Jesse of David the King. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother was Uriah's widow,

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.

All this happened in fulfillment of these words of the Lord in the Prophet, where he says--

"Where is the new-born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and have come to do homage to him."

He called together all the Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law in the nation, and questioned them as to where the Christ was to be born.

The Astrologers heard what the King had to say, and then continued their journey. And the star which they had seen in the east led them on, until it reached, and stood over, the place where the child was.

At the sight of the star they were filled with joy.

And there he stayed until Herod's death; in fulfillment of these words of the Lord in the Prophet, where he says--'Out of Egypt I called my Son.'

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.

Then were fulfilled these words spoken in the Prophet Jeremiah, where he says--

'A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and much lamentation; Rachel, weeping for her children, Refused all comfort because they were not.'

"Awake, take the child and his mother, and go into the Land of Israel, for those who sought to take the child's life are dead."

This is he who was spoken of in the Prophet Isaiah, where he says--'The voice of one crying aloud in the Wilderness: "Make ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight."'

John wore clothing made of camels' hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

And were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Let your life, then, prove your repentance;

And do not think that you can say among yourselves 'Abraham is our ancestor,' for I tell you that out of these very stones God is able to raise descendants for Abraham!

And the Tempter came to him, and said: "If you are God's Son, tell these stones to become loaves of bread."

"If you are God's Son, throw yourself down, for Scripture says- -'He will give his angels commands about thee, And on their hands they will upbear thee, Lest ever thou shouldst strike thy foot against a stone.'"

The people who were dwelling in darkness Have seen a great Light, And, for those who were dwelling in the shadow-land of Death, A Light has risen!'

As Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers--Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew--casting a net into the Sea; for they were fishermen.

Going further on, he saw two other men who were also brothers, James, Zebediah's son, and his brother John, in their boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them,

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 the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are the mourners, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God.

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

Blessed are you when people taunt you, and persecute you, and say everything evil about you--untruly, and on my account.

Be glad and rejoice, because your reward in Heaven will be great; for so men persecuted the Prophets who lived before you.

It is you who are the Salt of the earth; but, if the salt should lose its strength, what will you use to restore its saltiness? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown away, and trampled underfoot.

It is you who are the Light of the world. A town that stands on a hill cannot be hidden.

Men do not light a lamp and put it under the corn-measure, but on the lamp-stand, where it gives light to every one in the house.

Let your light so shine before the eyes of your fellow men, that, seeing your good actions, they may praise your Father who is in Heaven.

Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to do away with them, but to complete them.

Indeed I tell you that, unless your religion is above that of the Teachers of the Law, and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

You have heard that to our ancestors it was said--'Thou shalt not commit murder,' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to answer for it to the Court.'

Therefore, when presenting your gift at the altar, if even there you remember that your brother has some grievance against you,

Leave your gift there, before the altar, go and be reconciled to your brother, first, then come and present your gift.

Be ready to make friends with your opponent, even when you meet him on your way to the court; for fear that he should hand you over to the judge, and the judge to his officer, and you should be thrown into prison.

If your right eye is a snare to you, take it out and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it thrown into the Pit.

And, if your right hand is a snare to you, cut it off and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it go down to the Pit.

Again, you have heard that to our ancestors it was said--'Thou shalt not break an oath, but thou shall keep thine oaths as a debt due to the Lord.'

Or by the earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the Great King.

Nor should you swear by your head, since you cannot make a single hair either white or black.

Let your words be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from what is wrong.

And, when any one wants to go to law with you, to take your coat, let him have your cloak as well;

I, however, say to you--Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

That you may become Sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for he causes his sun to rise upon bad and good alike, and sends rain upon the righteous and upon the unrighteous.

And, if you show courtesy to your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do this!

You, then, must become perfect--as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Take care not to perform your religious duties in public in order to be seen by others; if you do, your Father who is in Heaven has no reward for you.

But, when you do acts of charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

So that your charity may be secret; and your Father, who sees what is in secret, will recompense you.

And, when you pray, you are not to behave as hypocrites do. They like to pray standing in the Synagogues and at the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. There, I tell you, is their reward!

Do not imitate them; for God, your Father, knows what you need before you ask him.

You, therefore, should pray thus--'Our Father, who art in Heaven, May thy name be held holy,

And forgive us our wrong-doings, as we have forgiven those who have wronged us;

For, if you forgive others their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also;

But, if you do not forgive others their offences, not even your Father will forgive your offences.

But, when one of your fasts, let him anoint his head and wash his face,

Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up treasures for yourselves in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be lit up;

But, if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkened. And, if the inner light is darkness, how intense must that darkness be!

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will attach himself to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

That is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about your life here--what you can get to eat or drink; nor yet about your body-- what you can get to wear. Is not life more than food, and the body than its clothing?

Look at the wild birds--they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and yet your heavenly Father feeds them! And are not you more precious than they?

Do not then ask anxiously 'What can we get to eat?' or 'What can we get to drink?' or 'What can we get to wear?'

All these are the things for which the nations are seeking, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

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

How will you say to your brother 'Let me take out the straw from your eye,' when all the time there is a 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 from your brother's.

Do not give what is sacred to dogs; nor yet throw your pearls before pigs, lest they should trample them under their feet, and then turn and attack you.

Ask, and your prayer shall be granted; search, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.

Or when he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

If you, then, wicked though you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those that ask him!

Go in by the small gate. Broad and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and those that go in by it are many;

For small is the gate, and narrow the road, that leads to Life, and those that find it are few.

Beware of false Teachers--men who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves.

By the fruit of their lives you will know them. Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

On 'That Day' many will say to me 'Master, Master, was not it in your name that we taught, and in your name that we drove out demons, and in your name that we did many miracles?'

The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, for its foundations were upon the rock.

And he saw a leper who came up, and bowed to the ground before him, and said: "Master, if only you are willing, you are able to make me clean."

And then Jesus said to him: "Be careful not to say a word to any one, but go and show yourself to the Priest, and offer the gift directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

Jesus was surprised to hear this, and said to those who were following him: "Never I tell you, in any Israelite have I met with such faith as this!

Then Jesus said to the Captain: "Go now, and it shall be according to your faith." And the man was cured that very hour.

In the evening the people brought to Jesus many who were possessed by demons; and he drove out the spirits with a word, And cured all who were ill,

In fulfillment of these words in the Prophet Isaiah--'He took our infirmities on himself, and bore the burden of our diseases.'

And the disciples came and roused him. "Master," they cried, "save us; we are lost!"

"Why are you so timid?" he said. "O men of little faith!" Then Jesus rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and a great calm followed.

The men were amazed, and exclaimed: "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

And on getting to the other side--the country of the Gadarenes--Jesus met two men who were possessed by demons, coming out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one was able to pass that way.

Suddenly they shrieked out: "What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before our time?"

And there some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man: "Courage, Child! Your sins are forgiven."

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus exclaimed: "Why do your cherish such wicked thoughts?