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

So the whole number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen; from David to the Exile to Babylon fourteen; and from the Exile to Babylon to the Christ fourteen.

"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."

When King Herod heard of this, he was much troubled, and so, too, was all Jerusalem.

'And thou, Bethlehem in Judah's land, Art in no way least among the chief cities of Judah; For out of thee will come a Chieftain- - One who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

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.

Entering the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and fell at his feet and did homage to him. Then they unpacked their treasures, and offered to the child presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

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.'

"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."

When, however, John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?

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!

"Let it be so for the present," Jesus answered, "since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion." Upon this, John consented.

After the baptism of Jesus, and just as he came up from the water, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending, like a dove, and alighting upon him,

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.'"

Afterwards, leaving Nazareth, he went and settled at Capernaum, which is by the side of the Sea, within the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali;

'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, The land of the Road by the Sea, and beyond the Jordan, With Galilee of the Gentiles--

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,

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

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.

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.

Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these commandments, even the least of them, and teaches others to do so, will be the least- esteemed in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps them, and teaches others to do so, will be esteemed great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

I, however, say to you that any one who cherishes anger against his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the Court; and whoever pours contempt upon his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the High Council, while whoever calls down curses upon him shall be liable to answer for it in the fiery Pit.

I, however, say to you that any one who looks at a woman with an impure intention has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

I, however, say to you that any one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of her unchastity, leads to her committing adultery; while any one who marries her after her divorce is guilty of adultery.

I, however, say to you that you must not swear at all, either by Heaven, since that is God's throne,

I, however, say to you that you must not resist wrong; but, if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also;

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

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

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?

If God so clothes even the grass of the field, which is living to-day and to-morrow will be thrown into the oven, will not he much more clothe you, O men of little faith?

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.

So, too, every sound tree bears good fruit, while a worthless tree bears bad fruit.

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?'

And then I shall say to them plainly 'I never knew you. Go from my presence, you who live in sin.'

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."

Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying as he did so: "I am willing; become clean." Instantly he was made clean from his leprosy;

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."

For I myself am a man under the orders of others, with soldiers under me; and, if I say to one of them 'Go,' he goes, and to another 'Come,' he comes, and to my slave 'Do this,' he does it."

When Jesus went into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in- law prostrated with fever.

Suddenly so great a storm came on upon the Sea, that the waves broke right over the boat. But Jesus was asleep;

"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.

"Go," he said. The spirits came out, and entered the pigs; and the whole drove rushed down the steep slope into the Sea, and died in the water.

At the news the whole town went out to meet Jesus, and, when they saw him, they entreated him to go away from their neighborhood.

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."

Which, I ask, is the easier?--to say 'Your sins are forgiven'? or to say 'Get up, and walk about'?

When the crowd saw this, they were awe-struck, and praised God for giving such power to men.

As Jesus went along, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax-office, and said to him: "Follow me." Matthew got up and followed him.

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples: "Why does your Teacher eat in the company of tax-gatherers and outcasts?"

Then John's disciples came to Jesus, and asked: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast while your disciples do not?"

Jesus answered: "Can the bridegroom's friends mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be parted from them, and they will fast then.

Nor do people put new wine into old wine-skins; for, if they do, the skins burst, and the wine runs out, and the skins are lost; but they put new wine into fresh skins, and so both are preserved."

So Jesus rose and followed him, and his disciples went also.

When Jesus reached the President's house, seeing the flute- players, and a number of people all in confusion,

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

Then their eyes were opened. Jesus sternly cautioned them. "See that no one knows of it," he said.

But, when he saw the crowds, his heart was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and harassed, 'like sheep without a shepherd';

Calling his twelve Disciples to him, Jesus gave them authority over foul spirits, so that they could drive them out, as well as the power of curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

If no one welcomes you, or listens to what you say, as you leave that house or that town, shake off its dust from your feet.

Remember, I am sending you out as my Messengers like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as serpents, and as blameless as doves.

Whenever they betray you, do not be anxious as to how you shall speak or what you shall say, for what you shall say will be given you at the moment;

What I tell you in the dark, say again in the light; and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.

Are not two sparrows sold for a half-penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's knowledge.

A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

He who welcomes a Prophet, because he is a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward; and he who welcomes a good man, because he is a good man, shall receive a good man's reward.

The answer of Jesus to the question was-- "Go and report to John what you hear and see--

While these men were going back, Jesus began to say to the crowds with reference to John:

"What did you go out into the Wilderness to look at? A reed waving in the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man richly dressed? Why, those who wear rich things are to be found in the courts of kings!

What, then, did you go for? To see a Prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a Prophet.

But, when the Pharisees saw this, they said: "Look! your disciples are doing what it is not allowable to do on a Sabbath!"

And there he saw a man with a withered hand. Some people asked Jesus whether it was allowable to work a cure on the Sabbath- -so that they might have a charge to bring against 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.

So, if Satan drives Satan out, he must be divided against himself; and how, then, can his kingdom last?

And, if it is by Baal-zebub's help that I drive out demons, by whose help is it that your own sons drive them out? Therefore they shall themselves be your judges.

How, again, can any one get into a strong man's house and carry off his goods, without first securing him? And not till then will he plunder his house.

You must assume either that both tree and fruit are good, or that both tree and fruit are worthless; since it is by it's fruits that a tree is known.

You brood of vipers! how can you, evil as you are, say anything good? For what fills the heart will rise to the lips.

I tell you that for every careless thing that men say, they must answer on the 'Day of Judgment.'

At this point, some Teachers of the Law and Pharisees interposed. "Teacher," they said, " we want to see some sign from you."

For, just as 'Jonah was inside the sea-monster three days and three nights,' so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

At the Judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation; and here is more than a Jonah!

Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in, and make their home there; and the last state of that man proves to be worse than the first. So, too, will it be with this wicked generation."

That same day, when Jesus had left the house and was sitting by the Sea,

Then he told them many truths in parables. "The sower," he began, "went out to sow; and,

That is why I speak to them in parables, because, though they have eyes, they do not see, and though they have ears, they do not hear or understand.

And in them is being fulfilled that prophecy of Isaiah which says--'You will hear with your ears without ever understanding, And, though you have eyes, you will see without ever perceiving,

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear;

For I tell you that many Prophets and good men have longed for the sight of the things which you are seeing, yet never saw them, and to hear the things which you are hearing, yet never heard them.

By the seed which was sown among the brambles is meant the man who hears the Message, but the cares of life and the glamour of wealth completely choke the Message, so that it gives no return.

So, when the blades of corn shot up, and came into ear, the tares made their appearance also.

On this the owner's servants came to him, and said 'Was not it good seed that you sowed in your field? Where, then, do the tares in it come from?'

Let both grow side by side till harvest; and then I shall say to the reapers, Gather the tares together first, and tie them in bundles for burning; but bring all the wheat into my barn.'"

This seed is smaller than all other seeds, but, when it has grown up, it is larger than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that 'the wild birds come and roost in its branches.'"