And, sending them to Bethlehem, he said: "Go and make careful inquiries about the child, and, as soon as you have found him, bring me word, that I, too, may go and do homage to him."

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.

But, hearing that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as King of Judea, he was afraid to go back there; and having been warned in a dream, he went into the part of the country called Galilee.

About that time John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the Wilderness of Judea:

At that time Jerusalem, and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to him

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!

Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

But Jesus answered: "Scripture says--'It is not on bread alone that man is to live, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

When Jesus heard that John had been committed to prison, he retired to Galilee.

At that time Jesus began to proclaim-- "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

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

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.'

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.'

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

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

You have heard that it was said--'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

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;

You have heard that it was said--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.'

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.

Therefore, when you do acts of charity, do not have a trumpet blown in front of you, as hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. There, I tell you, is their reward!

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!

When praying, do not repeat the same words over and over again, as is done by the Gentiles, who think that by using many words they will obtain a hearing.

Give us to-day the bread that we shall need;

And, when you fast, do not put on gloomy looks, as hypocrites do who disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. That, I tell you, is their reward!

That he may not be seen by men to be fasting, but by his Father who dwells in secret; and his Father, who sees what is secret, will recompense him.

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!

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?

Yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his splendor was not robed like one of these.

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

But first seek his Kingdom and the righteousness that he requires, and then all these things shall be added for you.

Do not judge, that you may not be judged.

For, just as you judge others, you will yourselves be judged, and the measure that you mete will be meted out to you.

For he that asks receives, he that searches finds, and to him that knocks the door shall be opened.

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!

Do to others whatever you would wish them to do to you; for that is the teaching of both the Law and the Prophets.

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.

Every tree that fails to bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Hence it is by the fruit of their lives that you will know such men.

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?'

Everyone, therefore, that listens to this teaching of mine and acts upon it may be compared to a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock.

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 every one that listens to this teaching of mine and does not act upon it may be compared to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.

The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and struck against that house, and it fell; and great was its downfall."

By the time that Jesus had finished speaking, the crowd was filled with amazement at his teaching.

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

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

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.

At this the men who tended them ran away and went to the town, carrying the news of all that had occurred, and of what had happened to the possessed men.

But, that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then he said to the paralyzed man-- "Get up, take up your bed, and return to your home."

On hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill.

Turning and seeing her, Jesus said: "Courage, Daughter! your faith has delivered you." And the woman was delivered from her malady from that very hour.

The report of this spread through all that part of the country.

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came up to him; and Jesus asked them: "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Master!" they answered.

Upon that he touched their eyes, and said: "It shall be according to your faith."

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

But the men went out, and spread the news about him through all that part of the country.

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.

And on your way proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Whatever town or village you visit, find out who is worthy in that place, and remain there till you leave.

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.

I tell you, the doom of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah will be more bearable in the 'Day of Judgment' than the doom of that town.

And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, that you may witness for me before them and the nations.

For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks within you.

And you will be hated by every one on account of my Name. Yet the man that endures to the end shall be saved.

Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring, not peace, but the sword.

And, if any one gives but a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones because he is a disciple, I tell you that he shall assuredly not lose his reward."

After Jesus had finished giving directions to his twelve Disciples, he left that place in order to teach and preach in their towns.

And now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, they are saying 'Here is a glutton and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and outcasts!' And yet Wisdom is vindicated by her actions."

At that same time Jesus uttered the words: "I thank thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that, though thou has hidden these things from the wise and learned, thou hast revealed them to the child-like!

Yes, Father, I thank thee that this has seemed good to thee.

And have not you read in the law that, on the Sabbath, the priest in the Temple break the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?

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.

But Jesus said to them: "Which of you, if he had only one sheep, and that sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, would not lay hold of it and pull it out?

Jesus, however, became aware of it, and went away from that place. A number of people followed him, and he cured them all;

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.

At this all the people were astounded. "Is it possible that this is the son of David?" they exclaimed.

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.

But, if it is by the help of the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God must already be upon you.

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.

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

For it is by your words that you will be acquitted, and by your words that you will be condemned."

"It is a wicked and unfaithful generation," answered Jesus, "that is asking for a sign, and no sign shall be given it except the sign of the Prophet 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,

such great crowds gathered round him, that he got into a boat, and sat in it, while all the people stood upon the beach.

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,

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.