Book of Matthew	Click Verse Reference for Study Notes
2:1-23 - Study Chapter - Click for Chapter Audio

The Visit of the Wise Men

¹Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, ²saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. ³When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. ⁵And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

⁶And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
        art not the least among the princes of Judah:
         for out of thee shall come a Governor,
         that shall rule my people Israel.

⁷Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. ⁹When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. ¹¹And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. ¹²And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The Slaying of the Infants

¹³And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. ¹⁴When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: ¹⁵and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. ¹⁷Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁸In Ramah was there a voice heard,
        lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning,
         Rachel weeping for her children,
         and would not be comforted,
         because they are not.

¹⁹But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. ²¹And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archela'us did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: ²³and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

 

Book of Matthew	Click Verse Reference for Study Notes
3:1-17 - Study Chapter - Click for Chapter Audio

The Preaching of John the Baptist
Mk. 1.1-8 · Lk. 3.1-9, 15-17 · Joh. 1.19-28

¹In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ²and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ³For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying,

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
         Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
         make his paths straight.

⁴And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, ⁶and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: ⁹and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ¹⁰And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

¹¹I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: ¹²whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The Baptism of Jesus
Mk. 1.9-11 · Lk. 3.21, 22

¹³Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ¹⁴But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? ¹⁵And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. ¹⁶And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: ¹⁷and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

Book of Matthew	Click Verse Reference for Study Notes
4:1-25 - Study Chapter - Click for Chapter Audio

The Temptation of Jesus
Mk. 1.12, 13 · Lk. 4.1-13

¹Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. ²And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward ahungered. ³And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

⁴But he answered and said, It is written,
        Man shall not live by bread alone,
         but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

⁵Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, ⁶and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,

He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:
         and in their hands they shall bear thee up,
         lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

⁷Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. ⁸Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; ⁹and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. ¹⁰Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written,

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
         and him only shalt thou serve.

¹¹Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry
Mk. 1.14, 15 · Lk. 4.14, 15

¹²Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; ¹³and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Caper'na-um, which is upon the seacoast, in the borders of Zeb'ulun and Naph'tali: ¹⁴that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁵The land of Zeb'ulun, and the land of Naph'tali,
        by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan,
         Galilee of the Gentiles;

¹⁶the people which sat in darkness saw great light;
        and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death
         light is sprung up.

¹⁷From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus Calls Four Fishermen
Mk. 1.16-20 · Lk. 5.1-11

¹⁸And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. ¹⁹And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ²⁰And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. ²¹And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zeb'edee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zeb'edee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. ²²And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude
Lk. 6.17-19

²³And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. ²⁴And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. ²⁵And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decap'olis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.