The Home in Nazareth^(A)

¹⁹ Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ^20 (B)saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who ^(C)sought the young Child’s life are dead.” ²¹ Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a ^(D)dream, he turned aside ^(E)into the region of Galilee. ²³ And he came and dwelt in a city called ^(F)Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled ^(G)which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

^40 (A)And the Child grew and became strong ^[a]in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars

⁴¹ His parents went to ^(B)Jerusalem ^(C)every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the ^(D)custom of the feast. ⁴³ When they had finished the ^(E)days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And ^[b]Joseph and His mother did not know it; ⁴⁴ but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. ⁴⁶ Now so it was that 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 ^(F)all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. ⁴⁸ So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

⁴⁹ And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be ^(G)about ^(H)My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰ But ^(I)they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Jesus Advances in Wisdom and Favor

⁵¹ Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was ^[c]subject to them, but His mother ^(J)kept all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus ^(K)increased in wisdom and stature, ^(L)and in favor with God and men.

⁸⁰ So ^(A)the child grew and became strong in spirit, and ^(B)was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

1 The ^(B)beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, ^(C)the Son of God.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, ^(B)Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ^2 [a]while ^(C)Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to ^(D)John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. ^3 (E)And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance ^(F)for the remission of sins,

² and saying, “Repent, for ^(A)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

² As it is written in ^[a]the Prophets:

⁴ Now ^(A)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^(B)locusts and ^(C)wild honey. ^5 (D)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ^6 (E)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^(F)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(G)the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves, ^(H)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. ^(I)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.