But while he was contemplating this step, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to bring home your wife Mary, for she is with child through the Holy Spirit.

but did not live with her until she had given birth to a son. The child's name he called JESUS.

Reports of this soon reached the king, and greatly agitated not only him but all the people of Jerusalem.

So Joseph roused himself and took the babe and His mother by night and departed into Egypt.

and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.

And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire.

I indeed am baptizing you in water on a profession of repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.

John protested. "It is I," he said, "who have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

"It is written," replied Jesus, "'It is not on bread alone that a man shall live, but on whatsoever God shall appoint.'"

"Again it is written," replied Jesus, "'Thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to the proof.'"

And walking along the shore of the Lake of Galilee He saw two brothers--Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew--throwing a drag-net into the Lake; for they were fishers.

"Do not for a moment suppose that I have come to abrogate the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abrogate them but to give them their completion.

Solemnly I tell you that until Heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the Law until all has taken place.

For I assure you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will certainly not find entrance into the Kingdom of the Heavens.

"You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Thou shalt not commit murder', and whoever commits murder will be answerable to the magistrate.

I solemnly tell you that you will certainly not be released till you have paid the very last farthing.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.'

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Thou shalt not swear falsely, but shalt perform thy vows to the Lord.'

But I tell you not to swear at all; neither by Heaven, for it is God's throne;

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

But I tell you not to resist a wicked man, but if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.

To him who asks, give: from him who would borrow, turn not away.

For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you earned? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that?

And if you salute only your near relatives, what praise is due to you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

But when you are giving in charity, let not your left hand perceive what your right hand is doing,

"And when praying, you must not be like the hypocrites. They are fond of standing and praying in the synagogues or at the corners of the wider streets, in order that men may see them. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.

"And when praying, do not use needless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they expect to be listened to because of their multitude of words.

Do not, however, imitate them; for your Father knows what things you need before ever you ask Him.

and bring us not into temptation, but rescue us from the Evil one.'

but if you do not forgive others their offences, neither will your Father forgive yours.

that it may not be apparent to men that you are fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

"Do not lay up stores of wealth for yourselves on earth, where the moth and wear-and-tear destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven, where neither the moth nor wear-and-tear destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For this reason I charge you not to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing?

Look at the birds which fly in the air: they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: are not you of much greater value than they?

and yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his magnificence could array himself like one of these.

And if God so clothes the wild herbage which to-day flourishes and to-morrow is thrown into the oven, is it not much more certain that He will clothe you, you men of little faith?

Do not be over-anxious, therefore, asking 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; but your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things--all of them.

Do not be over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own cares. Enough for each day are its own troubles.

"Judge not, that you may not be judged;

And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye?

"Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls to the swine; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and then turn and attack you.

Every tree which does not yield good fruit is cut down and thrown aside for burning.

"Not every one who says to me, 'Master, Master,' will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, but only those who are obedient to my Father who is in Heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, "'Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name expelled demons, and in Thy name performed many mighty works?'

and the heavy rain falls, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and beat against the house; yet it does not fall, for its foundation is on rock.

And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand.

for He had been teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their Scribes taught.

"Sir," replied the Captain, "I am not a fit person to receive you under my roof: merely say the word, and my servant will be cured.

He heard the question and replied, "It is not men in good health who require a doctor, but the sick.

But go and learn what this means, 'It is mercy that I desire, not sacrifice'; for I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners."

At that time John's disciples came and asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?"

and He said, "Go out of the room; the little girl is not dead, but asleep." And they laughed at Him.

These twelve Jesus sent on a mission, after giving them their instructions: "Go not," He said, "among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town;

and if the house deserves it, the peace you invoke shall come upon it. If not, your peace shall return to you.

for it is not you who will speak: it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Whenever they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for I solemnly tell you that you will not have gone the round of all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Fear them not, however; there is nothing veiled which will not be uncovered, nor secret which will not become known.

"And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

Do not two sparrows sell for a halfpenny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave.

"Do not suppose that I came to bring peace to the earth: I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

Any one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and any one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

and any one who does not take up his cross and follow where I lead is not worthy of me.

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, I solemnly tell you that he will not lose his reward."

and blessed is every one who does not stumble and fall because of my claims."

"'We have played the flute to you,' they say, 'and you have not danced: we have sung dirges, and you have not beaten your breasts.'

Then began He to upbraid the towns where most of His mighty works had been done--because they had not repented.

how he entered the House of God and ate the Presented Loaves, which it was not lawful for him or his men to eat, nor for any except the priests?

And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath without incurring guilt?

And if you knew what this means, 'It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are without guilt.

"Which of you is there," He replied, "who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath."

But He gave them strict injunctions not to blaze abroad His doings,

He will not wrangle or raise His voice, nor will His voice be heard in the broadways.

A crushed reed He will not utterly break, nor will He quench the still smouldering wick, until He has led on Justice to victory.

"The man who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me is scattering abroad.

"Because," He replied, "while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not.

For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away.

I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand.

For I solemnly tell you that many Prophets and holy men have longed to see the sights you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the words you hear, and have not heard them.

When a man hears the Message concerning the Kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who has received the seed by the road-side.

but during the night his enemy comes, and over the first seed he sows darnel among the wheat, and goes away.

"So the farmer's men come and ask him, "'Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed on your land? Where then does the darnel come from?'

"Again the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a draw-net let down into the sea, which encloses fish of all sorts.

Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers, James, Joseph, Simon and Judah?

And his sisters--are they not all living here among us? Where then did he get all this?"

because John had persistently said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

"They need not go away," replied Jesus; "you yourselves must give them something to eat."

When He had done this, He climbed the hill to pray in solitude. Night came on, and he was there alone.

But instantly Jesus spoke to them, and said, "There is no danger; it is I; do not be afraid."

"Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by not washing their hands before meals?"

It is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him; but it is what comes out of his mouth--*that* defiles a man."

"Every plant," He replied, "which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body?

These are the things which defile the man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile."

But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, "Send her away because she keeps crying behind us."

"It is not right," He said, "to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have not brought any bread."

Do you not yet understand? nor even remember the 5,000 and the five loaves, and how many basketfuls you carried away,