Now ¹  there was a man in Jerusalem ²  named Simeon who was righteous ³  and devout, looking for the restoration ⁴  of Israel, and the Holy Spirit ⁵  was upon him.

Now ¹  Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, ²  and the crowd was pressing around him ³  to hear the word of God.

Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons ¹  cast them ²  out? Therefore they will be your judges.

Now ¹  in the synagogue ²  there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean ³  demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,

Now they were all ¹  wailing and mourning ²  for her, but he said, “Stop your weeping; she is not dead but asleep.”

Now one of the Pharisees ¹  asked Jesus ²  to have dinner with him, so ³  he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ⁴ 

Now ¹  a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage ²  for twelve years ³  but could not be healed by anyone.

Now people ¹  were even bringing their babies ²  to him for him to touch. ³  But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them. ⁴ 

Now on the first day ¹  of the week, at early dawn, the women ²  went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices ³  they had prepared.

Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, ¹  and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be ²  cut down and thrown into the fire.”

But Abraham said, ‘Child, ¹  remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. ² 

He said to them, “But now, the one who ¹  has a money bag must take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag ²  too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one.

Now ¹  when the time came for their ²  purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary ³  brought Jesus ⁴  up to Jerusalem ⁵  to present him to the Lord

Now ¹  one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine ²  at the house of a leader ³  of the Pharisees, ⁴  they were watching ⁵  him closely.

“Now ¹  the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. ²  The ³  rich man also died and was buried. ⁴ 

and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners. ¹  Then ²  Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on ³  you will be catching people.” ⁴ 

Now ¹  when he approached Bethphage ²  and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, ³  he sent two of the disciples,

After Jesus left ¹  the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus ²  to help her. ³ 

But we had hoped ¹  that he was the one who was going to redeem ²  Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened.

(Now ¹  all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, ²  acknowledged ³  God’s justice, because they had been baptized ⁴  with John’s baptism.