So<n id="1" /> the beast<n id="2" /> opened his mouth to blaspheme against God &#8211; to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place,<n id="3" /> that is, those who dwell in heaven.

and said to him, &#8220;If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, &#8216;<b><i>He will command his angels concerning youi>b>&#8217;<n id="1" /> and &#8216;<b><i>with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stonei>b>.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;Be<n id="1" /> careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people.<n id="2" /> Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

But Jesus said, &#8220;Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.&#8221;<n id="1" />

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although<n id="1" /> you saw this, you did not later change your minds<n id="2" /> and believe him.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;For this reason I<n id="1" /> am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,<n id="2" /> some of whom you will kill and crucify,<n id="3" /> and some you will flog<n id="4" /> in your synagogues<n id="5" /> and pursue from town to town,

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you!<n id="2" /> How often I have longed<n id="3" /> to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but<n id="4" /> you would have none of it!<n id="5" />

Then he came to the disciples and said to them, &#8220;Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

As<n id="1" /> he was sitting on the judgment seat,<n id="2" /> his wife sent a message<n id="3" /> to him:<n id="4" /> &#8220;Have nothing to do with that innocent man;<n id="5" /> I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream<n id="6" /> about him today.&#8221;

People<n id="1" /> from the whole Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem<n id="2" /> were going out to him, and he was baptizing them<n id="3" /> in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

But as the man<n id="1" /> went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus<n id="2" /> was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still<n id="3" /> they kept coming<n id="4" /> to him from everywhere.p>

But<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, &#8220;Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you,<n id="3" /> that he had mercy on you.&#8221;

Isn&#8217;t this the carpenter, the son<n id="1" /> of Mary<n id="2" /> and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren&#8217;t his sisters here with us?&#8221; And so they took offense at him.

He<n id="1" /> saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending,<n id="2" /> he came to them walking on the sea,<n id="3" /> for<n id="4" /> he wanted to pass by them.<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> left that place and went to the region of Judea and<n id="3" /> beyond the Jordan River.<n id="4" /> Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them.

But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, &#8220;Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.<n id="1" />

And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest&#8217;s courtyard. He<n id="1" /> was sitting with the guards<n id="2" /> and warming himself by the fire.

Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council,<n id="1" /> who was himself looking forward to<n id="2" /> the kingdom of God,<n id="3" /> went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.<n id="4" />

But the angel said to him, &#8220;Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard,<n id="1" /> and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you<n id="2" /> will name him John.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">Zechariah<n id="1" /> said to the angel, &#8220;How can I be sure of this?<n id="2" /> For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.&#8221;<n id="3" />