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.

while a voice came from Heaven, saying, "This is My Son, the dearly loved, in whom is My delight."

But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition.

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

"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.

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."

"Remember it is I who am sending you out, as sheep into the midst of wolves; prove yourselves as sagacious as serpents, and as innocent as doves.

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.'

"All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father, nor does any one fully know the Father except the Son and all to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

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

"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.

But Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "My heart yearns over this mass of people, for it is now the third day that they have been with me and they have nothing to eat. I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they should faint on the road."

"But you, who do you say that I am?" He asked again.

He was still speaking when a luminous cloud spread over them; and a voice was heard from within the cloud, which said, "This is My Son dearly beloved, in whom is My delight. Listen to Him."

Then it dawned upon the disciples that it was John the Baptist about whom He had spoken to them.

"Yes," he replied, and then went into the house. But before he spoke a word Jesus said, "What think you, Simon? From whom do this world's kings receive customs or capitation tax? from their own children, or from others?"

"Alas for the world because of causes of falling! They cannot but come, but alas for each man through whom they come!

For where there are two or three assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

"It is not every man," He replied, "who can receive this teaching, but only those on whom the grace has been bestowed.

"'My friend,' he answered to one of them, 'I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a shilling?

Have I not a right to do what I choose with my own property? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

"None of you know what you are asking for," said Jesus; "can you drink out of the cup from which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied.

"You shall drink out of my cup," He said, "but a seat at my right hand or at my left it is not for me to allot, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

He who falls on this stone will be severely hurt; but he on whom it falls will be utterly crushed."

I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of dead, but of living men."

"For this reason I am sending to you Prophets and wise men and Scribes. Some of them you will put to death--nay, crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase from town to town;

that all the innocent blood shed upon earth may come on you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the altar.

"for many will come assuming my name and saying 'I am the Christ;' and they will mislead many.

"Who therefore is the loyal and intelligent servant to whom his master has entrusted the control of his household to give them their rations at the appointed time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes shall find so doing!

The Son of Man is indeed going as is written concerning Him; but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been a happy thing for that man if he had never been born."

Now the betrayer had agreed upon a sign with them, to direct them. He had said, "The one whom I kiss is the man: lay hold of him."

who testified, "This man said, 'I am able to pull down the Sanctuary of God and three days afterwards to build a new one.'"

"I am He," replied Jesus. "But I tell you that, later on, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Omnipotence, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

Then were fulfilled the words spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah, "And I took the thirty shekels, the price of the prized one on whom Israelites had set a price,

Meanwhile Jesus was brought before the Governor, and the latter put the question, "Are you the King of the Jews?" "I am their King," He answered.

So when they were now assembled Pilate appealed to them. "Whom shall I release to you," he said, "Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?"

So when he saw that he could gain nothing, but that on the contrary there was a riot threatening, he called for water and washed his hands in sight of them all, saying, "I am not responsible for this murder: you must answer for it."

Going out they met a Cyrenaean named Simon; whom they compelled to carry His cross,

His trust is in God: let God deliver him now, if He will have him; for he said, 'I am God's Son.'"

and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age."

As it is written in Isaiah the Prophet, "See, I am sending My messenger before Thee, Who will prepare Thy way";

His announcement was, "There is One coming after me mightier than I--One whose sandal-strap I am unworthy to stoop down and unfasten.

Moved with pity Jesus reached out His hand and touched him. "I am willing," He said; "be cleansed."

Then He went up the hill; and those whom He Himself chose He called, and they came to Him.

These twelve were Simon (to whom He gave the surname of Peter)

Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message sown in them.

But when Herod heard of Him, he said, "The John, whom I beheaded, has come back to life."

Here they brought to Him a deaf man that stammered, on whom they begged Him to lay His hands.

From that place Jesus and His disciples went to the villages belonging to Caesarea Philippi. On the way He began to ask His disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

Then He asked them pointedly, "But you yourselves, who do you say that I am?" "You are the Christ," answered Peter.

As He went out to resume His journey, there came a man running up to Him, who knelt at His feet and asked, "Good Rabbi, what am I to do in order to inherit the Life of the Ages?"

"You know not," said He, "what you are asking. Are you able to drink out of the cup from which I am to drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?"

"We are able," they replied. "Out of the cup," said Jesus, "from which I am to drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I am to be baptized you shall be baptized;

but as to sitting at my right hand or at my left, that is not mine to give: it will be for those for whom it is reserved."

He had still one left whom he could send, a dearly-loved son: him last of all he sent, saying, "'They will treat my son with respect.'

There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife, but at his death left no family.

But as to the dead, that they rise to life, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?'

Many will come assuming my name and saying, 'I am He;' and they will mislead many.

and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days, no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days.

For the Son of Man is going His way as it is written about Him; but alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been a happy thing for that man, had he never been born."

"I am," replied Jesus, "and you and others will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the divine Power, and coming amid the clouds of the sky."

So Pilate questioned Him. "Are *you* the King of the Jews?" he asked. "I am," replied Jesus.

Now at the Festival it was customary for Pilate to release to the Jews any one prisoner whom they might beg off from punishment;

all of whom in the Galilaean days had habitually been with Him and cared for Him, as well as many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

But He rose to life early on the first day of the week, and appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom He had expelled seven demons.

"By what proof," asked Zechariah, "shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is far advanced in years."

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

"I am the Lord's maidservant," Mary replied; "may it be with me in accordance with your words!" And then the angel left her.

But the angel said to them, "Put away all fear; for I am bringing you good news of great joy--joy for all the People.

he answered the question by saying to them all, "As for me, I am baptizing you with water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose very sandal-strap I am not worthy to unfasten: He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and with fire.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor; He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners of war and recovery of sight to the blind: to send away free those whom tyranny has crushed,

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at the knees of Jesus, and exclaimed, "Master, leave my boat, for I am a sinful man."

Reaching out His hand and touching him, Jesus said, "I am willing; be cleansed!" And instantly the leprosy left him.

When it was day, He called His disciples; and He selected from among them twelve, whom He also named Apostles.

These were Simon, to whom also He had given the name of Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is it to you? Even bad men lend to their fellows so as to receive back an equal amount.

Every one who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them in practice, I will show you whom he is like.

Then Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the Captain sent friends to Him with the message: "Sir, do not trouble to come. I am not worthy of having you come under my roof;

For I too am a man obedient to authority, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this or that,' and he does it."

John is the man about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending My messenger before thy face, and he shall make ready thy way before thee.'

"I suppose," replied Simon, "the one to whom he forgave most." "You have judged rightly," Jesus rejoined.

and certain women whom He had delivered from evil spirits and various diseases--Mary of Magdala, out of whom seven demons had come,

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many other women, all of whom contributed to the support of Jesus and His Apostles.

whereupon the people came out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were terrified.

But the man from whom the demons had gone out earnestly asked permission to go with Him; but He sent him away.

And Herod said, "John I have beheaded; but who is this, of whom I hear such reports?" And he sought for an opportunity of seeing Jesus.

One day when He was praying by Himself the disciples were present; and He asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?"

"But you," He asked, "who do you say that I am?" "God's Anointed One," replied Peter.

Remember that I am sending you out as lambs into the midst of wolves.

All things are delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is but the Father, nor who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son may choose to reveal Him."

"And he from indoors shall answer, "'Do not pester me. The door is now barred, and I am here in bed with my children. I cannot get up and give you bread.'

And if it is by the power of Baal-zebul that I expel the demons, by whom do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.

Alas for you! for you repair the tombs of the Prophets, whom your forefathers killed.

"For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said, 'I will send Prophets and Apostles to them, of whom they will kill some and persecute others,'

I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who after killing has power to throw into Gehenna: yes, I say to you, fear him.

and he debated within himself, saying, "'What am I to do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.'

"But God said to him, "'Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?'

Blessed are those servants, whom their Master when He comes shall find on the watch. I tell you in solemn truth, that He will tie an apron round Him, and will bid them recline at table while He comes and waits on them.