Every year His parents went to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover.
When He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the
custom of the feast. When they had fulfilled the days, they returned,
but the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and His mother
did not know of it. Supposing Him to have been in the caravan, at the
end of the first day's journey, they sought Him among their kinsfolk
and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they turned back toward
Jerusalem to find Him.
After three days, they found Him in the temple. He was sitting in the
midst of the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions.
Those who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
When His parents saw Him, they were amazed. His mother said to Him,
Son, why has thou done this to us? Thy father and I have been very
worried. He said, How is it that ye sought me? Do you not know that I
must be about my Father's business? But they did not understand what
He said to them. Then He went with them to Nazareth and was obedient
to them; but His mother kept all this in her heart. Jesus increased in
wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man.
3 It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.
Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea; Herod was tetrarch of Galilee;
and his brother, Philip, was tetrarch of Ituraea and the region of
Trachonitis; and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas
were the high priests.
The word of God came to John the son of Zacharias when he was in the
wilderness. He went into all the country around Jordan, preaching the
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. This was according to
what is written in the book of Esaias the prophet: The voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths
straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill
shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the
rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation
of God.
John said to the multitude that came to be baptized by him, O
generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to
come? Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. Stop saying to
yourselves, We have our father, Abraham: for I tell you, God is able
to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Now the axe is laid
to the root of the trees. Every tree which does not bring forth good
fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.
The people asked him, What shall we do? He answered, He that has two
coats, let him give it to him that has none. He that has food, let him
do likewise. The publicans who came to him to be baptized also asked,
Master, what shall we do? He said to them, Exact no more than that
which is appointed you. The soldiers, likewise, asked, What shall we
do? He said, Do violence to no man, do not accuse anyone falsely; and
be content with your wages.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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