When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

They were saying among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"

He said to them, "Do not be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Look, the place where they put him.

But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.'"

She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country.

Afterward he was revealed to the Eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,

even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,

Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

Having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, you highly favored one. The Lord is with you."

The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born will be called the Son of God.

And look, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord."

For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.

As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever."

They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."

And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed.

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David

(as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),

salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;

to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,

because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Messiah, the Lord.

This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough."

It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the men, the shepherds, said one to another, "Let us go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),

and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, "Look, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against.

and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us this way? Look, your father and I were anxiously looking for you."

As it is written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father;' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire."

He said to them, "Collect no more than that which is appointed to you."

Soldiers also asked him, saying, "What about us? What must we do?" He said to them, "Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages."

As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Messiah,

John answered them all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,

whose fan is in his hand, to thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying "You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased."

Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Eli,

Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"

Jesus answered and said to him, "It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"

for it is written, 'He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;'

Jesus answering, said to him, "It is said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the scroll, and found the place where it was written,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,

All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

He said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.

saying, "Ah. what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God."

Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."

The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?'

He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

No man having drunk old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

But some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why do you do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?"

He said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to destroy it?"

as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.

Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for look, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

"And as you would like men to do to you, you also do the same to them.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

And why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Or how can you tell your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite. First remove the log from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye.

For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit.

For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.

He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

But he who hears, and does not do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy for you to do this for him,

for he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us."

Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us." and, "God has visited his people."

John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?"

When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another?'"

Blessed is he who is not offended by me."

This is he of whom it is written, 'Look, I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

"For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John, yet he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he."

Wisdom is justified by all her children."

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner."

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

"The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.