Read the Gospels in 40 Days
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac. Isaac begat Jacob. Jacob begat Judas and his brethren.
3 Judas begat Phares and Zara, of Thamar. Phares begat Esrom. Esrom begat Aram.
4 Aram begat Aminadab. Aminadab begat Naasson. Naasson begat Salmon.
5 Salmon begat Booz, of Rachab. Booz begat Obed, of Ruth. Obed begat Jesse.
6 Jesse begat David the king. David the king begat Solomon, of her that was Urias's wife.
7 Solomon begat Roboam. Roboam begat Abia. Abia begat Asa.
8 Asa begat Josaphat. Josaphat begat Joram. Joram begat Ozias.
9 Ozias begat Joatham. Joatham begat Achaz. Achaz begat Ezekias.
10 Ezekias begat Manasses. Manasses begat Amon. Amon begat Josias.
11 Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, into the transmigration of Babylon.
12 And after the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel. Salathiel begat Zorobabel.
13 Zorobabel begat Abiud. Abiud begat Eliakim. Eliakim begat Azor.
14 Azor begat Sadoc. Sadoc begat Achim. Achim begat Eliud.
15 Eliud begat Eleazar. Eleazar begat Matthan. Matthan begat Jacob.
16 Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, that is called Christ.
17 And so all the generations from Abraham to David be fourteen generations, and from David [till] to the transmigration of Babylon be fourteen generations, and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ [and from the transmigration of Babylon unto Christ] be fourteen generations.
18 But the generation of Christ was thus. When Mary, the mother of Jesus, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found having of the Holy Ghost in the womb. [Forsooth the generation of Christ was this. When Mary, his mother, was spoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found having in the womb of the Holy Ghost.]
19 And Joseph, her husband, for he was rightful, and would not publish her, he would privily have left her.[a]
20 But while he thought these things, lo! the angel of the Lord appeared to him in sleep, and said [lo! the angel of the Lord appeared in sleep, or sweven, to him, saying], Joseph, the son of David, do not thou dread to take Mary, thy wife; for that thing that is born in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall make his people safe from their sins.
22 For all this thing was done, that it should be fulfilled, that was said of the Lord by a prophet, saying,
23 Lo! a virgin shall have in [the] womb, and she shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, that is to say [that is interpreted], God with us.
24 And Joseph rose [up] from sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary, his wife; [Soothly Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord bade him, and took his wife;]
25 and he knew her not, till she had born her first begotten son, and he called his name Jesus.
2 Therefore when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, lo! astrologers [lo! kings, or wise men,] came from the east to Jerusalem,
2 and said [saying], Where is he, that is born [the] king of Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and we have come to worship him.
3 But king Herod heard, and was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And he gathered together all the princes of priests, and scribes of the people, and inquired of them, where Christ should be born.
5 And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Juda; for so it is written by a prophet,
6 And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda; for of thee a duke shall go out, that shall govern my people Israel.
7 Then Herod called privily the astrologers [the kings], and learned busily of them [busily learned of them] the time of the star that appeared to them.
8 And he sent them into Bethlehem, and said, Go ye, and ask ye busily of the child, and when ye have found, tell ye it to me [tell again to me], that I also come, and worship him.
9 And when they had heard the king, they went forth [went away]. And lo! the star, that they saw in the east [And lo! the star which they saw in the east], went before them, till it came, and stood above, where the child was.
10 And they saw the star, and joyed with a full great joy.
11 And they entered into the house, and found the child with Mary, his mother; and they felled down, and worshipped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they offered to him gifts, gold, incense, and myrrh.
12 And when they had taken an answer in sleep, that they should not turn again to Herod, they turned again by another way into their [own] country.[b]
13 And when they were gone [And when they had gone away], lo! the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in sleep, and said [saying], Rise up, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there, till that I say to thee; for it is to come, that Herod seek the child, to destroy him [to lose him].
14 And Joseph rose [up], and took the child and his mother by night, and went into Egypt,
15 and he was there till the death of Herod; that it should be fulfilled, that was said of the Lord by the prophet, saying, From Egypt I have called my son.
16 Then Herod seeing that he was scorned, either deceived, of the astrologers [Then Herod seeing that he was scorned, or deceived, of the kings], was full wroth; and he sent, and slew all the children, that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years age and within, after the time that he had inquired of the astrologers [after the time that he had sought out of the kings].
17 Then it was fulfilled, that was said by Jeremy, the prophet, saying,
18 A voice was heard on high, weeping and much wailing, Rachel beweeping her sons, and she would not be comforted, for they be nought [for they be not].
19 But when Herod was dead, lo! the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in sleep in Egypt, [Soothly Herod dead, lo! the angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt,]
20 and said [saying], Rise up, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they that sought the life of the child be dead.
21 Joseph rose [up], and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 And he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judaea for Herod, his father, and dreaded to go thither. And he was warned in sleep, and went into the parts of Galilee;
23 and [he] came, and dwelt in a city, that is called Nazareth, that it should be fulfilled, that was said by prophets, For he shall be called a Nazarene.
3 In those days John Baptist came, and preached in the desert of Judaea, [In those days came John Baptist, preaching in the desert of Judaea,]
2 and said, Do ye penance, for the kingdom of heavens shall approach.[c]
3 For this is he, of whom it is said by Esaias, the prophet, saying, A voice of a crier in desert, Make ye ready the ways of the Lord; make ye right the paths of him.[d]
4 And this John [Forsooth that same John] had clothing of camel's hairs, and a girdle of skin about his loins; and his meat was honeysuckles [soothly his meat was locusts], and honey of the wood.
5 Then Jerusalem went out to him, and all Judaea, and all the country about Jordan;
6 and they were washed of him in Jordan [and were christened of him in Jordan], acknowledging their sins.
7 But he saw many of the Pharisees and of Sadducees coming to his baptism, and said to them, Generation of adders, who showed to you to flee from the wrath that is to come? [Soothly he seeing many of Pharisees and of Sadducees coming to his baptism, said to them, Generations of adders, who showed to you to flee from wrath to come?]
8 Therefore do ye worthy fruits of penance,
9 and do not ye say within you, We have Abraham to our father; for I say to you, that God is mighty to raise up of these stones the sons of Abraham.
10 And now the ax is put to the root of the tree; therefore every tree that maketh not good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.
11 I wash you in water [Soothly I christen you in water], into penance; but he that shall come after me is stronger than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you [he shall baptize, or christen, you] in the Holy Ghost and [in] fire.
12 Whose winnowing cloth is in his hand, and he shall fully cleanse his corn floor, and shall gather his wheat into his barn; but the chaff he shall burn with fire that may not be quenched.[e]
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee into Jordan to John, to be baptized of him [to be christened of him].
14 And John forbade him, and said, I owe to be baptized of thee, and thou comest to me? [Soothly John forbade him, saying, I owe to be christened of thee, and comest thou to me?]
15 But Jesus answered, and said to him, Suffer now, for thus it falleth to us to fulfill all rightwiseness [Forsooth Jesus answering said to him, Suffer now, for so it becometh us to fulfill all rightwiseness]. Then John suffered him.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, at once he went up from the water [Forsooth Jesus christened ascended up anon from the water]; and lo! heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove, and coming on him [and coming upon him];
17 and lo! a voice from heaven, saying, This is my loved Son [and lo! a voice from heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son], in which I have well pleased to me.
2001 by Terence P. Noble