Now when Joseph awoke from his sleep he did as the angel of the Lord had directed him, and took his wife home,

but did not live with her until after the birth of her son, whom he called Jesus.

As soon as Herod saw that he had been mocked by the Magi, he was furious. He sent and put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and all the neighborhood who were two years old or under, in accordance with the date which he had ascertained from the Magi.

saying, "Rise! Take the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the child are dead."

"Rejoice and exult in it, because your reward was great in the heavens; for so did they persecute the prophets before you.

Give us today our bread for the day before us;

"If God then so clothes the grass of the field, which blooms today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?

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

"No one ever sews a piece of undressed cloth on an old cloak. If they did, the patch put on to fill it up would tear away from the cloak, and the rent be made worse.

"Nor do they put new wine into old wine-skins; if they did, the wine-skins would split, the wine would run out, and the skins be ruined. Instead, they put new wine into fresh wine-skins and both are preserved."

And Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.

"Leave the room, for the little girl is not dead, she is sleeping." And they began laughing at him.

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

"the lame are walking, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised up, and the gospel is being preached to the poor.

"What did you go out into the desert to behold?" he asked; "A reed shaken by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment dwell in kings' palaces!

"But why did you go? To see a prophet? I tell you, yes, and more than a prophet;

"Have you not read," answered Jesus, "what David did when he was hungry, and his men, too?

and came into his own country, where he continued teaching the people in their synagogues, until they were amazed. "Where did he get such wisdom?" they said, "and such wondrous powers?

"Are not his sisters all living among us? Where, then, did he get all these powers?"

And he did no mighty works there, because of their lack of faith.

"This man is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead. That is why miraculous powers are working through him."

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying.

and at dawn you say, 'It will storm today, for the sky is red and lowering.' You know how to discern the look of the sky, but the signs of the times you cannot read.

And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "It is because we did not bring any bread."

"How is it that you do not perceive that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware off the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

While they were going down from the mountain, Jesus laid a command on them. "Speak to no man about the vision," he said, "until after the Son of man has been raised from the dead."

"Nay, I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they chose. Even so the Son of man also is about to suffer at their hands."

They answered, "Why then did Moses command the husband to give her 'a written bill of divorce,' and so to put her away?"

"So they went. Again at noon, and about three o'clock, he went out and did the same thing.

"In reply he said to one of them. 'My friend, I am doing no wrong. Did you not agree with me for two shillings?

So the disciples went and did as Jesus told them;

But when the chief priests and the Scribes saw the wonderful works he did, and the boys who were shouting in the Temple Courts and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!"

"If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet."

"But give me your judgment. There was once a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said to him, "'Son, go work today in my vineyard!'

"'I will go, sir,' he answered; yet he did not go.

"Which of these two did the will of his father?" "The last," they replied. "I tell you truly," said Jesus, "that the tax-gatherers and harlots are going into the kingdom of heaven before you!

"For John came to you in the road of righteousness, and you did not give credence to him; but the tax-gatherers and the harlots gave credence to him. But you, although you saw this, did not even then change your minds and give credence to him.

"He sent out his slaves to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they did not want to come.

"'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding-garment?' "The man was speechless.

"But concerning the resurrection of the dead, did you never read what was spoken to you by God,

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

No one could answer him a word, nor did any one dare from that day to ask him another question.

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like white-washed sepulchers. They look beautiful without, but within they are filled with dead men's bones and all rottenness.

"For I tell you that never shall you see me again until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." "nor did they know until the deluge came and swept them away; so will be the coming of the Son of man.

nor did they know until the deluge came and swept them away; so will be the coming of the son of man.

"Then shall the righteous answer him, saying. 'Master, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink?

"'When did we see you a stranger and take you in; or naked and clothe you?

"'When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to see you?'

"Then will they also answer, 'Master, when did we ever see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?'

"But he will reply, 'In solemn truth I tell you that inasmuch as you did not do it unto one of these least, you did not do it unto me.'

But when Jesus understood it he said to them. "Why are you annoying the woman? This is a beautiful deed she has done for me;

The disciples did as Jesus told them, and made ready the Passover.

"But if I did, how could the Scriptures be fulfilled that say that thus it must happen?"

Then Jesus said to the crowds. "Are you come out as against a robber, with swords and staves to arrest me? Day after day, I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not apprehend me.

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and some struck him with the palms of their hands, and cried.

And while he was seated upon the judgment-seat, his wife had sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered many things today, in a dream, because of him."

Now therefore give order to have the sepulcher securely guarded until the third day, for fear his disciples may come and steal him away, and then tell the people, 'He is risen from the dead'; and so the last error will be worse than the first."

The guards trembled for fear of him, and became like dead men.

And go quickly and tell his disciples. 'He is risen from the dead; he goes before you into Galilee; you will see him there.' Remember, I have told you."

So the soldiers took the money, and did as they were told; and this story has been noised abroad among the Jews, and continues to this day.

He cured many who were ill with various diseases, and drove out many demons. But he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.

On hearing this Jesus said to them. "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

He answered them. "Have you never read what David did when he was needy and hungry, he and his men?

While he was still speaking men came from the house of the warden of the synagogue to tell him, "Your daughter is dead, why trouble the Teacher any further?"

"The child is not dead, but asleep." And they began to laugh him to scorn. Then he put them all outside, took the father and mother of the child and those he brought with him, and entered the room where the child was lying.

When it came Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; many, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get all this?" they asked; "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, and miracles such as these that happen at his hands?

King Herod heard it, for the name of Jesus had become well known, People were saying, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and on that account these powers are working in him."

"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrites," he answered. "As it is written, 'This people honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far from me;

Do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets of broken pieces did you take up?" "Twelve," they said.

"And when the seven for the four thousand, how many hampers full of fragments did you pick up?"

(For he did not know what to say, they were so awestruck.)

As they came down the mountain he strictly forbade them to narrate to any one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead.

This order they faithfully kept, questioning among themselves what "rising again from the dead" meant.

So with a loud shriek it came out, after throwing the boy into convulsion after convulsion. The boy looked like a corpse, so that most of them said that he was dead.

But they did not understand his words, and were afraid to ask him the meaning.

"Master," said John, "we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he did not follow us."

"What did Moses command you?" he replied,

Then they began arguing with one another. "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why then did you not believe him?"

When they rise from the dead men do not marry, and women are not given in marriage, but they are as the angels are in heaven.

But in regard to the rising again of the dead, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are in grave error."

Jesus said to him, "I tell you in solemn truth that you yourself, today on this very night, before the cock crow twice, shall three times disown me."

Day after day I was face to face with you in the Temple courts, teaching, and you did not seize me. But this is done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled."

for though many gave false witness against him, their testimony did not agree.

But even their evidence did not agree.

"Did you hear his blasphemy? What is your verdict?"

They kept striking him on the head with a rod, and spitting upon him; and on bended knee they did him homage.

But Pilate wondered whether he were already dead. So he summoned the army captain, and inquired if he had been any time dead;

But they, although they heard that he was living and had been seen by her did not believe it.

They too went, and told the others; but they did not believe them, either.

"And now you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day the day when this has taken place; because you did not believe my words??ords which will be fulfilled at their appointed time."

After spending the full number of days they started home, but the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother did not know this,

and when they did not find him they returned to Jerusalem, making anxious inquiry for him.

He answered, "Why is it that you have been looking for me, did you not realize that I had to be in my Father's house?"

But they did not understand the words that he spoke to them.

The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him, and he began to say to them, "Today is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing."

Demons also came out of many, screaming and saying, "You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them, and did not permit them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Astonishment fell upon them all, and they began to glorify God, and they were filled with awe, and they said, "We have seen strange things today."

"Have you never read," answered Jesus, "what David did when he and his followers were hungry?

He did so; and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury, and they began to talk over together what they could do to Jesus.