The Life of Jesus

And all that heard him, were astonied at his vnderstanding and answeres.

So when they sawe him, they were amased, and his mother said vnto him, Sonne, why hast thou thus dealt with vs? beholde, thy father and I haue sought thee with very heauie hearts.

Then said he vnto them, Howe is it that ye sought me? knewe ye not that I must goe about my Fathers busines?

But they vnderstoode not the word that he spake to them.

Then hee went downe with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subiect to them: and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

And Iesus increased in wisedome, and stature, and in fauour with God and men.

Nowe in the fifteenth yeere of the reigne of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being gouernour of Iudea, and Herod being Tetrarch of Galile, and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea, and of the countrey of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene,

(When Annas and Caiaphas were the hie Priestes) the worde of God came vnto Iohn, the sonne of Zacharias in the wildernes.

And hee came into all the coastes about Iordan, preaching the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes,

As it is written in the booke of the sayings of Esaias the Prophet, which saith, The voyce of him that crieth in the wildernes is, Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make his paths straight.

Euery valley shalbe filled, and euery mountaine and hill shall be brought lowe, and crooked things shalbe made straight, and the rough wayes shalbe made smoothe.

And all flesh shall see the saluation of God.

Then said he to the people that were come out to be baptized of him, O generations of vipers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring foorth therefore fruites worthy amendment of life, and beginne not to say with your selues, We haue Abraham to our father: for I say vnto you, that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham.

Nowe also is the axe layed vnto the roote of the trees: therefore euery tree which bringeth not foorth good fruite, shalbe hewen downe, and cast into the fire.

Then the people asked him, saying, What shall we doe then?

And he answered, and said vnto them, He that hath two coates, let him part with him that hath none: and hee that hath meate, let him doe likewise.

Then came there Publicanes also to bee baptized, and saide vnto him, Master, what shall we doe?

And hee saide vnto them, Require no more then that which is appointed vnto you.

The souldiers likewise demaunded of him, saying, And what shall we doe? And he saide vnto them, Doe violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.

As the people waited, and all men mused in their heartes of Iohn, if he were not that Christ,

Iohn answered, and saide to them all, In deede I baptize you with water, but one stronger then I, commeth, whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to vnloose: hee will baptize you with the holy Ghost, and with fire.

Whose fanne is in his hande, and hee will make cleane his floore, and will gather the wheate into his garner, but the chaffe will hee burne vp with fire that neuer shalbe quenched.

Thus then exhorting with many other things, he preached vnto the people.

But when Herod the Tetrarch was rebuked of him, for Herodias his brother Philips wife, and for all the euils which Herod had done,