"Stop! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

But Jesus rebuked the demon. "Be silent! Come out from him," he said. The demon flung the man down in the middle of the people, and then came out from him, without causing him further harm.

And they were all lost in amazement, and kept saying to one another: "What words are these? For he gives his commands to the foul spirits with a marvelous authority, and they come out."

Bending over her, he rebuked the fever; the fever left her, and she immediately got up and began to wait upon them.

At sunset, all who had friends suffering from various diseases took them to Jesus; and he placed his hands upon every one of them and cured them.

And even demons came out from many people, screaming 'You are the Son of God.' Jesus rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

At daybreak, Jesus went out and walked to a lonely spot. But crowds of people began to look for him; and they came to where he was and tried to detain him and prevent his leaving them.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon: "Push off into deep water, and throw out your nets for a haul."

"We have been hard at work all night, Sir," answered Simon, "and have not caught anything, but, at your bidding, I will throw out the nets."

When Simon Peter saw this, he threw himself down at Jesus' knees, exclaiming: "Master, leave me, for I am a sinful man!"

For he and all who were with him were lost in amazement at the haul of fish which they had made;

Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying as he did so: "I am willing; become clean." Instantly the leprosy left the man;

And then Jesus impressed upon him that he was not to say a word to any one, "but," he added, "set out and show yourself to the priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing, in the manner directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

When Jesus became aware of the way in which they were debating, he turned to them and exclaimed: "What are you debating with yourselves?

Instantly the man stood up before their eyes, took up what he had been lying on, and went to his home, praising God.

After this, Jesus went out; and he noticed a tax-gatherer, named Levi, sitting in the tax-office, and said to him: "Follow me."

And Levi gave a great entertainment at his house, in honor of Jesus; and a large number of tax-gatherers and others were at table with them.

In answer Jesus said: "It is not those who are well that need a doctor, but those who are ill.

Then, as an illustration, Jesus said to them: "No man ever tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old one; for, if he does, he will not only tear the new garment, but the piece from the new one will not match the old.

And no man puts new wine into old wine-skins; for, if he does, the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine itself will run out, and the skins be lost.

One Sabbath Jesus was walking through cornfields, and hi disciples were picking the ears of wheat, and rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.

"Why are you doing what it is not allowable to do on the Sabbath?" asked some of the Pharisees.

Jesus' answer was: "Have not you read even of what David did, when he was hungry, he and his companions--

That he went into the House of God, and took the consecrated bread and ate it, and gave some to his companions, though only the priests are allowed to eat it?"

Jesus, however, knew what was in the their minds, and said to the man whose hand was withered: "Stand up and come out into the middle." The man stood up;

And Jesus said to them: "I ask you, is it allowable to do good on the Sabbath--or harm? to save a life, or let it perish?"

Then, looking round at them all, he said to the man: "Stretch out your hand." The man did so; and his hand had become sound.

But the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees were goaded to madness, and consulted together what they could do to Jesus.

Now about that time, Jesus went out, up the hill, to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.

And every one in the crowd was trying to touch him, because a power went out from him which restored them all.

Then, raising his eyes and looking at his disciples, Jesus spoke as follows: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.

Then indeed you may be glad and dance for joy, for be sure that your reward in Heaven will be great; for that is what their ancestors did to the Prophets.

Alas for you when all men speak well of you; for this is what their ancestors did to the false Prophets.

Give to every one who asks of you; and, when any one takes away what is yours, do not demand its return.

If you love only those who love you, what thanks will be due to you? Why, even the outcast love those who love them!

For, if you show kindness only to those who show kindness to you, what thanks will be due to you? Even the outcast do that!

If you lend only to those from whom you expect to get something, what thanks will be due to you? Even the outcast lend to the outcast in the hope of getting as much in return!

Give, and others will give to you. A generous measure, pressed and shaken down, and running over, will they pour into your lap; For the measure that you mete will be meted out to you in return."

A scholar is not above his teacher; yet every finished scholar shall be like his teacher.

And why do you look at the straw in your brother's eye, while you pay no attention at all to the beam in your own?

How can you say to your brother 'Brother, let me take out the straw in your eye,' while you yourself do not see the beam in your own? Hypocrite! Take out the beam from your own eye first, and then you will see clearly how to take out the straw in your brother's.

A good man, from the good stores of his heart, brings out what is good; while a bad man, from his bad stores, brings out what is bad. For what fills a man's heart will rise to his lips.

Why do you call me 'Master! Master!' and yet fail to do what I tell you?

Every one who comes to me and listens to my teaching and acts upon it--I will show you to whom he may be compared.

He may be compared to a man building a house, who dug, and went deep, and laid the foundation upon the rock. Then, when a flood came, the river swept down upon that house, but had no power to shake it, because it had been built well.

But those who have listened and not acted upon what they have heard may be compared to a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation. The river swept down upon it, and the house immediately collapsed; and great was the crash that followed."

A Captain in the Roman army had a slave whom he valued, and who was seriously ill--almost at the point of death.

For I myself am a man under the orders of others, with soldiers under me; and if I say to one of them 'Go,' he goes, and to another 'Come,' he comes, and to my slave 'Do this,' he does it."

Just as he approached the gate of the town, there was a dead man being carried out for burial--an only son, and his mother was a widow. A large number of the people of the town were with her.

At that very time Jesus had cured many people of diseases, afflictions, and wicked spirits, and had given many blind people their sight.

So his answer to the question was: "Go and report to John what you have witnessed and heard--the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is told to the poor.

"What did you go out into the Wilderness to look at? A reed waving in the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in rich clothing? Why, those who are accustomed to fine clothes and luxury live in royal palaces.

What then did you go to see? A Prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a Prophet.

There is, I tell you, no one born of a woman who is greater than John; and yet the lowliest in the Kingdom of God is greater than he."

"To what then," Jesus continued, "shall I compare the people of the present generation? What are they like?

They are like some little children who are sitting in the market-place and calling out to one another--'We have played the flute for you, but you have not danced; We have wailed, but you have not wept!'

And yet Wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him, so Jesus went to his house and took his place at table.

Just then a woman, who was an outcast in the town, having ascertained that Jesus was at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of perfume,

And placed herself behind Jesus, near his feet, weeping. Then she began to make his feet wet with her tears, and she dried them with the hair of her head, repeatedly kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume.

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself: "Had this man been 'The Prophet,' he would have known who, and what sort of woman, this is who is touching him, and that she is an outcast."

"I suppose," answered Simon, "it will be the man to whom he forgave the greater debt." "You are right," said Jesus,

And then, turning to the woman, he said to Simon: "Do you see this woman? I came into your house--you gave me no water for my feet, but she has made my feet wet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

On this, those at table began to say to one another: "Who is this man who even pardons sins?"

And Joanna (the wife of Herod's steward, Chuza), and Susannah, and many others--all of whom ministered to Jesus and his Apostles out of their means.

"The sower went out to sow his seed; and, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path and was trodden upon; and the wild birds ate it up.

Other seed fell upon rock, and, as soon as it began to grow, having no moisture, withered away.

Other seed fell in the middle of brambles, but the brambles grew up with it and choked it entirely.

By the seed which fell along the path are meant those who hear the Message; but then comes the Devil and carries away the Message from their minds, to prevent their believing it and being saved.

By the seed which fell upon the rock are meant those who, as soon as they hear the Message, welcome it joyfully; but they have no root, and believe it only for a time, and, when the time of temptation comes, they draw back.

But by that in the good ground are meant those who, having heard the Message, keep it in the good, rich soil of their hearts, and patiently yield a return.

No man sets light to a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or puts it underneath a couch, but he puts it on a lamp-stand, so that anyone who comes in may see the light.

Take care, then, how you listen. For, to all those who have, more will be given; while, from all those who have nothing, even what they seem to have will be taken away."

His reply, spoken to them all, was: "My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God's teaching and do what it bids."

And, on getting ashore, Jesus met a man, who had demons in him, coming out of the town. For a long time this man had worn no clothing, and he had not lived in a house, but in the tombs.

Catching sight of Jesus, he shrieked out and threw himself down before him, and in a loud voice exclaimed: "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you not to torment me."

For Jesus was commanding the foul spirit to come out from the man. On many occasions it had seized him, and, even when secured with chains and fetters, and watched, he would break through anything that bound him, and be driven by the demon into the Wilds.

"What is your name?" Jesus asked. "Legion," he answered (for many demons had taken possession of him);

They came out from the man and took possession of the pigs; and the drove rushed down the steep slope into the lake and were drowned.

When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran away, and carried the news to the town, and to the country round.

The people went out to see what had happened, and, when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, at Jesus' feet; and they were awe-struck.

Those who had seen it told them how the possessed man had been delivered;

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus to let him be with him; but Jesus sent him away.

On his return, Jesus was welcomed by the people; for everyone was looking out for him.

And a man named Jaeirus, who was a President of the Synagogue, came to Jesus, and threw himself at Jesus' feet, with entreaties that he would come to his house,

"Who was it that touched me?" Jesus asked; and, while everyone was denying having done so, Peter exclaimed: "Why, Sir, the people are crowding round you and pressing upon you!"

"Somebody touched me," said Jesus; "for I felt that power had gone out from me."

But Jesus, hearing this, spoke to the President: "Do not be afraid; only have faith, and she shall yet be delivered."

They began to laugh at him, for they knew that she was dead.

The child's spirit returned to her, and she instantly stood up; and Jesus ordered them to give her something to eat.

Her parents were amazed, but Jesus impressed on them that they were not to tell any one what had happened.

He sent them out as his Messengers, to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and to work cures.

Then they set out and went from village to village, telling the Good News and curing people everywhere.

Prince Herod heard of all that was happening, and was perplexed, because it was said by some that John must be risen from the dead.

But Jesus said: "It is for you to give them something to eat." "We have not more than five loaves and two fishes," they answered; "unless indeed we are to go and buy food for all these people."

Every one had sufficient to eat, and what was left of the broken pieces was picked up--twelve baskets.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, and whoever, for my sake, loses his life--that man shall save it.

What good does it do a man if, when he has gained the whole world, he has lost or forfeited himself?

About eight days after speaking these words, Jesus went up the mountain to pray, taking with him Peter, John, and James.

And all at once two men were talking with Jesus; they were Moses and Elijah,