or who have babies!

But there were some who said indignantly to themselves, "What was the use of wasting the perfume like that?

And when they were at the table eating, Jesus said, "I tell you, one of you is going to betray me??ne who is eating with me."

He said to them, "It is one of the Twelve, who is dipping his bread in the same dish with me.

For the Son of Man is indeed to go away as the Scriptures say of him, but alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born."

Just at that moment, while he was still speaking, Judas, who was one of the Twelve, came up, and with him a crowd of men with swords and clubs, from the high priests, scribes, and elders.

Now the man who betrayed him had given them a signal, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Seize him and take him safely away."

Now at festival time he used to set free for them one prisoner, whom they petitioned for.

There was in prison a man called Barabbas, among some revolutionaries who in their outbreak had committed murder.

And they forced a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross??ne Simon, a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

And the passers-by jeered at him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! you who would tear down the sanctuary and build one in three days!

Let this Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see it and believe!" And the men who were crucified with him abused him.

And when the captain who stood facing him saw how he expired he said, "This man was certainly a son of God!"

who used to accompany him and wait on him when he was in Galilee??esides many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with him.

Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the council, who was himself living in expectation of the reign of God, made bold to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus' body.

And they said to one another, "Who will roll the stone back from the doorway of the tomb for us?"

But he said to them, "You must not be amazed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here. See! This is where they laid him.

Now after he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had driven out seven evil spirits.

Still later he appeared to the Eleven themselves when they were at table, and reproached them for their obstinacy and want of faith, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.

He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.

And signs like these will attend those who believe: with my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in foreign tongues;

just as the original eye-witnesses who became teachers of the message have handed it down to us.

In the days when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the division of Abijah. His wife was also a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

to a maiden there who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary.

And your relative, Elizabeth, although she is old, is going to give birth to a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was said to be barren.

Who am I, To have the mother of my Lord come to me?

Blessed is she who has believed, For what the Lord has promised her will be fulfilled!"

He shows his mercy age after age To those who fear him.

They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who bears that name."

and everyone who heard them kept them in mind, and said, "What is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.

"By the lips of his holy prophets he promised of old to do this??71 To save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us,

To shine on men who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, And guide our feet into the way of peace."

to register with Mary, who was engaged to him and who was soon to become a mother.

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

And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them,

Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Symeon, an upright, devout man, who was living in expectation of the comforting of Israel, and under the influence of the holy Spirit.

There was also a prophetess there named Hannah, the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old, for after her girlhood she had been married for seven years,

She came up just at that time and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were living in expectation of the liberation of Jerusalem.

and everyone who heard him was astonished at his intelligence and at the answers he made.

So he would say to the crowds that came out there to be baptized by him, "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to fly from the wrath that is coming?

And he answered, "The man who has two shirts must share with the man who has none, and the man who has food must do the same."

John said to them all, "I am only baptizing you in water, but someone is coming who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the holy Spirit and in fire.

but Herod the governor, whom he condemned because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the wicked things Herod had done,

There was a man in the synagogue who was possessed by the spirit of a foul demon and he cried out loudly,

"Ha! What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are! You are God's Holy One!"

As the sun went down all who had friends sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and cured them.

and so were Zebedee's sons, James and John, who were Simon's partners. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you are to catch men!"

One day as he was teaching, there were some Pharisees and experts in the Law sitting near by, who had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there, so that he might cure people.

Some men came up carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to get him in and lay him before Jesus.

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to debate and say, "Who is this man who talks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

But to let you know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"??urning to the man who was paralyzed he said to him??"I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!"

Then Levi gave a great entertainment for him in his house, and there was a great throng of tax-collectors and others who were at table with them.

Jesus answered them, "It is not well people but the sick who have to have the doctor.

When day came, he called his disciples to him, and chose twelve of them whom he named apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter, his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alpheus, Simon, who was called the Zealot,

Judas, the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who turned out a traitor.

And he came down with them and took his stand on a level place with a great throng of his disciples, and a large number of people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.

And those who were troubled with foul spirits were cured.

Then he fixed his eyes on his disciples, and said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours!

"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied! "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh!

"But alas for you who are rich, for you have had your comfort!

"Alas for you who have plenty to eat now, for you will be hungry! "Alas for you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep!

"But I tell you who hear me, love your enemies, treat those who hate you well,

bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

To the man that strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the man who takes away your coat, do not keep back your shirt either.

If you love only those who love you, what merit is there in that? For even godless people love those who love them.

And if you help only those who help you, what merit is there in that? Even godless people act in that way.

And if you lend only to people from whom you expect to get something, what merit is there in that? Even godless people lend to godless people, meaning to get it back again in full.

If anyone comes to me and listens to this teaching of mine and acts upon it, I will show you whom he is like.

He is like a man who was building a house, who dug deep and laid his foundation upon the rock, and when there was a flood the torrent burst upon that house and could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the man who listens to it, and does not act upon it, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation. The torrent burst upon it, and it collapsed at once, and the wreck of that house was complete."