Hi, friends. I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament and the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

And these are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

We'll read three chapters a day and finish all four books in 30 days. So go ahead and subscribe if you haven't.

Join us as we read the Gospels together. And today we start the book of Matthew with a lot of names, so buckle up.

So I'll read three chapters to you today. You can listen or read along in your own Bible, and then I will pray, and that's it.

So today is January 16th, day 16, and I'll be reading Matthew chapters one through three.

And the translation I'm reading from this month is NIV 84.

This is Matthew chapter one, the genealogy of Jesus, a record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac, the father of Jacob, Jacob, the father of Judah, and his brothers. Judah, the father of Perez and Zara, whose mother was Tamar.

Perez, the father of Hezran, Hezran, the father of Ram, Ram, the father of Aminadab, Aminadab, the father of Nashon, Nashon, the father of Salman, Salman, the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, and Boaz, the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth.

Obed, the father of Jesse, and Jesse, the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been your eye as wife.

Solomon, the father of Rehobom, Rehobom, the father of Abijah, Abijah, the father of Asah, Asah, the father of Jehosefat, Jehosefat, the father of Joram, Joram, the father of Yusaya, Yusaya, the father of Jotham, Jotham, the father of Ahaz.

Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah, the father of Menasa, Menasa, the father of Amin, Amin, the father of Josiah, and Josiah, the father of Jekinaya, and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon, Jekinaya was the father of Shiaultil, Shiaultil, the father of Zerubabel, Zerubabel, the father of Abiyud, Abiyud, the father of Alayakim, Alayakim, the father of Azir, Azir, the father of Zadok, Zadok, the father of Akim, Akim, the father of Alayud, Alayud, the father of Alayazir, Alayazir, the father of Matan, Matan, the father of Jacob, and Jacob, the father of Joseph,

the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who was called Christ. Thus there were 14 generations and all from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon, and 14 from the exile to the Christ, the birth of Jesus Christ.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had a mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary home with her wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. The Virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him a manual, which means God with us.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife, but he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Jesus.

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