Part 21

The people asked him, What shall we do? He answered, He that has two coats, let him give it to him that has none. He that has food, let him do likewise. The publicans who came to him to be baptized also asked, Master, what shall we do? He said to them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. The soldiers, likewise, asked, What shall we do? He said, Do violence to no man, do not accuse anyone falsely; and be content with your wages.

People lived in expectation and wondered whether he was the Christ. John answered by saying to them all, I baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with a fire whose fan is in His hand. He will thoroughly purge His floor. He will gather the wheat into His garner; but He will burn the chaff with fire unquenchable.

Herod, the tetrarch, had been reproved by John on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife and for all the evils which Herod had done. Herod held this against him. Then, when Herod heard what John was saying, he had John imprisoned.

When Jesus, also being baptized, was praying, the heaven opened and the Holy Spirit, in a bodily shape like a dove, descended upon Him. A voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son. In thee I am well pleased.

Jesus was about thirty years of age, the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, which was the son of Joseph, son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, which was the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda.

Joda was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zerubbabel, which was the son of Shealtiel, which was the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, which was the son of Er, the son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, son of Levi.

Levi was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Judah, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonam, which was the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, which was the son of Menna, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, the son of Jesse, son of Obed, which was the son of Boaz, which was the son of Sala.

Sala was the son of Nahshon, son of Amminadab, which was the son of Admin, the son of Arni, which was the son of Hezron, the son of Pherez, son of Judah, the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac.

Isaac was the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, son of Nahor, which was the son of Serug, the son of Reu, son of Peleg, which was the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, son of Noah.

Noah was the son of Lamech, which was the son of Mathuselah, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

4 Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. For forty days He was tempted by the devil. During this time He ate nothing and, when His fasting ended, He was hungry.

The devil said to him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone to be made bread. Jesus answered, It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

The devil, then, took Him up into a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to Him, I give thee the power and glory of all this that is mine and to whomever I give it. If thou will worship me, all shall be thine. Jesus said to him, Get thee behind me, Satan. It is written: Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shall thou serve.

The devil brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on a pinnacle of the temple and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from here. It is written: He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee, and, in their hands, they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said, Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God.

When the devil had ended all the temptation, He departed from Him for a season. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. His fame spread throughout all the region. He taught in the synagogues and was glorified by all.

Jesus went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and stood up to read. He was given the book of the prophet Isaiah. When He opened the book, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

He closed the book, returned it, and sat down. The eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. Jesus said to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

All bore Him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded from His mouth. They said, Is this not Joseph's son? He said to them, Ye will surely say to me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself. Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

And He said, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elias sent, except to Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.

When they heard these things, all who were in the synagogue were filled with wrath. They rose up and pushed Him out of the city. They drove Him to the top of the hill upon which their city was built so they might cast Him down headlong. But, passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Jesus went on to Capernaum in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. They were astonished at His doctrine for His word was powerful. There was a man in the synagogue who had a spirit of an unclean devil which cried out with a loud voice, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art; the Holy One of God.

Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. When the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him. The people were amazed and said, What words are these! With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out. His fame went out into every corner of that country.

Jesus went out of the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Simon's wife's mother had a serious fever and they besought Him to help her. Jesus stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she arose and ministered to them.

Now when the sun was setting, many who were sick with divers diseases were brought to Him. He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. Devils came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ, the Son of God. Jesus rebuked and silenced them because they knew that He was Christ.

When it was day, He left and went into a desert place. The people looked for Him. When they found Him, they tried to prevent Him from departing from them. But Jesus said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also. This is why I was sent. And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

5 As the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret. He saw two ships standing by the lake. The fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets. He entered one of the ships, which was Simon's, and requested that he thrust out a little from the land. Then He sat down and taught the people from the ship.

When He finished speaking, He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let down your nets. Simon said to Him, Master, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net.

When he and his crew had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fish and their net broke. They beckoned to their partners, who were in another ship, to come and help them. They came and filled both the ships so full that they began to sink.