21 Now after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judaea during the days of Herod the king, lo, magicians from the East arrived at Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is the newly-born king of the Jews? for we saw his star 3 in the East and we have come to do him reverence." And on hearing it 4 Herod the king was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And he gathered all the high priests and scribes of the people together, and began to make inquiries of them as to where the Christ was to be born. 5 And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judaea for thus it is written through the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, Art by no means least among the rulers of Judah ; One who shall shepherd my people Israel." 7 Then Herod secretly called the magicians and ascertained from them 8 the time of the star's appearing. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make accurate inquiries about the child; and after you have found him, bring me word, that I also may go and do him 9 reverence." Now when they heard the king they went on their way. And lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it 10 came and stood still over the place where the child was. And on seeing 11 the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. And on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and did him reverence, and opened their caskets and offered him gifts of gold and 12 frankincense and myrrh. And on being divinely instructed in a dream not to return to Herod, they retired to their own country by another road. Now after they had retired, lo, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph, saying, "Rise up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt; and stay there till I tell thee. For Herod is about to 14 seek the child, to destroy him." And he rose up, took the child and his 15 mother by night and retired to Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod; that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be 16 fulfilled, when he said, Out of Egypt I called my son. Then Herod 13 saw that the magicians had trifled with him; and he was mightily enraged, and sent out and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighbourhood, from two years of age and under, according to the time 17 which he had ascertained from the magicians. Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, when he said, 18 A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning- And she refused to be consoled, for they live no more. 19 But when Herod died, lo, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to 20 Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Rise up, take the child and his mother and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." 21 And he rose up, took the child and his mother and entered the land of 22 Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in succession to his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and on being divinely instructed in a dream, he retired into the districts of Galilee. 23 So he came and dwelt in a city called Nazaret; that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene." 31 Now in those days John the baptizer arrives, preaching in the wilder2, 3 ness of Judaea, "Repent, for the reign of heaven is near. (For this is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah in the words: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 4 Now he, John, had his clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather girdle round his loins, and his food consisted of locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and all the country surrounding the 6 Jordan began to go out to him; and they were baptized by him in 7 the river Jordan, as they confessed their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, 8 9 10 11 12 "You offspring of vipers, who has directed you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit, then, befitting your repentance: And presume not to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' For I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even already is the axe laid at the root of the trees: So shall each tree be hewn and thrown into the fire, unless it bear sound fruit. With water I baptize you for repentance; But he who comes after me is mightier than I, He shall baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire— Whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will cleanse out his threshing-floor, He will gather his corn into the granary, But the straw he will burn up with fire unquenchable." 13 Then Jesus arrives from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to get baptized 14 by him. But John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to get baptized 15 by thee, yet thou comest to me!" But Jesus answered and said, "Let it be so, for the present; thus it behoves us to do whatsoever is right." 16 Then he gave in to him. And when Jesus had been baptized, he immediately rose up from the water; and lo, the skies opened, and he saw 17 God's Spirit descend as it were a dove and come upon him; and lo, a voice spoke out of the skies, 4 1 "This is my Son, the beloved, In whom I delight." Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be 2 tempted by the devil. And after fasting for forty days and forty nights 3 he at last hungered. And the tempter came and said to him, "If thou 4 art God's Son, give orders that these stones become bread." But in answer he said, "It is written : Not on bread alone is man to live, But on every word that issues from the mouth of God." 5 Then the devil takes him to the holy city; and setting him on the 6 pinnacle of the temple, he says to him, "If thou art God's Son, throw thyself down; for it is written, He shall charge his angels concerning thee: Yea on their hands they shall bear thee, Lest ever thou strike thy foot against a stone." 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written: Thou shalt not make trial of the 8 Lord thy God." Once more, the devil takes him to a very high mountain, 9 and shows him all the realms of the world and their grandeur; and he said to him, "All these I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and do 10 me reverence." Then Jesus says to him, Satan, begone! for it is written: Thou shalt do reverence to the Lord thy God, and him only shalt 11 thou worship." Then the devil leaves him; and lo, angels came and ministered to him. 12 Now when he heard that John had been delivered up, he retired to 13 Galilee. And on leaving Nazaret he came and dwelt in Kapharnahum which lies beside the sea in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali; 14 that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, when he said, 15 16 17 18 The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Towards the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness Saw a great light; And to those who sat in the region and the shadow of death, To them light rose. From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the reign of heaven is near." Now as he walked beside the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a fishing19 net into the sea; for they were fishers. And he says to them, "Come 20 after me and I will make you fishers of men." So they immediately left 21 the nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, with his brother John, in the boat 22 with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. So they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him. 23 Then he made a tour through the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the glad tidings of the Reign, and healing all 24 manner of disease and all manner of infirmity among the people. And the report of him went out into the whole of Syria. And they brought him all who were ill, possessed with various diseases and tormenting pains, or possessed by daemons, or epileptic and paralytic; and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and Dekapolis and Jeru51 salem and Judaea and from across the Jordan. Now on seeing the crowds he went up the mountain; and when he sat down, his 2 disciples approached him. Then opening his mouth he taught them, Happy the poor in spirit! For theirs is the reign of heaven. Happy the mourners ! For they shall be comforted. For they shall inherit the earth. Happy they who hunger and thirst for uprightness! For they shall be satisfied. 4 5 Happy the gentle! 6 7 Happy the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy. For they shall be called sons of God. 10 11 12 Happy they who have been persecuted on account of uprightness! Happy are you when men shall denounce you and persecute you 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its savour, Wherewith shall it be salted? It is no longer fit for anything, Save to be thrown out and trampled under men's feet. 14 You are the light of the world (a city built on a mountain cannot be hidden). 15 16 17 18 19 20 And men do not light a lamp to put it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, And it shines for all who are in the house : So let your light shine before men, That they may see your good deeds, and magnify your Father Think not that I came to break down the law and the prophets : [For I tell you truly, till sky and earth pass away, Not an iota, not one upstroke of a letter shall pass away from the law, till all come to pass. Whoever then shall break one of these least commandments and teach men so, In the reign of heaven he shall be reckoned least: But whoever shall obey and teach them, In the reign of heaven he shall be reckoned greatest.] For I tell you, unless your uprightness shall excel that of the scribes and Pharisees, You shall not enter the reign of heaven. 21 You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'Thou shalt not murder: and whoever murders shall be liable to the judges.' 22 But I tell you, Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to the judges, And whoever says to his brother, 'Empty fellow!' shall be liable to the Sanhedrin, And whoever says to his brother, 'Idiot!' shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire. So if thou art offering thy gift at the altar, And rememberest there that thy brother has anything against thee, Leave thy gift there before the altar, And go, be reconciled to thy brother first, Then come and offer thy gift. (Come quickly to terms with thine opponent, so long as thou art with him on the road; Lest the opponent deliver thee up to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and thou be thrown into prison: I tell thee truly, thou shalt not leave that place, till thou hast paid the last halfpenny.) 27 You have heard that it was said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you, 29 30 Everyone who looks at a woman for lust1 has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If thy right eye hinder thee, Pluck it out and throw it from thee: For it is good for thee that one of thy members perish, Cut it off and throw it from thee: For it is good for thee that one of thy members perish, 31 It was said also, Whoever shall divorce his wife, let him give her a writing of repudiation.' 32 But I tell you, Everyone who divorces his wife, except on account of fornication, makes her an adulteress : And whoever marries her after she is divorced, commits adultery. 33 Once more, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt discharge thy vows to the Lord.' 34 But I tell you, Swear not at all: Neither by heaven, because it is God's throne, Nor by earth, because it is the footstool of his feet, Nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King, Nor shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'yes' or 'no': Whatever exceeds that is from the evil one. 40 41 42 Resist not the evil man ; Nay, whoever smites thee on the 2 right cheek, Turn the other to him also. And if anyone wishes to sue thee for possession of thy tunic, And whoever shall force thee to go one mile, Go two with him. Give to him who asks thee, And turn not away from him who would borrow from thee. 43 You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.' 44 But I tell you, 45 Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, |