He had been dwelling upon this, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife, for her child has been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

But afterwards, having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another road.

When Herod found that he had been trifled with by the Astrologers, he was very angry. He sent and put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and the whole of that neighborhood, who were two years old or under, guided by the date which he had ascertained from the Astrologers.

But, hearing that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as King of Judea, he was afraid to go back there; and having been warned in a dream, he went into the part of the country called Galilee.

When Jesus heard that John had been committed to prison, he retired to Galilee.

And his fame spread all through Syria. They brought to him all who were ill with any form of disease, or who were suffering pain--any who were either possessed by demons, or were lunatic, or paralyzed; and he cured them.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted in the cause of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

But meanwhile a woman, who had been suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind and touched the tassel of his cloak.

But, when the people had been sent out, Jesus went in, and took the little girl's hand, and she rose.

And, as soon as the demon had been driven out, the dumb man spoke. The people were astonished at this, and exclaimed: "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!"

It is enough for a scholar to be treated like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Baal-zebub, how much more the members of his household!

From the time of John the Baptist to this very hour, the Kingdom of Heaven has been taken by force, and men using force have been seizing it.

Then Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been done, because they had not repented:

"Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For, if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

And you, Capernaum! Will you 'exalt yourself to Heaven'? 'You shall go down to the Place of Death.' For, if the miracles which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been standing to this day.

Everything has been committed to me by my Father; nor does any one fully know the Son, except the Father, or fully know the Father, except the Son and those to whom the Son may choose to reveal him.

Then some people brought to Jesus a possessed man, who was blind and dumb; and he cured him, so that the man who had been dumb both talked and saw.

"To you," answered Jesus, "the knowledge of the hidden truths of the Kingdom of Heaven has been imparted, but not to those.

When any one hears the Message of the Kingdom without understanding it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what has been sown in his mind. This is the man meant by the seed which was sown along the path.

But you say 'Whenever any one says to his father or mother "Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is 'Given to God,'"

On leaving that place, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee; and then went up the hill, and sat down., you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!' it would be done.

Afterwards Jesus called his disciples to him, and said: "My heart is moved at the sight of all these people, for they have already been with me three days and they have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, for fear that they should break down on the way."

"It is not every one," replied Jesus, "who can accept this teaching, but only those who have been enabled to do so.

Some men, it is true, have from birth been disabled for marriage, while others have been disabled by their fellow men, and others again have disabled themselves for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him accept it who can."

When he went out about five, he found some other men standing there, and said to them 'Why have you been standing here all day long, doing nothing?'

Now when those who had been hired about five o'clock went up, they received two shillings each.

"You shall indeed drink my cup," he said, "but as to a seat at my right and at my left--that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

"I tell you," replied Jesus, "if you have faith, without ever a doubt, you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!' it would be done.

He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they were unwilling to come.

A second time he sent some servants, with orders to say to those who had been invited 'I have prepared my breakfast, my cattle and fat beasts are killed and everything is ready; come to the banquet.'

The crowds, who had been listening to him, were greatly struck with his teaching.

and say 'Had we been living in the days of our ancestors, we should have taken part in their murder of the Prophets!

And had not those days been limited, not a single soul would escape; but for the sake of 'God's People' a limit will be put to them.

But this you do know, that, had the owner of the house known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been on the watch, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Who, then is that trustworthy, careful servant, who has been placed by his master over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

'Well done, good, trustworthy servant!' said his master. 'You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master's joy!'

'Well done, good, trustworthy servant!' said his master. 'You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master's joy!'

Then he will say to those on his left 'Go from my presence, accursed, into the 'aeonian fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.'

"It could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to poor people."

True, the Son of Man must go, as Scripture says of him, yet alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man 'it would be better never to have been born!'"

While he was still on the Bench, his wife sent this message to him--"Do not have anything to do with that good man, for I have been very unhappy to-day in a dream on account of him."

they gave him some wine to drink which had been mixed with gall; but after tasting it, Jesus refused to drink it.

The Roman Captain, and the men with him who were watching Jesus, on seeing the earthquake and all that was happening, became greatly frightened and exclaimed: "This must indeed have been God's Son!"

There were many women there, watching from a distance, who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had been attending on him.

So the soldiers took the money, and did as they were instructed. And this story has been current among the Jews from that day to this.

Then Jesus came up, and spoke to them thus: "All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to me.

After John had been committed to prison, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God--

And he said: "To you the hidden truth of the Kingdom of God has been imparted; but to those who are outside it all teaching takes the form of parables, that--

The People meant by the seed that falls along the path are these--where the Message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the Message that has been sown in them.

And who made his home in the tombs. No one had ever been able to secure him, even with a chain;

For, though he had many times been left secured with fetters and chains, he had snapped the chains and broken the fetters to pieces, and no one could master him.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the Synagogue; and the people, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get this?" they said, "and what is this wisdom that has been given him? and these miracles which he is doing?

You say 'If a man says to his father or mother "Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is Korban"' (which means 'Given to God')--

"My heart is moved at the sight of all these people, for they have already been with me three days and they have nothing to eat;

"How long has he been like this?" Jesus asked the boy's father.

for he was instructing his disciples, and telling them-- "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of his fellow men, and they will put him to death, but, when he has been put to death, he will rise again after three days."

But they were silent; for on the way they had been arguing with one another which was the greatest.

And, if any one puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be far better for him if he had been thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck.

But as to a seat at my right or at my left--that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

Some of those who were present said to one another indignantly: "Why has the perfume been wasted like this?

This perfume could have been sold for more than thirty pounds, and the money given to the poor."

True, the Son of Man must go, as Scripture says of him, yet alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man 'it would be better never to have been born!'"

I have been among you day after day in the Temple Courts teaching, and yet you did not arrest me; but this is in fulfillment of the Scriptures."

"He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the 'King of Israel,' come down from the cross now, that we may see it and believe." Even the men who had been crucified with Jesus reviled him.

The Roman Officer, who was standing facing Jesus, on seeing the way in which he expired, exclaimed: "This man must indeed have been 'God's Son'!"

Joseph, having bought a linen sheet, took Jesus down, and wound the sheet round him, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of the rock; and then rolled a stone up against the entrance of the tomb.

But, on looking up, they saw that the stone had already been rolled back; it was a very large one.

"Do not be dismayed; you are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified; he has risen, he is not here! Look! Here is the place where they laid him.

She went and told the news to those who had been with him and who were now in sorrow and tears;

Yet even they, when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, did not believe it.

[To his Excellency, Theophilus. Many attempts have been already made to draw up an account of those events which have reached their conclusion among us,

But the angel said to him: " Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, whom you shall call by the name John.

"I am Gabriel," the angel answered, "who stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

"This is what the Lord has done for me," she said, "now that he has deigned to take away the reproach under which I have been living."

Gabriel came into her presence and said: "Hail, you who have been highly favored! The Lord is with you."

This day there has been born to you, in the town of David, a Savior, who is Christ and Lord.

And, when they saw it, they told of all that had been said to them about this child.

And the shepherds went back, giving glory and praise to God for all that they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ.

His parents were amazed when they saw him, and his mother said to him: "My child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."

Now after the baptism of all the people, and when Jesus had been baptized and was still praying, the heavens opened,

"I will give you all this power, and the splendor of them; for it has been given into my hands and I give it to whom I wish.

Coming to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, Jesus, as was his custom, went on the Sabbath into the Synagogue, and stood up to read the Scriptures.

And Jesus began: "This very day this passage has been fulfilled in your hearing."

"Doubtless," said Jesus, "you will remind me of the saying-- 'Doctor, cure yourself;' and you will say 'Do here in your own country all that we have heard that has been done at Capernaum.'

"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 he saw their faith, Jesus said: "Friend, your sins have been forgiven you."

Which is the easier?--to say 'Your sins have been forgiven you'? or to say 'Get up, and walk about'?

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

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.

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."

And for this, I tell you, her sins, many as they are, have been pardoned, because she has loved greatly; but one who has little pardoned him, loves but little."

Then he said to the woman: "Your sins have been pardoned."

As well as some women who had been cured of wicked spirits and of infirmities. They were Mary, known as Mary of Magdala (from whom seven demons had been expelled),

"To you," he said, "the knowledge of the hidden truths of the Kingdom of God has been imparted, but to others in parables only, that 'though they have eyes they may not see, and though they have ears, they may not understand.'

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

Then the woman, when she saw that she was discovered, came forward trembling, and threw herself down before him; and, in the presence of all the people, she told him her reason for touching him, and that she had been cured instantly.

Peter and his companions had been overpowered by sleep but, suddenly becoming wide awake, they saw Jesus glorified and the two men who were standing beside him.

But the disciples did not understand the meaning of this; it had been concealed from them so that they did not see it, and they were afraid to question him as to what he meant.

Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For, if the Miracles which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have sat in sackcloth and ashes and repented long ago.