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.

After hearing what the king said, they went to Bethlehem, while, strange to say, the star they had seen in the east led them on until it came and stood over the place where the babe was.

When they saw the star, the sight filled them with intense joy.

When they were gone, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise: take the babe and His mother and escape to Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod is about to make search for the child in order to destroy Him."

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."

But after Herod's death an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said to him,

"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.'"

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

So the Tempter came and said, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to turn into loaves."

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.'"

and said to Him, "All this I will give you, if you will kneel down and do me homage."

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

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

And great crowds followed Him, coming from Galilee, from the Ten Towns, from Jerusalem, and from beyond the district on the other side of the Jordan.

He proceeded to teach them, and said:

"Blessed are you when they have insulted and persecuted you, and have said every cruel thing about you falsely for my sake.

"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.

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

"It was also said, 'If any man puts away his wife, let him give her a written notice of divorce.'

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

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.'

"You have heard that it was said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.'

"But beware of doing your good actions in the sight of men, in order to attract their gaze; if you do, there is no reward for you with your Father who is in Heaven.

And a leper came to Him, and throwing himself at His feet, said, "Sir, if only you are willing you are able to cleanse me."

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

and Jesus said to him, "Be careful to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses appointed as evidence for them."

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

"I will come and cure him," said Jesus.

Jesus listened to this reply, and was astonished, and said to the people following Him, "I solemnly tell you that in no Israelite have I found faith as great as this.

And Jesus said to the Captain, "Go, and just as you have believed, so be it for you." And the servant recovered precisely at that time.

Seeing great crowds about Him Jesus had given directions to cross to the other side of the Lake,

when a Scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Another of the disciples said to Him, "Sir, allow me first to go and bury my father."

"Follow me," said Jesus, "and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

On His arrival at the other side, in the country of the Gadarenes, there met Him two men possessed by demons, coming from among the tombs: they were so dangerously fierce that no one was able to pass that way.

So the demons entreated Him. "If Thou drivest us out," they said, "send us into the herd of swine."

Here they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, my child; your sins are pardoned."

"Such language is impious," said some of the Scribes among themselves.

Knowing their thoughts Jesus said, "Why are you cherishing evil thoughts in your hearts?

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.

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."

for she said to herself, "If I but touch His cloak, I shall be cured."

And Jesus turned and saw her, and said, "Take courage, daughter; your faith has cured you." And the woman was restored to health from that moment.

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

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

Then their eyes were opened. And assuming a stern tone Jesus said to them, "Be careful to let no one know."

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

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

For I came to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

"blind eyes receive sight, and cripples walk; lepers are cleansed, and deaf ears hear; the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them;

But the Pharisees saw it and said to Him, "Look! your disciples are doing what the Law forbids them to do on the Sabbath."

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

And the crowds of people were all filled with amazement and said, "Can this be the Son of David?"

The Pharisees heard it and said, "This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons."

Knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Every kingdom in which civil war has raged suffers desolation; and every city or house in which there is internal strife will be brought low.

Then He was accosted by some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees who said, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign given by you."

"Who is my mother?" He said to the man; "and who are my brothers?"

when a vast multitude of people crowded round Him. He therefore went on board a boat and sat there, while all the people stood on the shore.

He then spoke many things to them in figurative language. "The sower goes out," He said, "to sow.

As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.

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.

He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy.

He who has received the seed among the thorns is the man who hears the Message, but the cares of the present age and the delusions of riches quite stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

But he who has received the seed on good ground is he who hears and understands. Such hearers give a return, and yield one a hundred for one, another sixty, another thirty.")

Another parable He put before them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a man who has sown good seed in his field,

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?'

"'Some enemy has done this,' he said. "'Shall we go, and collect it?' the men inquire.

Another parable He put before them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like a mustard-seed, which a man takes and sows in his ground.

Another parable He spoke to them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like yeast which a woman takes and buries in a bushel of flour, for it to work there till the whole mass has risen."

"The sower of the good seed," He replied, "is the Son of Man;

the field is the world; the good seed--these are the sons of the Kingdom; the darnel, the sons of the Evil one.

When full, they haul it up on the beach, and sit down and collect the good fish in baskets, while the worthless they throw away.

"Have you understood all this?" He asked. "Yes," they said.

"Therefore," He said, "remember that every Scribe well trained for the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a householder who brings out of his storehouse new things and old."

So they turned angrily away from Him. But Jesus said to them, "There is no prophet left without honour except in his own country and among his own family."

and he said to his courtiers, "This is John the Baptist: he has come back to life--and that is why these miraculous Powers are working in him."

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

So she, instigated by her mother, said, "Give me here on a dish the head of John the Baptist."

But when evening was come, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is an uninhabited place, and the best of the day is now gone; send the people away to go into the villages and buy something to eat."

"We have nothing here," they said, "but five loaves and a couple of fish."

"Bring them here to me," He said,

and He told all the people to sit down on the grass. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and after looking up to heaven and blessing them, He broke up the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples distributed them to the people.

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

"Come," said Jesus. Then Peter climbed down from the boat and walked upon the water to go to Him.

and the men on board fell down before him and said, "You are indeed God's Son."

For God said, 'Honour thy father and thy mother'; and 'Let him who reviles father or mother be certainly put to death';

Then, when He had called the people to Him, Jesus said, "Hear and understand.

Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were greatly shocked when they heard those words?"

"Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter.

Then she came and threw herself at His feet and entreated Him. "O Sir, help me," she said.

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

"Be it so, Sir," she said, "for even the dogs eat the scraps which fall from their masters' tables."

Again, moving thence, Jesus went along by the Lake of Galilee; and ascending the hill, He sat down there.

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."

"How many loaves have you?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they said, "and a few small fish."

So He bade all the people sit down on the ground,

When the disciples arrived at the other side of the Lake, they found that they had forgotten to bring any bread;

and when Jesus said to them, "See to it: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,"