"Mark! The maiden will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call His name Immanuel" --a word which signifies 'God with us'.

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,

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.

Then the Devil took Him to the top of an exceedingly lofty mountain, from which he caused Him to see all the Kingdoms of the world and their splendour,

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 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?

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

"Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls to the swine; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and then turn and attack you.

"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.

Every tree which does not yield good fruit is cut down and thrown aside for burning.

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."

Why, which is easier? --to say, 'Your sins are pardoned,' or to say 'Rise up and walk'?

And when He saw the crowds He was touched with pity for them, because they were distressed and were fainting on the ground like sheep which have no shepherd.

Fear them not, however; there is nothing veiled which will not be uncovered, nor secret which will not become known.

"Alas for thee, Chorazin!" He cried. "Alas for thee, Bethsaida! For had the mighty works been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in both of you, they would long ere now have repented, covered with sackcloth and ashes.

And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted even to Heaven? Even to Hades shalt thou descend. For had the mighty works been done in Sodom which have been done in thee, it would have remained until now.

how he entered the House of God and ate the Presented Loaves, which it was not lawful for him or his men to eat, nor for any except the priests?

But I tell you that there is here that which is greater than the Temple.

"Which of you is there," He replied, "who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

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.

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 Kingdom of the Heavens is like treasure buried in the open country, which a man finds, but buries again, and, in his joy about it, goes and sells all he has and buys that piece of ground.

"Again the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a draw-net let down into the sea, which encloses fish of all sorts.

but you--this is what you say: 'If a man says to his father or mother, That is consecrated, whatever it is, which otherwise you should have received from me--

but it is in vain they worship Me, while they lay down precepts which are mere human rules.'"

"Every plant," He replied, "which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

These are the things which defile the man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile."

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

He was still speaking when a luminous cloud spread over them; and a voice was heard from within the cloud, which said, "This is My Son dearly beloved, in whom is My delight. Listen to Him."

When Jesus had finished these discourses, He removed from Galilee and came into that part of Judaea which lay beyond the Jordan.

"Which Commandments?" he asked. Jesus answered, "'Thou shalt not kill;' 'Thou shalt not commit adultery;' 'Thou shalt not steal;' 'Thou shalt not lie in giving evidence;'

"None of you know what you are asking for," said Jesus; "can you drink out of the cup from which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied.

"Do you hear," they asked Him, "what these children are saying?" "Yes," He replied; "have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and of babes at the breast Thou hast brought forth the praise which is due'?"

Which of the two did as his father desired?" "The first," they said. "I solemnly tell you,' replied Jesus, "that the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners are entering the Kingdom of God in front of you.

"Have you never read in the Scriptures," said Jesus, "'The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the Cornerstone: this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes'?

"Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"

"Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?

"You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?

"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean.

"But immediately after those times of distress the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shed her light, the stars will fall from the firmament, and the forces which control the heavens will be disordered and disturbed.

Be on the alert therefore, for you do not know the day on which your Lord is coming.

But of this be assured, that if the master of the house had known the hour at which the robber was coming, he would have kept awake, and not have allowed his house to be broken into.

the master of that servant will arrive on a day when he is not expecting him and at an hour of which he has not been informed;

"Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.

"Then will He say to those at His left, "'Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.

a woman came to Him with a jar of very costly, sweet-scented ointment, which she poured over His head as He reclined at table.

for this is my blood which is to be poured out for many for the remission of sins--the blood which ratifies the Covenant.

In that case how are the Scriptures to be fulfilled which declare that thus it must be?"

for which reason that piece of ground received the name, which it still bears, of 'the Field of Blood.'

So when the Governor a second time asked them, "Which of the two shall I release to you?" --they cried, "Barabbas!"

and so they came to a place called Golgotha, which means 'Skull-ground.'

He then laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn in the solid rock, and after rolling a great stone against the door of the tomb he went home.

and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age."

Finding themselves unable, however, to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they untiled the roof just over His head, and after clearing an opening they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

Which is easier?--to say to this paralytic, 'Your sins are pardoned,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your mat, and walk?'

how he entered the house of God in the High-priesthood of Abiathar, and ate the Presented Loaves--which none but the priests are allowed to eat--and gave some to his men also?"

It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;

On the Sabbath He proceeded to teach in the synagogue; and many, as they heard Him, were astonished. "Where did he acquire all this?" they asked. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what are these marvellous miracles which his hands perform?

at which Herodias's own daughter came in and danced, and so charmed Herod and his guests that he said to her, "Ask me for anything you please, and I will give it to you."

So when Jesus landed, He saw a vast multitude; and His heart was moved with pity for them, because they were like sheep which have no shepherd, and He proceeded to teach them many things.

Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and lifting His eyes to Heaven He blessed the food. Then He broke the loaves into portions which He went on handing to the disciples to distribute; giving pieces also of the two fish to them all.

and when they come from market they will not eat without bathing first; and they have a good many other customs which they have received traditionally and cling to, such as the rinsing of cups and pots and of bronze utensils, and the washing of beds.)

But idle is their devotion while they lay down precepts which are mere human rules.'

thus nullifying God's precept by your tradition which you have handed down. And many things of that kind you do."

There is nothing outside a man which entering him can make him unclean; but it is the things which come out of a man that make him unclean."

"What comes out of a man," He added, "that it is which makes him unclean.

If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out.

"You know not," said He, "what you are asking. Are you able to drink out of the cup from which I am to drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?"

"We are able," they replied. "Out of the cup," said Jesus, "from which I am to drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I am to be baptized you shall be baptized;

"Go," He said, "to the village facing you, and immediately on entering it you will find an ass's foal tied up which no one has ever yet ridden: untie him and bring him here.

Then many spread their outer garments to carpet the road, and others leafy branches which they had cut down in the fields;

and Peter, recollecting, said to Him, "Look, Rabbi, the fig-tree which you cursed is withered up."

"Have you not read even this passage," He added, "'The stone which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone:

Then came to Him a party of Sadducees, a sect which denies that there is any Resurrection; and they proceeded to question Him.

Then one of the Scribes, who had heard them disputing and well knew that Jesus had given them an answer to the point, and a forcible one, came forward and asked Him, "Which is the chief of all the Commandments?"

For those will be times of suffering the like of which has never been from the first creation of God's world until now, and assuredly never will be again;

the stars will be seen falling from the firmament, and the forces which are in the heavens will be disordered and disturbed.

And I solemnly tell you that wherever in the whole world the Good News shall be proclaimed, this which she has done shall also be told in remembrance of her."

"This is my blood," He said, "which is to be poured out on behalf of many--the blood which makes the Covenant sure.

they arrayed Him in crimson, placed on His head a wreath of thorny twigs which they had twisted,

So they brought Him to the place called Golgotha, which, being translated, means 'Skull-ground.'

But at three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Elohi, Elohi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

He, having bought a sheet of linen, took Him down, wrapped Him in the sheet and laid Him in a tomb hewn in the rock; after which he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.

But they went out and made proclamation everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming their Message by the signs which accompanied it.

Seeing that many have attempted to draw up a narrative of the facts which are received with full assurance among us

that you may fully know the truth of the things which you have been taught by word of mouth.

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

The oath which He swore to Abraham our forefather,

Through the tender compassion of our God, Through which the daybreak from on high will come to us,

and all went to be registered--every one to the town to which he belonged.

Then, as soon as the angels had left them and returned to Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go over as far as Bethlehem and see this that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

Which Thou hast made ready in the sight of all nations--

Live lives which shall prove your change of heart; and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.

And even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which fails to yield good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire."

and the Holy Spirit came down in bodily shape, like a dove, upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said, "Thou art My Son, dearly loved: in Thee is My delight."

And they all spoke well of Him, wondering at the sweet words of kindness which fell from His lips, while they asked one another, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

They rose, hurried Him outside the town, and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to throw Him down the cliff;