Bible in 90 Days

A Father Pleads With Jesus To Heal His Son Whom The Disciples Could Not Heal

¹⁴ And having come to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes debating^[a] with them. ¹⁵ And immediately all the multitude, having seen Him, were struck-with-wonder. And running-up, they were greeting Him. ¹⁶ And He asked them, “What are you debating with them?” ¹⁷ And one from the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought my son having a mute spirit to You. ¹⁸ And wherever it overcomes^[b] him, it throws-him-to-the-ground, and he foams-at-the-mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes-stiff. And I spoke^[c] to Your disciples in order that they might cast it out, and they were not strong-enough ^[d]”. ¹⁹ And the One, having responded to them, says “O unbelieving^[e] generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I bear-with you? Bring him to Me”. ²⁰ And they brought him to Him. And having seen Him, the spirit immediately convulsed him. And having fallen on the ground, he was rolling-himself while foaming-at-the-mouth. ²¹ And He asked his father, “How long is it since this has happened to him?” And the one said, “From childhood. ²² And it often threw him even into fire and into waters in order that it might destroy him. But if You are able to do anything, help^[f] us, having felt-deep-feelings [of pity] toward us”. ²³ And Jesus said to him, “‘If You are able?’ All things are possible for the one believing”. ²⁴ Immediately, having cried-out, the father of the child was saying, “I believe. Help my unbelief ”. ²⁵ And Jesus, having seen that a crowd is running-together-upon them, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you— come out of him and enter into him no longer”. ²⁶ And having cried-out, and having convulsed him greatly, it came out. And he became as if dead, so that the majority were saying that “He died”. ²⁷ But Jesus, having taken hold of his hand, raised him. And he stood-up. ²⁸ And He having entered into a house, His disciples were questioning Him privately, “Why is it that we were not able to cast it out?” ²⁹ And He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer”.

Jesus Again Teaches His Disciples That He Must Die And Be Raised

³⁰ And having gone forth from there, they were passing through Galilee. And He was not wanting anyone to know it. ³¹ For He was teaching His disciples, and saying to them that “The Son of Man is being handed-over into the hands of men. And they will kill Him. And having been killed, He will rise-up after three days”. ³² But the ones were not-understanding the statement, and they were fearing to question Him.

The Disciples Argue About Who Is The Greatest. Jesus Says, To Be First You Must Be Last

³³ And they came to Capernaum. And having come-to-be in the house, He was questioning them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴ But the ones were being silent. For on the way they argued with one another who was greater^[g]. ³⁵ And having sat-down, He called the twelve. And He says to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall^[h] be last of all, and servant of all”.

Whoever Welcomes a Child In My Name Welcomes Me

³⁶ And having taken a child, He stood him^[i] in the middle of them. And having taken him in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one such-as-these children^[j] on the basis of My name, welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me does not [merely] welcome Me, but the One having sent Me forth”.

John Recalls an Instance When The Disciples Did Not Welcome Someone

³⁸ John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting-out demons in Your name. And we were forbidding him because he was not following us”. ³⁹ But Jesus said, “Do not be forbidding him. For there is no one who will do a miracle on the basis of My name, and soon be able to speak-evil-of Me. ⁴⁰ For he who is not against^[k] us is for us. ⁴¹ For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in the name that you are Christ’s— truly I say to you that he will by no means lose his reward.

Whoever Causes One of These Little Ones To Fall Would Be Better Off Dead

⁴² “And whoever causes one of these little ones believing in Me to fall— it would be better for him if instead a donkey’s millstone^[l] were lying around his neck, and he had^[m] been thrown into the sea.

Better To Remove Whatever Causes You To Fall Than To Go Into Hell

⁴³ And if your hand should be causing you to fall, cut^[n] it off. It is better that you enter into life crippled than go into Gehenna^[o] having two hands— into the inextinguishable^[p] fire. ^{44 [q] 45} And if your foot should be causing you to fall, cut it off. It is better that you enter into life lame than be thrown into Gehenna having two feet. ^{46 [r] 47} And if your eye should be causing you to fall, throw it out. It is better that you enter into the kingdom of God one-eyed than be thrown into Gehenna having two eyes— ⁴⁸ where their worm^[s] does not come-to-an-end, and the fire is not quenched. ⁴⁹ For everyone will be salted with fire.

Have Salt In Yourselves, And Live In Peace

⁵⁰ “Salt is good. But if the salt should become unsalty, with what will you season it? Be having salt^[t] in yourselves, and be living-in-peace with one another”.

Jesus Goes Into Judea. The Crowds Come To Him And He Teaches Them

10 And having arisen, He goes from there into the districts^[u] of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again are coming-together to Him. And as He was accustomed, He again was teaching them.

Pharisees Test Jesus With a Question About Divorce. Divorce Is Not God’s Plan

² And Pharisees having come to Him were asking Him if it is lawful for a husband to send-away^[v] a wife— testing Him. ³ And the One, having responded, said to them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ And the ones said, “Moses permitted us to write a certificate^[w] of divorce and send her away”. ⁵ But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment to you because-of your hardness-of-heart. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘He made them male and female’ [Gen 1:27]. ⁷ ‘For this^[x] reason, a man will leave-behind his father and mother and will be joined^[y] to his wife. ⁸ And the two will be one flesh’ [Gen 2:24]. So then, they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God paired-together^[z], let a person^[aa] not separate”. ¹⁰ And the disciples were questioning Him again about this in the house, ¹¹ and He says to them, “Whoever sends-away his wife and marries another is committing-adultery against her. ¹² And if she, having sent-away her husband, marries another, she is committing-adultery”.

Jesus Blesses The Children. Of Such Is The Kingdom of God

¹³ And they were bringing children to Him in order that He might touch them. But the disciples rebuked them^[ab]. ¹⁴ But Jesus, having seen it, was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to be coming to Me. Do not be forbidding them. For the kingdom of God is of ^[ac] such ones. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never^[ad] enter into it”. ¹⁶ And having taken them in His arms, He was blessing^[ae] them, while laying His hands on them.

A Rich Man Asks What To Do To Enter Heaven. Sell Everything And Follow Me

¹⁷ And while He was proceeding out on the road^[af], one having run up and knelt-before Him was asking Him, “Good Teacher, what should I do in order that I may inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One— God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit-adultery, do not steal, do not give-false-testimony, do not defraud, be honoring your father and mother’” ²⁰ And the one said to Him, “Teacher, I kept these all from my youth”. ²¹ And Jesus, having looked at him, loved him. And He said to him, “One thing is lacking as to you: Go, sell all-that you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, be following Me”. ²² But the one, having become downcast at His word, went away grieving. For he was having many properties.

It Is Hard For The Rich To Enter. But All Who Leave Anything Will Inherit More

²³ And having looked around, Jesus says to His disciples, “How difficultly the ones having wealth^[ag] will enter into the kingdom of God”. ²⁴ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus, having responded again, says to them, “Children, how difficult it is to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁵ It is easier that a camel go through the hole of the needle^[ah] than^[ai] that a rich one enter into the kingdom of God”. ²⁶ And the ones were even more astounded, saying to themselves, “Who indeed can be saved?” ²⁷ Having looked at them, Jesus says, “With humans it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God”. ²⁸ Peter began to say to Him, “Behold— we left everything, and have followed You”. ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for the sake of Me and for the sake of the good-news ³⁰ except he receive^[aj] a hundred-fold now in this time— houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along-with persecutions— and in the coming age, eternal life. ³¹ But many first ones will be last, and the last ones, first”.

Jesus Predicts His Death And Resurrection For The Third Time

³² And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going-ahead-of them. And they were astonished. And the ones following were fearing. And having again taken aside the twelve, He began to tell them the things going-to happen to Him, ³³ that “Behold— we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be handed-over to the chief priests and the scribes. And they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ And they will mock Him and spit-on Him and whip Him and kill Him. And after three days, He will rise-up”.

Two Disciples Jockey For Position In The Kingdom. He Says, It Is Not Mine To Give

³⁵ And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approach Him, saying to Him, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask You”. ³⁶ And the One said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³⁷ And the ones said to Him, “Grant to us that we may sit one on Your right side and one on the left side in Your glory”. ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup which I drink, or to be baptized the baptism which I am baptized?” ³⁹ And the ones said to Him, “We are able”. And Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup which I drink. And you will be baptized the baptism which I am baptized. ⁴⁰ But the sitting on My right side or on the left side is not Mine to give, but it is for whom it has been prepared”.

Whoever Wants To Be First Shall Be Your Slave. Even I Came To Serve

⁴¹ And having heard-of it, the ten began to be indignant about James and John. ⁴² And having summoned them, Jesus says to them, “You know that the ones having-the-reputation-of ^[ak] being rulers of the Gentiles are lording-over^[al] them, and their great ones are exercising-authority-over^[am] them. ⁴³ But it is not so among you. But whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many”.

Blind Bartimaeus Calls Upon The Messiah To Heal Him

⁴⁶ And they come to Jericho. And while He and His disciples and a considerable crowd are proceeding-out from Jericho, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road. ⁴⁷ And having heard that it was Jesus from-Nazareth, he began to cry-out and say, “Son of David, Jesus, have-mercy-on me”. ⁴⁸ And many were rebuking him in order that he might keep-silent. But the one was crying-out by much more, “Son of David, have mercy on me”. ⁴⁹ And having stopped, Jesus said, “Call him”. And they call the blind one, saying to him, “Take-courage, arise, He is calling you!” ⁵⁰ And the one, having thrown-off his cloak, having jumped-up, came to Jesus. ⁵¹ And having responded to him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind one said to Him, “Rabboni^[an]— that I may see-again!” ⁵² And Jesus said to him, “Go. Your faith has restored^[ao] you”. And immediately he saw-again. And he was following Him on the road.

Jesus Rides Into Jerusalem On a Donkey To Shouts of Hosanna

11 And when they draw-near to Jerusalem— to Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives— He sends-forth two of His disciples, ² and says to them, “Go to the village before you. And immediately while proceeding into it, you will find a colt having been tied, on which none of mankind^[ap] yet sat. Untie it, and be bringing it. ³ And if someone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’, say, ‘The Lord has need of it, and^[aq] immediately He sends^[ar] it back here^[as]’”. ⁴ And they went and found a colt having been tied at a door, outside on the street. And they untie it. ⁵ And some of the ones standing there were saying to them, “What are you doing untying the colt?” ⁶ But the ones spoke to them just as Jesus spoke, and they permitted them. And they bring the colt to Jesus. ⁷ And they throw their cloaks on it, and He sat on it. ⁸ And many spread their cloaks on the road. And others spread leafy-branches, having cut them from the fields. ⁹ And the ones going ahead and the ones following were crying-out “Hosanna! Blessed is the One coming in the name of the Lord. ¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest [heavens]!”

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

¹¹ And He entered into Jerusalem, into the temple. And having looked-around-at everything, the hour being already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus Curses a Fruitless Fig Tree

¹² And on the next day, they having departed from Bethany, He was hungry. ¹³ And having seen from a distance a fig-tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it. And having come to it, He found nothing except leaves^[at]— for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ And having responded, He said to it, “May no one eat fruit from you any longer— forever!” And His disciples were listening.

Jesus Cleanses The Temple of Merchandisers. The Priests Seek To Destroy Him

¹⁵ And they come into Jerusalem. And having entered into the temple, He began to throw-out the ones selling and the ones buying in the temple. And He overturned the tables of the money-changers^[au], and the seats of the ones selling doves^[av]. ¹⁶ And He was not permitting that anyone carry an object^[aw] through the temple. ¹⁷ And He was teaching and saying to them, “Has it not been written [in Isa 56:7] that ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers^[ax]”. ¹⁸ And the chief priests and the scribes heard it. And they were seeking how they might destroy Him. For they were fearing Him, for the whole crowd was astounded at His teaching. ¹⁹ And when it became evening, they were going outside of the city.

Lessons From The Fig Tree

²⁰ And while passing by early-in-the-morning, they saw the fig tree having dried-up from the roots. ²¹ And having remembered, Peter says to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has dried-up”. ²² And having responded, Jesus says to them, “Be having faith in God. ²³ Truly I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and be thrown into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart, but is believing that what he is speaking is coming-about, it will happen for him. ²⁴ For this reason I say to you, be believing that you received all that you are praying and asking, and it will happen for you. ²⁵ And whenever you stand praying, forgive— if you have anything against anyone— in order that your Father in the heavens also may forgive you your trespasses”. ²⁶ 

^[ay]

Priests Ask, By What Authority Do You Do This? From Where Was John’s Authority?

²⁷ And they come again into Jerusalem. And while He is walking around in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders come to Him. ²⁸ And they were saying to Him, “By what-kind-of ^[az] authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority that you may be doing these things?” ²⁹ And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing, and you answer Me, and I will tell you by what kind of authority I am doing these things: ³⁰ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from humans? Answer Me!” ³¹ And they were discussing it with themselves, saying, “If we say ‘From heaven’, He will say ‘Then for what reason did you not believe him?’ ³² But should we say ‘From humans’?” They were fearing the crowd, for they all were holding as to John that he really was a prophet. ³³ And having responded to Jesus, they say “We do not know”. And Jesus says to them, “Nor am I telling you by what kind of authority I am doing these things”.

You Priests Are Like Farmers Who Killed The Owner’s Messengers And His Son

12 And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit [for a wine press] and built a tower. And he rented it to farmers and went-on-a-journey. ² And he sent forth a slave to the farmers at the harvest time in order that he might receive from the fruits of the vineyard from the farmers. ³ And having taken him, they beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ And again he sent-forth another slave to them. And that one they struck-on-the-head, and dishonored. ⁵ And he sent forth another— and that one they killed— and many others, they beating some and killing others. ⁶ He was still having one to send: a beloved son. He sent him forth to them last, saying that ‘They will have-regard-for my son’. ⁷ But those farmers said to themselves that ‘This one is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours’. ⁸ And having taken him, they killed him and threw him outside of the vineyard. ⁹ Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and give the vineyard to others.

But As The Psalm Says, The Stone The Builders Rejected Became The Cornerstone

¹⁰ Did you not even read this Scripture [in Ps 118:22-23]: ‘The stone which the ones building rejected, this became the head of the corner^[ba]. ¹¹ This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” ¹² And they were seeking to seize Him. And^[bb] they feared the crowd. For they^[bc] knew that He spoke the parable against them. And having left Him, they went away.

The Pharisees Try To Snare Jesus: Shall We Pay Taxes To Caesar?

¹³ And they send forth some of the Pharisees and the Herodians^[bd] to Him in order that they might catch Him in a statement. ¹⁴ And having come, they say to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful. And You are not concerned about [pleasing] anyone^[be], for You do not look^[bf] at the face of people, but You teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to give a poll-tax^[bg] to Caesar, or not? Should we give it, or should we not give it?” ¹⁵ But the One, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius^[bh] in order that I may see it”. ¹⁶ And the ones brought it. And He says to them, “Whose is this image^[bi] and inscription?” And the ones said to Him, “Caesar’s”. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Give back^[bj] the things of ^[bk] Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God”. And they were marveling-greatly at Him.

Sadducees Question Jesus About The Resurrection of a Wife With Seven Husbands

¹⁸ And Sadducees come to Him, who say that there is not a resurrection. And they were questioning Him, saying ¹⁹ “Teacher, Moses wrote to us [in Deut 25:5] that if a brother of someone dies and leaves-behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife, and raise-up-from her a seed^[bl] for his brother. ²⁰ There were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and dying, did not leave a seed. ²¹ And the second took her, and died, not having left-behind a seed. And the third similarly. ²² And the seven did not leave a seed. Last of all, the woman also died. ²³ In the resurrection when they rise up, of which of them will she be the wife? For the seven had her as wife”. ²⁴ Jesus said to them, “Are you not mistaken^[bm] because of this— not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise-up from the dead, they neither marry nor are they given-in-marriage, but they are like angels^[bn] in the heavens. ²⁶ And concerning the dead, that they are raised, did you not read in the book of Moses at the [place about the burning] bush, how God spoke to him, saying [in Ex 3:15] ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ²⁷ He is not God of dead ones, but of living ones. You are greatly mistaken”.

A Scribe Asks, Which Is The Foremost Commandment?

²⁸ And having come to Him, one of the scribes— having heard them debating, having seen that He answered them well— asked Him, “Which is the foremost^[bo] commandment of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered that “Foremost is: ‘Hear, Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength’ [Deut 6:4-5]. ³¹ Second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Lev 19:18]. There is not another commandment greater than these”. ³² And the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher! In accordance with [God’s] truth, You said^[bp] that He is one. And there is not another except Him. ³³ And the statement ‘to love Him from the whole heart, and from the whole understanding, and from the whole strength’, and the statement ‘to love the neighbor as himself’, are more [important] than all the whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices”. ³⁴ And Jesus, having looked-at him because he responded thoughtfully, said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”.

Jesus Asks How The Messiah Can Be The Son of David Since David Calls Him His Lord

And no one was daring to question Him any more. ³⁵ And having responded, Jesus was saying while teaching in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself said by the Holy Spirit [in Ps 110:1], ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Be sitting on My right side until I put Your enemies under Your feet”’. ³⁷ David himself calls Him ‘Lord’. And in what^[bq] way is He his son?”

Jesus Warns The Crowds To Beware of The Scribes

And the large crowd was listening-to Him with-pleasure. ³⁸ And in His teaching He was saying, “Beware of the scribes— the ones delighting to walk around in robes, and to receive greetings in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and seats-of-honor in the synagogues, and places-of-honor at the banquets. ⁴⁰ They are the ones devouring^[br] the houses of the widows, and praying long for a pretense^[bs]. These ones will receive greater condemnation”.

Jesus Uses The Widow’s Offering To Illustrate True Giving

⁴¹ And having sat-down opposite the treasury^[bt], He was observing how the crowd throws money into the treasury. And many rich ones were throwing much money. ⁴² And one poor widow having come threw two leptos^[bu], which is a quadrans^[bv]. ⁴³ And having summoned His disciples, He said to them, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow threw more than all the ones throwing into the treasury. ⁴⁴ For they all threw out of the money abounding^[bw] to them. But this one, out of her need^[bx], threw all that she was having— her whole living^[by]”.

Jesus Tells The Disciples That The Temple Will Be Destroyed. They Ask, When?

13 And while He is proceeding out of the temple, one of His disciples says to Him, “Teacher, look! What stones and what buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? A stone upon a stone will by no means be left here which will by-any-means not be torn-down^[bz]”. ³ And while He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us— when will these^[ca] things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished^[cb]?” ⁵ And Jesus began to say to them:

There Will Be Birthpangs, So Watch Out. The Gospel Must First Reach All The Nations

“Be watching out that no one may deceive you. ⁶ Many will come on the basis of My name, saying that ‘I am^[cc] the One’. And they will deceive many. ⁷ And whenever you hear-of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. They must take place, but it is not yet the end. ⁸ For nation will arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These things are^[cd] a beginning of birth-pains. ⁹ But you— be watching yourselves. They will hand you over to councils^[ce]. And you will be beaten in synagogues. And you will be stood before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And the good-news must first be proclaimed to all the nations. ¹¹ And whenever they lead you while handing you over, do not be anxious-beforehand as to what you should speak. But whatever is given to you in that hour, speak this. For you are not the ones speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will hand-over brother to death, and a father his child. And children will rise-up-in-rebellion^[cf] against parents, and they will put them to death. ¹³ And you will be being hated by all because of My name. But the one having endured to the end^[cg]— this one will be saved.

When You See The Abomination of Desolation, Flee. For a Great Affliction Will Occur

¹⁴ “But when you see the abomination^[ch] of desolation standing where he^[ci] should not (let the one reading understand), then^[cj] let the ones in Judea be fleeing to the mountains. ¹⁵ And let the one upon the housetop not go down nor go in to take anything out of his house. ¹⁶ And let the one in the field not turn-back to the things behind to take his cloak. ¹⁷ And woe to the ones having a child in the womb, and to the ones nursing in those days. ¹⁸ And be praying that it may not take place in winter. ¹⁹ For those days will be an affliction^[ck] such-as has not taken place such-as-this since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will take place [again]. ²⁰ And if the Lord had not shortened^[cl] the days, no flesh^[cm] would have been saved. But He shortened the days for the sake of the chosen ones whom He chose. ²¹ And then^[cn] if someone says to you, ‘Look— here is the Christ’, ‘Look— there He is’, do not be believing it. ²² For false-christs and false-prophets will arise, and will give signs and wonders so-as to be leading-astray^[co], if possible, the chosen ones. ²³ But you be watching out. I have told you everything beforehand.

After That Affliction, The Powers Will Be Shaken. Then I Will Come In Glory

²⁴ “But in those days after that affliction, the sun^[cp] will be darkened, and the moon will not give its glow, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from the heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And at that time He will send out the angels, and He will gather together His chosen ones from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the heaven.

The Parable of The Fig Tree: When You See These Things, You Know I Am Near

²⁸ “Now learn the parable from the fig^[cq] tree: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out its leaves, you know that the summer is near. ²⁹ So also you— when you see these^[cr] things taking place, you know^[cs] that He^[ct] is near, at the doors. ³⁰ Truly I say to you that this generation^[cu] will by no means pass away until which time these things all take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by-no-means pass away.

But No One Knows The Day Or Hour, So Keep Watching

³² “But no one knows about that day or the hour— not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son— except the Father. ³³ Be watching out, be keeping-alert, for you do not know when the time is. ³⁴ It is like a man away-on-a-journey. Having left his house and having given authority to his slaves— to each^[cv] as to his work— he also commanded the doorkeeper that he should be keeping-watch. ³⁵ Therefore, keep watching— for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether evening^[cw] or midnight or rooster-crowing or early-morning— ³⁶ that having come suddenly, he may not find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to everyone: ‘Keep watching’”.

The Priests Plot To Seize And Kill Jesus

14 Now the Passover [Feast] and the Feast of Unleavened-Bread was after two days. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how, having seized Him by deceit^[cx], they might kill Him. ² For they were saying, “Not during the Feast, so that there will not perhaps be an uproar of the people”.

Jesus Is Anointed With Oil In Preparation For His Burial

³ And He being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, while He is reclining [to eat], a woman came having an alabaster-jar of very-precious genuine^[cy] nard^[cz] perfume^[da]. Having broken the alabaster-jar, she poured it down over His head. ⁴ But some were being indignant to themselves— “For what purpose has this waste of perfume taken place? ⁵ For this perfume could have been sold for over three-hundred^[db] denarii and given to the poor”. And they were sternly-scolding her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you causing troubles for her? She worked a good work^[dc] in^[dd] Me. ⁷ For you always have the poor with you. And whenever you want, you are able to do good for them. But you do not always have Me. ⁸ She did what she had^[de]. She anticipated to perfume My body for its preparation-for-burial. ⁹ And truly I say to you, wherever the good-news is proclaimed in the whole world, what this one did will also be spoken for a memorial of her”.

Judas Betrays Jesus To The Priests

¹⁰ And Judas Iscariot, the one from the twelve, went to the chief priests in order that he might hand Him over to them. ¹¹ And the ones, having heard, rejoiced and promised to give him money. And he was seeking how he might conveniently^[df] hand Him over.

Jesus Celebrates Passover With The Twelve

¹² And on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened-Bread, when they were^[dg] sacrificing the Passover [lamb], His disciples say to Him, “Where do You want us, having gone, to prepare in order that You may eat the Passover [meal]?” ¹³ And He sends-forth two of His disciples. And He says to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a jar^[dh] of water. Follow him. ¹⁴ And wherever he enters, say to the house-master that ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest-room where I may eat the Passover [meal] with My disciples?”’ ¹⁵ And he will show you a large upstairs room having been spread [with furnishings], prepared. And prepare for us there”. ¹⁶ And the disciples went forth and came to the city, and found it just as He told them. And they prepared the Passover [meal]. ¹⁷ And having become evening, He comes with the twelve.

Judas Is Exposed

¹⁸ And while they were reclining-back and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will hand Me over— the one eating^[di] with Me!” ¹⁹ They began to be grieved, and to say to Him one by one, “It is not I, is it ?” ²⁰ And the One said to them, “It is one of the twelve, the one dipping with Me into the bowl. ²¹ Because the Son of Man is going just as it has been written about Him— but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is being handed-over! It would have been better for him if that man had not been born”.

The Bread And The Wine Are Given a New Meaning

²² And while they were eating, having taken bread, having blessed it ^[dj], He broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take it. This is My body”. ²³ And having taken a cup, having given-thanks, He gave it to them. And they all drank from it. ²⁴ And He said to them, “This is My blood of ^[dk] the covenant— the blood being poured-out for many. ²⁵ Truly I say to you that I will no longer by any means drink of the fruit of the grapevine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God”.

You Will All Be Scattered In Fulfillment of Zechariah. Peter’s Denial Is Predicted

²⁶ And having sung-a-hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷ And Jesus says to them that “You will all be caused-to-fall, because it has been written [in Zech 13:7]: ‘I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered’. ²⁸ But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee”. ²⁹ But Peter said to Him, “Even^[dl] though all will be caused to fall, nevertheless, I will not”. ³⁰ And Jesus says to him, “Truly I say to you, that you, today, on this night, before a rooster crows twice— you will deny Me three-times”. ³¹ But the one was saying emphatically^[dm], “If I have-to die-with You, I will never deny You”. And they all were also speaking similarly.

Jesus Waits And Prays In The Garden of Gethsemane

³² And they come to a place of which the name is Gethsemane. And He says to His disciples, “Sit here while^[dn] I pray”. ³³ And He takes along Peter and James and John with Him. And He began to be alarmed^[do] and distressed. ³⁴ And He says to them, “My soul is deeply-grieved, to the point of death. Stay here and keep-watching”. ³⁵ And having gone ahead a little, He was falling on the ground, and praying that if it is possible, the hour might pass from Him. ³⁶ And He was saying, “Abba^[dp]! Father! All things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. But not what I want^[dq], but what You want ”. ³⁷ And He comes and finds them sleeping. And He says to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Were you^[dr] not strong-enough^[ds] to keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Keep watching, and be praying that^[dt] you may not come into temptation^[du]. The spirit is willing^[dv], but the flesh is weak”. ³⁹ And having gone away again, He prayed, having spoken the same thing^[dw]. ⁴⁰ And again having come, He found them sleeping. For their eyes were being very-weighed-down. And they did not know what they should answer Him. ⁴¹ And He comes the third-time, and says to them, “Are you sleeping^[dx] and resting from now on? It is enough. The hour came. Behold— the Son of Man is being handed-over into the hands of the sinners. ⁴² Arise, let us be going. Behold— the one handing Me over has drawn-near”.

Jesus Is Betrayed With a Kiss And Arrested

⁴³ And immediately, while He is still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrives. And with him is a crowd from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders with swords and clubs. ⁴⁴ Now the one handing Him over had given a signal to them, saying, “Whomever I kiss is He. Seize Him, and lead Him away securely^[dy]”. ⁴⁵ And having come, having immediately gone to Him, he says “Rabbi”. And he kissed Him. ⁴⁶ And the ones put their hands on Him and seized Him. ⁴⁷ And a certain one of the ones standing near, having drawn his sword, hit the slave of the high priest and took-off his ear. ⁴⁸ And having responded, Jesus said to them, “Did you come out to arrest Me with swords and clubs as-if against a robber? ⁴⁹ Daily I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But this is in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled”. ⁵⁰ And having left^[dz] Him, they all fled. ⁵¹ And a certain young-man^[ea] was following Him, having put-on a linen-cloth over his naked body. And they seize him. ⁵² But the one, having left-behind the linen-cloth, fled naked.

Jesus Is Led Before The High Priest And The Sanhedrin. Peter Follows

⁵³ And they led Jesus away to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes come together. ⁵⁴ And Peter followed Him at a distance, as far as inside in the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting-together with the officers^[eb], and warming himself toward the light [of the fire].

Jesus Says, I Am The Son of God. They Condemn Him To Death

⁵⁵ Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. And they were not finding it. ⁵⁶ For many were giving-false-testimony against Him. And the testimonies were not identical. ⁵⁷ And some, having stood up, were giving false testimony against Him, saying ⁵⁸ that “We heard Him saying that ‘I will tear down this temple made-by-human-hands, and in three days I will build another not-made-by-human-hands’”. ⁵⁹ And not even thus^[ec] was their testimony identical. ⁶⁰ And the high priest, having stood up into the middle, questioned Jesus, saying “Are You not answering anything? What^[ed] is it these ones are testifying against You?” ⁶¹ But the One was being silent. And He did not answer anything. Again the high priest was questioning Him. And he says to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” ⁶² And Jesus said, “I am^[ee]. And you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right side of the Power^[ef], and coming with the clouds of heaven”. ⁶³ And the high priest, having torn his clothes, says “What further need do we have of witnesses? ⁶⁴ You heard the blasphemy. What appears right to you?” And the ones all condemned Him to be subject-to^[eg] death. ⁶⁵ And some began to spit-on Him, and to cover His face and beat Him and say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps.

Peter Denies Jesus Three Times

⁶⁶ And Peter being below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest comes. ⁶⁷ And having seen Peter warming himself, having looked at him, she says “You also were with the One from-Nazareth, Jesus”. ⁶⁸ But the one denied it, saying “I neither know nor understand what you are saying”. And he went outside to the entryway^[eh]. And a rooster crowed. ⁶⁹ And the^[ei] servant-girl having seen him began again^[ej] to say to the ones standing near that “This one is one of them”. ⁷⁰ But the one was again denying it. And after a little while, again the ones standing near were saying to Peter, “Truly you are one of them, for you also are a Galilean”. ⁷¹ But the one began to curse^[ek], and to swear-with-an-oath^[el] that “I do not know this man Whom you are saying”. ⁷² And immediately a rooster crowed for a second-time. And Peter remembered the word, how Jesus said to him that “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three-times”. And having put his mind upon^[em] it, he was weeping.

Jesus Is Led Before Pilate, Who Orders Him Crucified To Please The Crowd

15 And immediately, early-in-the-morning, the chief priests (with the elders and scribes) and the whole Sanhedrin having made a consultation^[en], having bound Jesus, took Him away and handed Him over to Pilate. ² And Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And the One, having responded to him, says “You are saying^[eo] it ”. ³ And the chief priests were accusing Him as to many things. ⁴ And Pilate again was questioning Him, saying “Are You not answering anything? Look how many things they are accusing You”. ⁵ But Jesus no longer answered anything, so that Pilate was marveling. ⁶ Now at the Feast, he was [in the habit of] releasing for them one prisoner whom they were requesting. ⁷ And the one being called Barabbas had been bound with the rebels^[ep] who had committed murder in the rebellion^[eq]. ⁸ And having come up, the crowd began to ask him to do as he was [in the habit of] doing for them. ⁹ And Pilate responded to them, saying “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?” ¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy^[er]. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred-up the crowd in order that he might release Barabbas for them instead. ¹² And Pilate, again having responded, was saying to them “Then what do you want me to do as to the One whom you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And the ones cried-out again^[es], “Crucify Him!” ¹⁴ But Pilate was saying to them, “What indeed^[et] did He do wrong?” But the ones cried out even more, “Crucify Him!” ¹⁵ And Pilate, wanting to do enough^[eu] for the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and handed-over Jesus, having flogged^[ev] Him, in order that He might be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked, Beaten, Spit On, And Crucified

¹⁶ And the soldiers led Him away inside the palace (that is, the Praetorium^[ew]). And they call together the whole [Roman] cohort^[ex]. ¹⁷ And they dress Him in a purple^[ey] cloak. And having woven a crown made-of-thorns, they set it on Him. ¹⁸ And they began to greet Him, “Hail^[ez], King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ And they were striking His head with a staff, and spitting-on Him. And while putting-down their knees, they were paying-homage to Him. ²⁰ And when they mocked Him, they stripped the purple cloak off Him and put His garments on Him. And they lead Him out in order that they might crucify Him. ²¹ And they press-into-service a certain one passing by, coming from the country— Simon, a Cyrenian^[fa], the father of Alexander and Rufus— in order that he might take up His cross. ²² And they bring Him to the Golgotha^[fb] place, which being translated is “The Place of a Skull”. ²³ And they were giving wine^[fc] having been mixed-with-myrrh to Him, but the One did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucify Him, and divide His garments among themselves, casting a lot for them to decide who should take what. ²⁵ And it was the third^[fd] hour, and they crucified Him. ²⁶ And the inscription of His charge had been inscribed “The King of the Jews”. ²⁷ And they crucify two robbers^[fe] with Him— one on the right side and one on His left side. ^28 [ff]

The King of Israel Is Mocked While Hanging On The Cross

²⁹ And the ones passing by were blaspheming Him while shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! The One tearing-down the temple and building it in three days— ³⁰ save Yourself, having come down from the cross”. ³¹ Likewise also the chief priests, mocking Him to one another with the scribes, were saying, “He saved others— Himself He is not able to save! ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe”. And the ones having been crucified with Him were reproaching Him.

Jesus Dies

³³ And having become the sixth hour, a darkness came over the whole land^[fg] until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”, which being translated is “My God, My God, for what purpose did You forsake^[fh] Me?” ³⁵ And some of the ones standing near, having heard, were saying “Look— He is calling Elijah”. ³⁶ And someone— having run, and having filled a sponge of sour-wine^[fi], having put it on a stick^[fj]— was giving-a-drink to Him, saying “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down”. ³⁷ And Jesus, having let-go a loud shout^[fk], expired^[fl].

The Curtain of The Temple Is Torn In Two

³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn^[fm] in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ And the centurion standing-by from opposite Him, having seen that He expired in this manner, said “Truly this man was God’s Son^[fn]!”

Many Women Followers Watch At a Distance

⁴⁰ And women were also watching at a distance, among whom were both Mary the Magdalene^[fo] and Mary the mother of James the little^[fp] and Joses, and Salome^[fq]— ⁴¹ who, when He was in Galilee, were following Him and serving Him— and many other women having come up with Him to Jerusalem.

Joseph of Arimathea Lays Jesus In a Rock Tomb, With The Women Watching

⁴² And having already become evening^[fr], because it was Preparation^[fs] day (that is, the-day-before-the-Sabbath), ⁴³ Joseph from Arimathea having come (a prominent council-member^[ft] who also himself was waiting-for the kingdom of God), having become daring^[fu], went in to Pilate and asked-for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ But Pilate wondered whether He was dead by-this-time. And having summoned the centurion, he asked him whether He died already. ⁴⁵ And having come-to-know it from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And having bought linen-cloth, having taken Him down, he wrapped Him in the linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of rock. And he rolled a stone against^[fv] the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷ And Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were observing where He had been laid.

Jesus Rises From The Dead. The Women Find The Tomb Empty

16 And the Sabbath having passed^[fw], Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices in order that having come, they might anoint Him. ² And very early-in-the-morning on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb— the sun having risen. ³ And they were saying to themselves, “Who will roll-away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” ⁴ And having looked-up, they see that the stone has been rolled-away. For it was extremely large. ⁵ And having entered into the tomb, they saw a young-man sitting at the right, having been clothed-with a white robe. And they were alarmed. ⁶ But the one says to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are seeking Jesus from-Nazareth, the One having been crucified. He arose, He is not here. Look— the place where they laid Him! ⁷ But go, tell His disciples and Peter that ‘He is going-ahead-of you to Galilee. You will see Him there, just as He told you’”. ⁸ And having gone out, they fled from the tomb. For trembling and astonishment was holding them. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were fearing.

[Most Greek manuscripts have this “Long^[fx] Ending” after verse 8, but two of the oldest omit it].

Jesus Appears To Mary, Then To Two In The Country, Then To The Eleven

⁹ And [Jesus] having risen-up early-in-the-morning on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary the Magdalene, from whom He had cast-out seven demons. ¹⁰ That one, having gone, reported it to the ones having been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ And-those-ones, having heard that He was alive and was seen by her, did not-believe^[fy] her. ¹² And after these things, He appeared in a different form to two of them walking, while they were proceeding into the country. ¹³ And those ones, having gone, reported it to the rest. They did not even believe those ones. ¹⁴ And later He appeared to the eleven themselves while they were reclining-back [to eat]. And He reproached^[fz] their unbelief and hardness-of-heart because they did not believe the ones having seen Him arisen.

Jesus Commissions His Followers To Proclaim The Gospel To All Creation

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Having gone into all the world, proclaim the good-news to^[ga] all creation. ¹⁶ The one having believed and having been baptized will be saved. But the one having not-believed will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will accompany^[gb] the ones having believed: in My name they will cast-out demons, they will speak in^[gc] new tongues^[gd], ¹⁸ and they will pick up snakes^[ge] with their hands. And if they drink any deadly thing, it will by-no-means^[gf] hurt^[gg] them. They will lay hands on sick ones, and they will be well”.

Jesus Is Taken Up Into Heaven

¹⁹ So indeed the Lord Jesus, after He spoke to them, was taken-up into heaven and sat-down on the right side of God. ²⁰ And those ones, having gone-forth, proclaimed it everywhere, the Lord working-with them and confirming^[gh] the word by the signs following-after^[gi] them.

[A few Greek manuscripts have this “Short^[gj] Ending” after verse 8, followed by the “long ending” above]

And they promptly reported all the things having been commanded them to the ones around Peter. And after these things, Jesus Himself also sent-forth the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation through them, from the east and as-far-as the west. Amen.

1 In-as-much-as many undertook^[gk] to compile a narrative about the things having been fulfilled^[gl] among us, ² just as the eyewitnesses from the first^[gm] and ones having become servants of the word handed-down to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having closely-followed^[gn] everything carefully from-the-beginning^[go], to write it for you in-order, most-excellent Theophilus, ⁴ in order that you may fully-know the certainty of the things about which you were instructed.

The Birth of John And Jesus

⁵ In the days of Herod^[gp], king of Judea:

There Was a Priest Named Zechariah Whose Wife Elizabeth Was Barren

There was a certain priest— Zechariah by name, from the division of Abijah— and a wife for him from the daughters of Aaron. And her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous ones in the sight of God, walking in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord as blameless^[gq] ones. ⁷ And there was not a child for them, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced in their days.

During His Temple Service, an Angel Tells Him Elizabeth Will Bear a Son

⁸ And it came about during his serving-as-priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹ that according to the custom^[gr] of the priestly-office, he obtained-by-lot that he might offer-incense^[gs], [after] having entered into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ And the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the offering of incense. ¹¹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And having seen him, Zechariah was frightened, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be fearing, Zechariah, because your prayer was heard. And your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And there will be joy and gladness for you. And many will rejoice over his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will never drink wine and fermented-drink^[gt], and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still of ^[gu] his mother’s womb, ¹⁶ and he will turn-back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go-ahead before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn-back^[gv] the hearts of fathers to their children, and to turn back disobedient ones with^[gw] the understanding^[gx] of righteous ones, to prepare a people having been made-ready for the Lord”. ¹⁸ And Zechariah said to the angel, “Based-on what shall I know this? For I am an old-man, and my wife is advanced in her days”. ¹⁹ And having responded, the angel said to him, “I am Gabriel, the one standing in the presence of God. And I was sent forth to speak to you, and to announce these things as-good-news to you. ²⁰ And behold— you shall be silent and not able to speak until which day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper-time”. ²¹ And the people were waiting for Zechariah. And they were wondering during his delaying in the temple. ²² And having come out, he was not able to speak to them. And they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was motioning to them and continuing to be mute.

Elizabeth Conceives And Hides It For Five Months

²³ And it came about that when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went to his house. ²⁴ And after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived. And she was concealing herself for five months, saying ²⁵ that “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which He looked-upon me to take-away my reproach among people”.

In The Sixth Month, an Angel Appears To Mary, a Virgin Promised In Marriage To Joseph

²⁶ Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent-forth from God to a city of Galilee for which the name was Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin having been promised-in-marriage^[gy] to a man for whom the name was Joseph, from the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. ²⁸ And having come-in to^[gz] her, he said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you”. ²⁹ But the one was very-troubled at the statement, and was pondering what-kind-of greeting this might be.

The Angel Tells Mary She Will Give Birth To a Son— Jesus, The Son of God

³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be fearing, Mary. For you found favor^[ha] with God. ³¹ And behold— you will conceive in your womb and give-birth to a son. And you shall call His name Jesus. ³² This One will be great, and will be called ‘Son of the Most-High’. And the Lord God will give Him the throne of David, His father. ³³ And He will reign^[hb] over the house of Jacob forever. And there will not be an end of His kingdom”. ³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen, since I am not knowing^[hc] a man?” ³⁵ And having responded, the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most-High will overshadow you. For this reason^[hd] also the Holy Child being born will be called God’s Son. ³⁶ And behold— Elizabeth your relative also herself has conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her, the one being called barren, ³⁷ because no word^[he] from God will be impossible”. ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold the slave of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”. And the angel departed from her.

Mary Goes To See Elizabeth

³⁹ And having arisen during these days, Mary proceeded to the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it came about that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped^[hf] in her womb.

Elizabeth Recognizes Mary As The Mother of Her Lord

And Elizabeth was filled^[hg] with the Holy Spirit, ⁴² and exclaimed with a loud shout and said, “You are blessed^[hh] among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³ And why^[hi] has this happened to me— that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold— when the sound of your greeting came-to-be in my ears, the baby leaped with gladness in my womb. ⁴⁵ And blessed^[hj] is she having believed that^[hk] there will be a fulfillment to the things having been spoken to her from the Lord”.

Mary Rejoices Over God Her Savior

⁴⁶ And Mary said, “My soul magnifies^[hl] the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoiced-greatly over God my Savior. ⁴⁸ Because He looked-upon^[hm] the lowliness^[hn] of His slave, for behold— from now on, all generations will consider me blessed^[ho], ⁴⁹ because the Powerful One did great things for me. And His name is holy. ⁵⁰ And His mercy to generations and generations is on the ones fearing Him. ⁵¹ He did a mighty-deed^[hp] with His arm. He scattered ones proud^[hq] in the thought^[hr] of their heart. ⁵² He brought-down rulers from their thrones, and lifted-up lowly ones. ⁵³ He filled ones being hungry with good things, and sent ones being rich away empty. ⁵⁴ He helped Israel His servant so that He might remember^[hs] mercy, ⁵⁵ just as He spoke to our fathers— to Abraham, and to his seed forever”. ⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her house.

Elizabeth Bears a Son, Who Is Named John. People Wonder What This Child Will Be

⁵⁷ Now for Elizabeth, the time was fulfilled that she might give-birth, and she bore a son. ⁵⁸ And the neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord magnified His mercy with her, and they were rejoicing-with her. ⁵⁹ And it came about that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they^[ht] were calling^[hu] him Zechariah, on the basis of the name of his father. ⁶⁰ And having responded, his mother said, “No! Instead he will be called John”. ⁶¹ And they said to her that “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name”. ⁶² And they were motioning to his father as to what he would wish him to be called. ⁶³ And having asked-for a tablet, he wrote, saying “John is his name”. And they all marveled. ⁶⁴ And at-once his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed. And he was speaking, blessing God. ⁶⁵ And awe came over all the ones living around them. And all these things were being talked-over in the whole hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ And all the ones having heard it put these matters in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” For^[hv] indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah Prophesies That John Will Prepare The Way For The Messiah

⁶⁷ And Zechariah, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying ⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God^[hw] of Israel, because He visited us and accomplished^[hx] redemption for His people, ⁶⁹ and raised-up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant (⁷⁰ just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from the past age^[hy]), ⁷¹ a salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all the ones hating us, ⁷² so as to show mercy to^[hz] our fathers and remember^[ia] His holy covenant (⁷³ the oath which He swore to Abraham our father)— that He might grant to us that ⁷⁴ having been delivered from the hand of our enemies, we might be serving^[ib] Him fearlessly ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before Him for all our days. ⁷⁶ And indeed you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most-High. For you will go before the Lord so as to prepare His ways^[ic], ⁷⁷ that you might give^[id] His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins ⁷⁸ because of the deep-feelings-of mercy of our God, with which^[ie] the rising^[if] Sun from on-high will visit us ⁷⁹ so as to shine-upon the ones sitting in darkness and a shadow of death, that He might direct^[ig] our feet into the way of peace”.

John Remains In Seclusion Until His Public Appearance To Israel

⁸⁰ And the child was growing and becoming-strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate places until the day of his public-appearance^[ih] to Israel.