Jesse of David--the King. David (by Uriah's widow)

Josiah of Jeconiah and his brothers at the period of the Removal to Babylon.

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to call His name JESUS for He it is who will save His People from their sins."

All this took place in fulfilment of what the Lord had spoken through the Prophet,

Now after the birth of Jesus, which took place at Bethlehem in Judaea in the reign of King Herod, excitement was produced in Jerusalem by the arrival of certain Magi from the east,

"At Bethlehem in Judaea," they replied; "for so it stands written in the words of the Prophet,

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.

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."

"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter lamentation: It was Rachel bewailing her children, and she refused to be comforted because there were no more."

"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.'"

Then large numbers of people went out to him--people from Jerusalem and from all Judaea, and from the whole of the Jordan valley--

And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire.

His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire."

Just at that time Jesus, coming from Galilee to the Jordan, presents Himself to John to be baptized by him.

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

"Let it be so on this occasion," Jesus replied; "for so we ought to fulfil every religious duty." Then he consented;

and Jesus was baptized, and immediately went up from the water. At that moment the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him,

At that time Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the Desert in order to be tempted by the Devil.

"It is written," replied Jesus, "'It is not on bread alone that a man shall live, but on whatsoever God shall appoint.'"

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.'"

"Again it is written," replied Jesus, "'Thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to the proof.'"

"Begone, Satan!" Jesus replied; "for it is written, 'To the Lord thy God thou shalt do homage, and to Him alone shalt thou render worship.'"

Thereupon the Devil left Him, and angels at once came and ministered to Him.

and leaving Nazareth He went and settled at Capernaum, a town by the Lake on the frontiers of Zebulun and Naphtali,

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

And they at once left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for it is they who will be recognized as sons of God.

"*You* are the salt of the earth; but if salt has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown away and trodden on by the passers by.

Nor is a lamp lighted to be put under a bushel, but on the lampstand; and then it gives light to all in the house.

Solemnly I tell you that until Heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the Law until all has taken place.

"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.

Come to terms without delay with your opponent while you are yet with him on the way to the court; for fear he should obtain judgement from the magistrate against you, and the magistrate should give you in custody to the officer and you be thrown into prison.

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

But I tell you that whoever looks at a woman and cherishes lustful thoughts has already in his heart become guilty with regard to her.

If therefore your eye, even the right eye, is a snare to you, tear it out and away with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should be thrown into Gehenna.

And if your right hand is a snare to you, cut it off and away with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should go into Gehenna.

"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.'

But I tell you not to swear at all; neither by Heaven, for it is God's throne;

nor by the earth, for it is the footstool under His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the Great King.

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

"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.'

For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you earned? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that?

And if you salute only your near relatives, what praise is due to you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

But when you are giving in charity, let not your left hand perceive what your right hand is doing,

"And when praying, you must not be like the hypocrites. They are fond of standing and praying in the synagogues or at the corners of the wider streets, in order that men may see them. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.

Do not, however, imitate them; for your Father knows what things you need before ever you ask Him.

"When any of you fast, never assume gloomy looks as the hypocrites do; for they disfigure their faces in order that it may be evident to men that they are fasting. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.

that it may not be apparent to men that you are fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

For this reason I charge you not to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing?

Look at the birds which fly in the air: they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: are not you of much greater value than they?

Which of you by being over-anxious can add a single foot to his height?

and yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his magnificence could array himself like one of these.

And if God so clothes the wild herbage which to-day flourishes and to-morrow is thrown into the oven, is it not much more certain that He will clothe you, you men of little faith?

Do not be over-anxious, therefore, asking 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye?

Or how say to your brother, 'Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye?

Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

For it is always he who asks that receives, he who seeks that finds, and he who knocks that has the door opened to him.

What man is there among you, who if his son shall ask him for bread will offer him a stone?

Everything, therefore, be it what it may, that you would have men do to you, do you also the same to them; for in this the Law and the Prophets are summed up.

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad the road which leads to ruin, and many there are who enter by it;

because narrow is the gate and contracted the road which leads to Life, and few are those who find it.

So by their fruits at any rate, you will easily recognize them.

and the heavy rain falls, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and beat against the house; yet it does not fall, for its foundation is on rock.

The heavy rain descends, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and burst upon the house, and it falls; and disastrous is the fall."

When Jesus had concluded this discourse, the crowds were filled with amazement at His teaching,

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;

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

For I myself am also under authority, and have soldiers under me. To one I say 'Go,' and he goes, to another 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave 'Do this or that,' and he does it."

And I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west and will recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Heavens,

while the natural heirs of the Kingdom will be driven out into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth."

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.

and the men, filled with amazement, exclaimed, "What kind of man is this? for the very winds and waves obey him!"

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.

They cried aloud, "What hast Thou to do with us, Thou Son of God? Hast Thou come here to torment us before the time?"

Now at some distance from them a vast herd of swine were feeding.

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

"Go," He replied. Then they came out from the men and went into the swine, whereupon the entire herd instantly rushed down the cliff into the Lake and perished in the water.

The swineherds fled, and went and told the whole story in the town, including what had happened to the demoniacs.

So at once the whole population came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they besought Him to leave their country.

And the crowds were awe-struck when they saw it, and ascribed the glory to God who had entrusted such power to a man.

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.

And while He was reclining at table, a large number of tax-gathers and notorious sinners were of the party with Jesus and His disciples.

The Pharisees noticed this, and they inquired of His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with the tax-gatherers and notorious sinners?"

He heard the question and replied, "It is not men in good health who require a doctor, but the sick.

But go and learn what this means, 'It is mercy that I desire, not sacrifice'; for I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners."

At that time John's disciples came and asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?"

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."

But they went out and published His fame in all that district.

But the Pharisees maintained, "It is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he drives out the demons."

therefore entreat the Owner of the Harvest to send out reapers into His fields."

Then He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over foul spirits, to drive them out; and to cure every kind of disease and infirmity.

And as you go, preach and say, 'The Kingdom of the Heavens is close at hand.'

Cure the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse lepers, drive out demons: you have received without payment, give without payment.