John 18

Judas Betrays Jesus

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.

2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.

3 Judas then, having received theRomancohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them,”Whom do you seek?”

5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them,”I amHe.”And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.

6 So when He said to them,”I amHe,”they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Therefore He again asked them,”Whom do you seek?”And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

8 Jesus answered,”I told you that I amHe;so if you seek Me, let these go their way,”

9 to fulfill the word which He spoke,”Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”

10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.

11 So Jesus said to Peter,”Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

Jesus before the Priests

12 So theRomancohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him,

13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, andso wasanother disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest,

16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.

17 Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not alsooneof this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

18 Now the slaves and the officers were standingthere,having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching.

20 Jesus answered him,”I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret.

21 Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.”

22 When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?”

23 Jesus answered him,”If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?”

24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not alsooneof His disciples, are you?” He deniedit,and said, “I am not.”

26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

27 Peter then denieditagain, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Jesus before Pilate

28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into thePraetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.”

31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,”

32 to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered,”Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”

35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”

36 Jesus answered,”My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is notof this realm.”

37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered,”You saycorrectlythat I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”

And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.

39 But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”

40 So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/JHN/18-bcac3c2e39aff2396db29acd5a06ca55.mp3?version_id=100—

John 19

The Crown of Thorns

1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.

2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him;

3 and theybeganto come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slapsin the face.

4 Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.”

5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.Pilatesaid to them, “Behold, the Man!”

6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”

7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself outto bethe Son of God.”

8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he wasevenmore afraid;

9 and he entered into thePraetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

11 Jesus answered,”You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you hasthegreater sin.”

12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself outto bea king opposes Caesar.”

13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about thesixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”

15 So they cried out, “Away withHim,away withHim,crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

The Crucifixion

16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.

18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.

19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latinandin Greek.

21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.'”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier andalsothetunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece.

24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it,to decidewhose it shall be”;this wasto fulfill the Scripture: “TheydividedMy outer garments among them,and forMy clothing they castlots.”

25 Therefore the soldiers did these things.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary thewifeof Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother,”Woman, behold, your son!”

27 Then He said to the disciple,”Behold, your mother!”From that hour the disciple took her into his ownhousehold.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said,”I am thirsty.”

29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upona branch ofhyssop and brought it up to His mouth.

30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,”It is finished!”And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Care of the Body of Jesus

31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, andthatthey might be taken away.

32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him;

33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.

36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone ofHim shall bebroken.”

37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look onHim whom they pierced.”

38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secretonefor fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.

39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred poundsweight.

40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/JHN/19-724e0f2724035b8ad1afbea451e087aa.mp3?version_id=100—

John 20

The Empty Tomb

1 Now on the firstdayof the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stonealreadytaken away from the tomb.

2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.

4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;

5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lyingthere;but he did not go in.

6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lyingthere,

7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.

8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.

9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;

12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.

13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standingthere,and did not know that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus said to her,”Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

16 Jesus said to her,”Mary!”She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).

17 Jesus said to her,”Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'”

18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” andthatHe had said these things to her.

Jesus among His Disciples

19 So when it was evening on that day, the firstdayof the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them,”Peacebewith you.”

20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again,”Peacebewith you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them,”Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive the sins of any,their sinshave been forgiven them; if you retain thesinsof any, they have been retained.”

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said,”Peacebewith you.”

27 Then He said to Thomas,”Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him,”Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessedarethey who did not see, andyetbelieved.”

Why This Gospel Was Written

30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/JHN/20-b24ba3cff18c01388fc9b13cd3231896.mp3?version_id=100—

John 21

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifestedHimselfin this way.

2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and thesonsof Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.

3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5 So Jesus said to them,”Children, you do not have any fish, do you?”They answered Him, “No.”

6 And He said to them,”Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will finda catch.”So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was strippedfor work), and threw himself into the sea.

8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the netfullof fish.

9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal firealreadylaid and fish placed on it, and bread.

10 Jesus said to them,”Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”

11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus Provides

12 Jesus said to them,”Comeandhave breakfast.”None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Jesus came and took the bread and gaveitto them, and the fish likewise.

14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

The Love Motivation

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,”Simon,sonof John, do you love Me more than these?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him,”Tend My lambs.”

16 He said to him again a second time,”Simon,sonof John, do you love Me?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him,”Shepherd My sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time,”Simon,sonof John, do you love Me?”Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time,”Do you love Me?”And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him,”Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish togo.”

19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him,”Follow Me!”

20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved followingthem;the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”

21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”

22 Jesus said to him,”If I want him to remain until I come, whatis thatto you? You follow Me!”

23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, butonly,”If I want him to remain until I come, whatis thatto you?”

24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/JHN/21-d8db562390f1f2d0e8884b1fb51a7316.mp3?version_id=100—

Luke 1

Introduction

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of theword,

3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to writeitout for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;

4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division ofAbijah; and he had a wifefrom the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

8 Now it happenedthatwhile he was performing his priestly service before God in theappointedorder of his division,

9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.

11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

12 Zacharias was troubled when he sawthe angel,and fear gripped him.

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

17 It is he who will goas a forerunnerbefore Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know thisfor certain?For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.

22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute.

23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.

24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying,

25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He lookedwith favoruponme,to take away my disgrace among men.”

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lordiswith you.”

29 But she was very perplexed atthisstatement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38 And Mary said, “Behold, thebondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,

40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessedareyou among women, and blessedisthe fruit of your womb!

43 And how has ithappenedto me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?

44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

45 And blessedisshe who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

The Magnificat

46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,

47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;

For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

And holy is His name.

50 “AndHis mercy isupon generationafter generation

Toward those who fearHim.

51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;

He has scatteredthose who wereproud in the thoughts of their heart.

52 “He has brought down rulers fromtheirthrones,

And has exalted those who were humble.

53 “He has filled the hungry with good things;

And sent away the rich empty-handed.

54 “He has given help to Israel His servant,

In remembrance of His mercy,

55 As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, andthenreturned to her home.

John Is Born

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.

60 But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”

61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”

62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.

63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.

64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongueloosed,and hebeganto speak in praise of God.

65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.

66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this childturn out tobe?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

Zacharias’s Prophecy

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

68 “Blessedbethe Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of David His servant-

70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-

71 Salvationfrom our enemies,

Andfrom the hand of all who hate us;

72 To show mercy toward our fathers,

And to remember His holy covenant,

73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,

74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

For you will go onbefore theLord toprepareHis ways;

77 To give to His peopletheknowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins,

78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,

79 Toshine upon those who sit in darknessand the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/LUK/1-34f2b55669df845963a3f396fc027355.mp3?version_id=100—

Luke 2

Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem

1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of allthe inhabited earth.

2 This was the first census taken whileQuirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 In the same region there weresomeshepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who isChrist the Lord.

12 Thiswill bea sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

# And on earth peace among menwith whom He is pleased.”

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherdsbegansaying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name wasthencalled Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Everyfirstbornmale that opens the womb shall be called holy to theLord”),

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “Apair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,

According to Your word;

30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 A Lightof revelation to theGentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, thisChildis appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed-

35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul-to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived withherhusband seven years after her marriage,

37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.

38 At that very moment she came up andbegangiving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Return to Nazareth

39 When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.

40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Visit to Jerusalem

41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

42 And when He became twelve, they went upthereaccording to the custom of the Feast;

43 and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it,

44 but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and theybeganlooking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.

46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.

47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”

49 And He said to them,”Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’shouse?”

50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.

51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured allthesethings in her heart.

52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/LUK/2-acbbae75f43a463c96ae21a81561dbdb.mp3?version_id=100—

Luke 3

John the Baptist Preaches

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

‘Make ready the way of theLord,

MakeHis paths straight.

5 ‘Every ravine will be filled,

And every mountain and hill will bebrought low;

The crooked will become straight,

And the rough roads smooth;

6 And allflesh willsee the salvation ofGod.'”

7 So hebegansaying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

9 Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?”

11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”

12 Andsometax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”

14 Somesoldiers were questioning him, saying, “Andwhat aboutus, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuseanyonefalsely, and be content with your wages.”

15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ,

16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

19 But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done,

20 Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.

Jesus Is Baptized

21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,

22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Genealogy of Jesus

23 When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli,

24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,

26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/LUK/3-e0a707fb94554bf63e951284d7b78fab.mp3?version_id=100—

Luke 4

The Temptation of Jesus

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness

2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.

3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

4 And Jesus answered him,”It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.'”

5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

7 Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”

8 Jesus answered him,”It is written, ‘You shall worship theLord yourGod and serveHim only.'”

9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;

10 for it is written,

‘He will commandHis angels concerningYou to guardYou,’

11 and,

‘Ontheirhands they will bearYou up,

So thatYou will not strikeYour foot against a stone.'”

12 And Jesus answered and said to him,”It is said, ‘You shall notput theLord yourGod to the test.'”

13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

Jesus’ Public Ministry

14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.

15 And Hebeganteaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

18 “TheSpirit of theLord is uponMe,

BecauseHe anointedMe to preach the gospel to the poor.

He has sentMe to proclaim release to the captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed,

19 To proclaim the favorable year of theLord.”

20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

21 And He began to say to them,”Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

23 And He said to them,”No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'”

24 And He said,”Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.

25 But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;

26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath,in the landof Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 And allthe peoplein the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;

29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.

30 But passing through their midst, He went His way.

31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;

32 and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority.

33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,

34 “Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-the Holy One of God!”

35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying,”Be quiet and come out of him!”And when the demon had thrown him down in the midstof the people,he came out of him without doing him any harm.

36 And amazement came upon them all, and theybegantalking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.”

37 And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district.

Many Are Healed

38 Then He got up andleftthe synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.

39 And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.

40 While the sun was setting, all those who had anywho weresick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.

41 Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.

42 When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them.

43 But He said to them,”I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”

44 So He kept on preaching in the synagogues ofJudea.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/LUK/4-49113ce288c46508b978b4de885436f7.mp3?version_id=100—

Luke 5

The First Disciples

1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;

2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.

3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down andbeganteaching the people from the boat.

4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon,”Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You sayandlet down the nets.”

6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their netsbeganto break;

7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink.

8 But when Simon Peter sawthat,he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken;

10 and so alsowereJames and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon,”Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.”

11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

The Leper and the Paralytic

12 While He was in one of the cities, behold,there wasa man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying,”I am willing; be cleansed.”And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 And He ordered him to tell no one,”But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hearHimand to be healed of their sicknesses.

16 But Jesus Himself wouldoftenslip away to the wilderness and pray.

17 One day He was teaching; and there weresomePharisees and teachers of the law sittingthere,who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea andfromJerusalem; and the power of the Lord waspresentfor Him to perform healing.

18 Andsomemenwerecarrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him.

19 But not finding anywayto bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middleof the crowd,in front of Jesus.

20 Seeing their faith, He said,”Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”

21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is thismanwho speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

22 But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them,”Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

24 But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”-He said to the paralytic-“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.”

25 Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.

26 They were all struck with astonishment andbeganglorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Call of Levi (Matthew)

27 After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him,”Follow Me.”

28 And he left everything behind, and got up andbeganto follow Him.

29 And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and otherpeoplewho were recliningat the tablewith them.

30 The Pharisees and their scribesbegangrumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”

31 And Jesus answered and said to them,”It isnot those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.

32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

33 And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, thedisciplesof the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.”

34 And Jesus said to them,”You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?

35 Butthedays will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”

36 And He was also telling them a parable:”No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.

38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

39 And no one, after drinking oldwinewishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is goodenough.'”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/LUK/5-0a2b3df17322fd27167f395c874f4877.mp3?version_id=100—

Luke 6

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 Now it happened that He was passing throughsomegrainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eatingthe grain.

2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

3 And Jesus answering them said,”Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,

4 how he entered the house of God, and took and ate theconsecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?”

5 And He was saying to them,”The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

6 On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.

7 The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closelyto seeif He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might findreasonto accuse Him.

8 But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand,”Get up and come forward!”And he got up and came forward.

9 And Jesus said to them,”I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?”

10 After looking around at them all, He said to him,”Stretch out your hand!”And he didso;and his hand was restored.

11 But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

Choosing the Twelve

12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:

14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew;

15 and Matthew and Thomas; Jamesthe sonof Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot;

16 Judasthe sonof James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

17 Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; andthere wasa large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,

18 who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.

19 And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healingthemall.

The Beatitudes

20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, Hebeganto say,”Blessedareyouwho arepoor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessedareyou who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessedareyou who weep now, for you shall laugh.

22 Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.

23 Be glad in that day and leapfor joy,for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

24 But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.

25 Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woeto youwho laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

26 Woeto youwhen all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

32 If you love those who love you, what credit isthatto you? For even sinners love those who love them.

33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit isthatto you? For even sinners do the same.

34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit isthatto you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the sameamount.

35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evilmen.

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together,andrunning over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

39 And He also spoke a parable to them:”A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?

40 A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.

41 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

43 For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.

44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.

45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evilmanout of the eviltreasurebrings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Builders and Foundations

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like:

48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

49 But the one who has heard and has not actedaccordingly,is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/LUK/6-95ff874ca50437adb457056a3c905fed.mp3?version_id=100—