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- While the Jews were advising Zacchaeus, the child laughed loudly and said, "Now let the infertile bear fruit and the blind see and the deaf in the understanding of their own heart hear: [2] I've come from above so that I might save those who are below and summoned them up to higher things, just as the one who sent me commanded me." [3] When the child stopped speaking, all those who had fallen under the curse were saved instantly. [4] And from then on no one dared to anger him for fear of being cursed and maimed for life.
- A few days later Jesus was playing on the roof of a house when one of the children he was playing with him fell off the roof and died. When the other children saw what happened, they fled, leaving Jesus standing there all by himself. [2] The parents of the dead child came and accused Jesus: "You troublemaker you, your the one who threw him down." [3] Jesus responded, "I didn't throw him down, he threw himself down. He just wasn't being careful and leapt down from the roof and died." [4] Then Jesus himself leapt down from the roof and stood by the body of the child and shouted in a loud voice: "Zeno!"--that was his name--"Get up and tell me: Did I push you?" [5] He got up immediately and said, "No, Lord, you didn't push me, you raised me up." [6] Those who saw were astonished, and the parents of the child praised God for the miracle that had happened and worshiped Jesus.
- A few days later a young man was splitting wood in the neighborhood when his ax slipped and cut off the bottom of his foot. He was dying from the loss of blood. [2] The crowd rushed there in an uproar, and the boy Jesus ran too. He forced his way through the crowd and grabbed hold of the young man's wounded foot. It was healed instantly. [3] He said to the youth, "Get up now, split your wood, and remember me." [4] The crowd saw what happened and worshiped the child, saying, "Truly the spirit of God dwells in this child."
- When he was six tears old, his mother sent him to draw water and bring it back to the house. [2] But he lost his grip on the pitcher in the jostling of the crowd, and it fell and broke. [3] So Jesus spread out his cloak he was wearing and filled it with water and carried it back to his mother. [4] His mother, once she saw the miracle that had occured, kissed him; but she kept to herself the mysteries she seen him do.
- Again during sowing season, the child went out with his father to sow their field with grain. While his father was sowing, the child Jesus sowed one measure of grain. [2] When he had harvested and threshed it, it yielded one hundred measures. [3] Then he summoned all the poor in the village to the threshing floor and gave them grain. Joseph carried back what was left of the grain. [4] Jesus was eight years old when he did this miracle.
- Now Jesus's father was a carpenter, making ploughs and yokes at that time. He received an order from a rich man to make a bed for him. [2] When one board of what is called a crossbeam turned out shorter than the other, and Joseph didn't know what to do, the child Jesus said to his father, "Put the two boards down and line them up at one end." [3] Joseph did as the child instructed. Jesus stood at the other end and grabbed hold of the shorter board, and, by stretching it, made it the same length as the other. [4] Joseph looked on and marvelled, and he hugged and kissed the child saying, "How fortunate I am that God has given this child to me."
- Whe Joseph saw the child's aptitude, and his great intelligence for his age, he again took him over to another teacher. [2] The teacher said to Joseph, "First I'll teach him Greek, then Hebrew." This teacher, of course, knew of the child's previous experience (with a teacher) and was afraid of him. Still, he wrote out the alphabet and instructed him for quite a while, though Jesus was unresponsive. [3] Then Jesus spoke: "If you're really a teacher, and if you know the letters well, tell me the meaning of the letter alpha, and I'll tell you the meaning of beta." [4] The teacher became exasperated and hit him on the head. Jesus got angry and cursed him, and the teacher immediately lost consciousness and fell face first on the ground. [5] The child returned to Joseph's home. But Joseph was upset and gave instruction to his mother: "Don't let him go outside, because those who annoy him end up dead."
- After some time another teacher, a close friend of Joseph, said to him, "send the child to my classroom, Perhaps with some flattery I can teach him some letters." [2] Joseph replied, "If you can muster the courage, brother, take him with you." And so he took him along with much fear and trepidation, but the child was happy to go along. [3] Jesus strode boldly into the classroom and found a book lying on the desk. He took the book but did not read the letters in it. Rather, he opened his mouth and spoke by (the power of) the Holy Spirit and taught the law to those standing there. [4] A large crowd gathered and stood listening to him, and they marveled at the maturity of his teaching and his readiness of speach--a mere child able to say such things. [5] When Joseph heard about this he feared the worst and ran to the schoolroom, imagining that the teacher was having trouble with Jesus. [6] But the teacher said to Joseph, "Brother, please know that I accept this child as a student, but he is already full of grace and wisdom. So I'm asking you, brother, take him back home.[7] When the child heard this, he immediately smiled at him and said, "Because you have spoken and testified rightly, that other teacher who was struck down will be healed." And right away he was. Joseph took the child and went home.
- Joseph sent his son James to tie up some wood and carry it back to the house, and the child Jesus followed. While James was gathering the firewood, a viper bit his hand. [2] And as he lay sprawled out on the ground, dying, Jesus came and blew on the bite. Immediately the pain stopped, the animal burst apart, and James got better on the spot.
- After this incident an infant in Joseph's neighborhood became sick and died, and his mother grieved terribly. Jesus heard the loud wailing and the uproar that was going on and quickly ran there. [2] When he found the child dead, he touched his chest and said, "I say to you, infant, don't die but live, and be with your mother." An immediately the infant looked up and laughed. Jesus, then said to the woman, "Take it, give it your breast, and remember me." [4] The crowd of onlookers marveled at this: "Truly this child is a god or a heavenly messenger of God--whatever he says instantly happens." But Jesus left and went playing with the other children.
- A year later, while a building was under construction, a man fell from the top and died. There was quite a commotion, so Jesus got up and went there. [2] When he saw the man lying dead, he took his hand and said, "I say to you sir, get up and go back to work." And he immediately got up and worshipped him. [3] The crowd saw this and marveled: "This child's from heaven--he must be, because he has saved many souls from death, and he can go on saving all his life."
- When he was twelve years old his parents went to Jerusalem, as usual, for the Passover festival, along with their fellow travelers. [2] After Passover they began their journey home. But while on their way, the child Jesus went back to Jerusalem. His parents, of course, assumed that he was with the traveling party. [3] After they had traveled one day, they began to look for him among the relatives. When they did not find him, they were worried and returned again to the city to search for him. [4] After three days they found him in the temple area, sitting among the teachers, listening to the law and asking them questions. [5] All eyes were on him, and everyone was astounded that he, a mere child, could interrogate the elders and teachers of the people and explain the main points of the law and parables of the prophets. [6] His mother Mary came up to him and said, "Child, why have you done this to us? Don't you see, we've been worried sick looking for you." [7] "Why are you looking for me?" Jesus said to them. "Don't you know that I have to be in my father's house." [8] Then the scholars and the Pharisees said, "Are you the mother of this child?" [9] She said, "I am." [10] And they said to her, "You more than any woman are to be congradulated, for God has blessed the fruit of your womb! For we have never seen nor heard such glory and such virtue and wisdom." [11] Jesus got up and went with his mother, and was obedient to his parents. His mother took careful note of all that had happened. [12] And Jesus continued to excel in learning and gained respect. [13] To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen
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