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.

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to call His name JESUS for He it is who will save His People from their sins."

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded, and brought home his wife,

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

So he assembled all the High Priests and Scribes of the people, and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.

He then directed them to go to Bethlehem, adding, "Go and make careful inquiry about the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and do him homage."

There he remained till Herod's death, that what the Lord had said through the Prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then Herod, finding that the Magi had trifled with him, was furious, and sent and massacred all the boys under two years of age, in Bethlehem and all its neighbourhood, according to the date he had so carefully ascertained from the Magi.

So he roused himself and took the child and His mother and came into the land of Israel.

But hearing that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod on the throne of Judaea, he was afraid to go there; and being instructed by God in a dream he withdrew into Galilee,

and went and settled in a town called Nazareth, in order that these words spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

"Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."

He it is who was spoken of through the Prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying aloud, 'In the desert prepare ye a road for the Lord: make His highway straight.'"

This man John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a loincloth of leather; and he lived upon locusts and wild honey.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

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.

His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire."

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

"Let it be so on this occasion," Jesus replied; "for so we ought to fulfil every religious duty." Then he consented;

and Jesus was baptized, and immediately went up from the water. At that moment the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him,

There He fasted for forty days and nights; and after that He suffered from hunger.

and said, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, "'To His angels He will give orders concerning thee, and on their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any moment thou shouldst strike thy foot against a stone.'"

Then the Devil took Him to the top of an exceedingly lofty mountain, from which he caused Him to see all the Kingdoms of the world and their splendour,

Now when Jesus heard that John was thrown into prison, He withdrew into Galilee,

and leaving Nazareth He went and settled at Capernaum, a town by the Lake on the frontiers of Zebulun and Naphtali,

From that time Jesus began to preach. "Repent," He said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."

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.

And He said to them, "Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

So they immediately left their nets and followed Him. As He went further on,

He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zabdi and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zabdi mending their nets; and He called them.

Thus His fame spread through all Syria; and they brought all the sick to Him, the people who were suffering from various diseases and pains--demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He cured them.

Seeing the multitude of people, Jesus went up the Hill. There He seated Himself, and when His disciples came to Him,

He proceeded to teach them, and said:

Whoever therefore breaks one of these least commandments and teaches others to break them, will be called the least in the Kingdom of the Heavens; but whoever practises them and teaches them, he will be acknowledged as great in the Kingdom of the Heavens.

Come to terms without delay with your opponent while you are yet with him on the way to the court; for fear he should obtain judgement from the magistrate against you, and the magistrate should give you in custody to the officer and you be thrown into prison.

that so you may become true sons of your Father in Heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the wicked as well as the good, and sends rain upon those who do right and those who do wrong.

that your charities may be in secret; and then your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

But you, whenever you pray, go into your own room and shut the door: then pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

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.

but if your eyesight is bad, your whole body will be dark. If however the very light within you is darkness, how dense must the darkness be!

"No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.

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?

Or how say to your brother, 'Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye?

Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

For it is always he who asks that receives, he who seeks that finds, and he who knocks that has the door opened to him.

If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

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

Upon descending from the hill country He was followed by immense crowds.

So Jesus put out His hand and touched him, and said, "I am willing: be cleansed." Instantly he was cleansed from his leprosy;

"Sir," he said, "my servant at home is lying ill with paralysis, and is suffering great pain."

For I myself am also under authority, and have soldiers under me. To one I say 'Go,' and he goes, to another 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave 'Do this or that,' and he does it."

After this Jesus went to the house of Peter, whose mother-in-law he found ill in bed with fever.

He touched her hand and the fever left her: and then she rose and waited upon Him.

In the evening many demoniacs were brought to Him, and with a word He expelled the demons; and He cured all the sick,

in order that this prediction of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, "He took on Him our weaknesses, and bore the burden of our diseases."

Then He went on board a fishing-boat, and His disciples followed Him.

But suddenly there arose a great storm on the Lake, so that the waves threatened to engulf the boat; but He was asleep.

"Why are you so easily frightened," He replied, "you men of little faith?" Then He rose and reproved the winds and the waves, and there was a perfect calm;

"Go," He replied. Then they came out from the men and went into the swine, whereupon the entire herd instantly rushed down the cliff into the Lake and perished in the water.

Accordingly He went on board, and crossing over came to His own town.

But, to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to pardon sins" --He then says to the paralytic, "Rise, and take up your bed and go home."

And he got up, and went off home.

Passing on thence Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, "Follow me." And he arose, and followed Him.

And while He was reclining at table, a large number of tax-gathers and notorious sinners were of the party with Jesus and His disciples.

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

"Can the bridegroom's party mourn," He replied, "as long as the bridegroom is with them? But other days will come (when the Bridegroom has been taken from them)

While He was thus speaking, a Ruler came up and profoundly bowing said, "My daughter is just dead; but come and put your hand upon her and she will return to life."

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

And when He had gone indoors, they came to Him. "Do you believe that I can do this?" He asked them. "Yes, Sir," they replied.

So He touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be to you."

But the Pharisees maintained, "It is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he drives out the demons."

And when He saw the crowds He was touched with pity for them, because they were distressed and were fainting on the ground like sheep which have no shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the reapers are few;

Then He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over foul spirits, to drive them out; and to cure every kind of disease and infirmity.

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

But when they have delivered you up, have no anxiety as to how you shall speak or what you shall say; for at that very time it shall be given you what to say;

And you will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; but he who holds out to the End--he will be saved.

Enough for the learner to be on a level with his teacher, and for the servant to be on a level with his master. If they have called the master of the house Baal-zebul, how much more will they slander his servants?

Every one who receives a prophet, because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward, and every one who receives a righteous man, because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man's reward.

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."

When Jesus had concluded His instructions to His twelve disciples, He left in order to teach and to proclaim His Message in the neighbouring towns.

Now John had heard in prison about the Christ's doings, and he sent some of his disciples to inquire:

This is he of whom it is written, "'See I am sending My messenger before Thy face, and he will make Thy road ready before Thee.'

"I solemnly tell you that among all of woman born no greater has ever been raised up than John the Baptist; yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of the Heavens is greater than he.

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

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

"Alas for thee, Chorazin!" He cried. "Alas for thee, Bethsaida! For had the mighty works been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in both of you, they would long ere now have repented, covered with sackcloth and ashes.

"Have you never read," He replied, "what David did when he and his men were hungry?

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?

Departing thence He went to their synagogue,

"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?

Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." And he stretched it out, and it was restored quite sound like the other.

But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue consulted together against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Aware of this, Jesus departed elsewhere; and a great number of people followed Him, all of whom He cured.

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

"This is My servant whom I have chosen, My dearly loved One in whom My soul takes pleasure. I will put My spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the nations.

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.

At that time a demoniac was brought to Him, blind and dumb; and He cured him, so that the dumb man could speak and see.