Mark 1-8
New American Standard Bible
4John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.
7And he was preaching, saying, 'After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to bend down and untie the straps of His sandals.
8I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him;
11and a voice came from the heavens: 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'
12And immediately the Spirit *brought Him out into the wilderness.
13And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him.
14Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
15and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.'
16As He was going along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.
17And Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.'
18Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
19And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who were also in the boat mending the nets.
20Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and went away to follow Him.
21They *went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach.
22And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
23Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24saying, 'What business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are: the Holy One of God!'
25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet, and come out of him!'
26After throwing him into convulsions and crying out with a loud voice, the unclean spirit came out of him.
27And they were all amazed, so they debated among themselves, saying, 'What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.'
28Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding region of Galilee.
29And immediately after they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and they immediately *spoke to Jesus about her.
31And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she served them.
32Now when evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed.
33And the whole city had gathered at the door.
34And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
35And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time.
36Simon and his companions eagerly searched for Him;
37and they found Him and *said to Him, 'Everyone is looking for You.'
38He *said to them, 'Let’s go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may also preach there; for this is why I came.'
39And He went into their synagogues preaching throughout Galilee, and casting out the demons.
40And a man with leprosy *came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.'
41Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and *said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'
42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
43And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away,
44and He *said to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'
45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.
Chapter 2
1When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3And some people *came, bringing to Him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men. 4And when they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.' 6But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, 7Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?' 8Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, *said to them, 'Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—He *said to the paralyzed man, 11I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.' 12And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!'
15And it *happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.
16When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, 'Why is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?'
17And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'
18John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, 'Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?'
19And Jesus said to them, 'While the groom is with them, the attendants of the groom cannot fast, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.
20But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast, on that day.
21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.
22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.'
23And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.
24The Pharisees were saying to Him, 'Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?'
25And He *said to them, 'Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;
26how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?'
27Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
28So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.'
Chapter 3
1He entered a synagogue again; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2And they were watching Him closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3He *said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and come forward!' 4And He *said to them, 'Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?' But they kept silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might put Him to death.
7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a large multitude from Galilee followed, and also from Judea,
8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard about everything that He was doing and came to Him.
9And He told His disciples to see that a boat would be ready for Him because of the masses, so that they would not crowd Him;
10for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had diseases pushed in around Him in order to touch Him.
11And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, 'You are the Son of God!'
12And He strongly warned them not to reveal who He was.
13And He *went up on the mountain and *summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him.
14And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
15and to have authority to cast out the demons.
16And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),
17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, 'Sons of Thunder');
18and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot;
19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
20And He *came home, and the crowd *gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal.
21And when His own people heard about this, they came out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, 'He has lost His senses.'
22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul,' and 'He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.'
23And so He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables: 'How can Satan cast out Satan?
24And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!
27But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.
28Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons and daughters of men, and whatever blasphemies they commit;
29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin'—
30because they were saying, 'He has an unclean spirit.'
31Then His mother and His brothers *came, and while standing outside they sent word to Him, calling for Him.
32And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, 'Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.'
33Answering them, He *said, 'Who are My mother and My brothers?'
34And looking around at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, 'Here are My mother and My brothers!
35For whoever does the will of God, this is My brother, and sister, and mother.'
Chapter 4
1Again He began to teach by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat on the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.' 9And He was saying, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'
10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables.
11And He was saying to them, 'To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables,
12so that WHILE SEEING THEY MAY SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR, AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM.'
13And He *said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?
14The sower sows the word.
15These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
16And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
17and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they fall away.
18And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.'
21And He was saying to them, 'A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?
22For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.'
24And He was saying to them, 'Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.
25For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.'
26And He was saying, 'The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
27and he goes to bed at night and gets up daily, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know.
28The soil produces crops by itself; first the stalk, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.
29Now when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.'
30And He was saying, 'How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?
31It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is the smallest of all the seeds that are upon the soil,
32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants, and forms large branches, with the result that THE BIRDS OF THE SKY can NEST UNDER its shade.'
33And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to understand it;
34and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
35On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, 'Let’s go over to the other side.'
36After dismissing the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.
37And a fierce gale of wind *developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water.
38And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?'
39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
40And He said to them, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?'
41They became very much afraid and said to one another, 'Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'
Chapter 5
1They came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. 2When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. 3He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and cutting himself with stones. 6Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, 'What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!' 8For He had already been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!' 9And He was asking him, 'What is your name?' And he *said to Him, 'My name is Legion, for we are many.' 10And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region. 11Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding nearby on the mountain. 12And the demons begged Him, saying, 'Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.' 13Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
14Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened.
15And then they *came to Jesus and *saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the 'legion'; and they became frightened.
16Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the pigs.
17And they began to beg Him to leave their region.
18And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was begging Him that he might accompany Him.
19And He did not let him, but He *said to him, 'Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.'
20And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
21When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and He stayed by the seashore.
22And one of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, *came, and upon seeing Him, *fell at His feet
23and *pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, 'My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.'
24And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.
25A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,
26and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but instead had become worse—
27after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.
28For she had been saying to herself, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well.'
29And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
30And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power from Him had gone out, turned around in the crowd and said, 'Who touched My garments?'
31And His disciples said to Him, 'You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’?'
32And He looked around to see the woman who had done this.
33But the woman, fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
34And He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease.'
35While He was still speaking, people *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, 'Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further?'
36But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, 'Do not be afraid, only believe.'
37And He allowed no one to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
38They *came to the house of the synagogue official, and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing.
39And after entering, He *said to them, 'Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is asleep.'
40And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all outside, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was in bed.
41And taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, 'Talitha, kum!' (which translated means, 'Little girl, I say to you, get up!').
42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astonished.
43And He gave them strict orders that no one was to know about this, and He told them to have something given her to eat.
Chapter 6
1Jesus went out from there and *came into His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. 2And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, 'Where did this man learn these things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?' And they took offense at Him. 4Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.' 5And He could not do any miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
7And He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;
8and He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—
9but to wear sandals; and He added, 'Do not wear two tunics.'
10And He said to them, 'Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town.
11Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them.'
12And they went out and preached that people are to repent.
13And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
14And King Herod heard about it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, 'John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.'
15But others were saying, 'He is Elijah.' And others were saying, 'He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.'
16But when Herod heard about it, he kept saying, 'John, whom I beheaded, has risen!'
17For Herod himself had sent men and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her.
18For John had been saying to Herod, 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.'
19And Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death, and could not do so;
20for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he had been protecting him. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; and yet he used to enjoy listening to him.
21An opportune day came when Herod, on his birthday, held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders, and the leading people of Galilee;
22and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, 'Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.'
23And he swore to her, 'Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, up to half of my kingdom.'
24And she went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for?' And she said, 'The head of John the Baptist.'
25Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, 'I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.'
26And although the king was very sorry, because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.
27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29When his disciples heard about this, they came and carried away his body, and laid it in a tomb.
30The apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.
31And He *said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.' (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)
32And they went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.
33The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them.
34When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.
35And when it was already late, His disciples came up to Him and said, 'This place is secluded and it is already late;
36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.'
37But He answered them, 'You give them something to eat!' And they *said to Him, 'Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread, and give it to them to eat?'
38But He *said to them, 'How many loaves do you have? Go look!' And when they found out, they *said, 'Five, and two fish.'
39And He ordered them all to recline by groups on the green grass.
40They reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He gave them to the disciples again and again to set before them; and He divided the two fish among them all.
42And they all ate and were satisfied;
43and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces of bread, and of the fish.
44There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.
45And immediately Jesus had His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He Himself *dismissed the crowd.
46And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray.
47When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land.
48Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.
49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out;
50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, 'Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.'
51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished,
52for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
53When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored at the shore.
54And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,
55and ran about that entire country and began carrying here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to wherever they heard He was.
56And wherever He entered villages, or cities, or a countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were being healed.
Chapter 7
1The Pharisees and some of the scribes *gathered to Him after they came from Jerusalem, 2and saw that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unholy hands, that is, unwashed. 3(For the Pharisees and all the other Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thereby holding firmly to the tradition of the elders; 4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they completely cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received as traditions to firmly hold, such as the washing of cups, pitchers, and copper pots.) 5And the Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, 'Why do Your disciples not walk in accordance with the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unholy hands?'
6But He said to them, 'Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
7AND IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’
9He was also saying to them, 'You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
10For Moses said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘THE ONE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS CERTAINLY TO BE PUT TO DEATH’;
11but you say, ‘If a person says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is, given to God),’
12you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother;
13thereby invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.'
14After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, 'Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
15there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person .'
16
17And when He later entered a house, away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him about the parable.
18And He *said to them, 'Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him,
19because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?' ( Thereby He declared all foods clean.)
20And He was saying, 'That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person.
21For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery,
22deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
23All these evil things come from within and defile the person.'
24Now Jesus got up and went from there to the region of Tyre . And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know about it; and yet He could not escape notice.
25But after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.
26Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician descent. And she repeatedly asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27And He was saying to her, 'Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.'
28But she answered and *said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.'
29And He said to her, 'Because of this answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.'
30And after going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31Again He left the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis.
32And they *brought to Him one who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they *begged Him to lay His hand on him.
33And Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers in his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;
34and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He *said to him, 'Ephphatha!' that is, 'Be opened!'
35And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.
36And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.
37And they were utterly astonished, saying, 'He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.'
Chapter 8
1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus summoned His disciples and *said to them, 2I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me for three days already and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.' 4And His disciples replied to Him, 'Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?' 5And He was asking them, 'How many loaves do you have?' And they said, 'Seven.' 6And He *directed the people to recline on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve, and they served them to the people. 7They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He told the disciples to serve these as well. 8And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9About four thousand men were there; and He dismissed them. 10And immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
11And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him.
12Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, 'Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation!'
13And leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.
14And the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
15And He was giving orders to them, saying, 'Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod.'
16And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17And Jesus, aware of this, *said to them, 'Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet comprehend or understand? Do you still have your heart hardened?
18HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember,
19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?' They *said to Him, 'Twelve.'
20When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?' And they *said to Him, 'Seven.'
21And He was saying to them, 'Do you not yet understand?'
22And they *came to Bethsaida. And some people *brought a man who was blind to Jesus and *begged Him to touch him.
23Taking the man who was blind by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting in his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, 'Do you see anything?'
24And he looked up and said, 'I see people, for I see them like trees, walking around.'
25Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.
26And He sent him to his home, saying, 'Do not even enter the village.'
27Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, 'Who do people say that I am?'
28They told Him, saying, 'John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.'
29And He continued questioning them: 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and *said to Him, 'You are the Christ.'
30And He warned them to tell no one about Him.
31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead.
32And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but on man’s.'
34And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.
35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
37For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?
38For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.'
King James Version
2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
7And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
8I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
9And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
12And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
13And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
16Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
17And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
18And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
19And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
21And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
22And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
23And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
28And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
29And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
31And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
32And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
33And all the city was gathered together at the door.
34And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
36And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
38And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
42And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
43And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
45But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
Chapter 2
1And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts 9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
13And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
15And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
18And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
19And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
22And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
23And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him
26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Chapter 3
1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil to save life, or to kill But they held their peace. 5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
8And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
13And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan
24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren
34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Chapter 4
1And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
13And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable and how then will ye know all parables
14The sower soweth the word.
15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
18And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
21And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick
22For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
23If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
24And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
25For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
26And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God or with what comparison shall we compare it
31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
33And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
34But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
35And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful how is it that ye have no faith
41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Chapter 5
1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9And he asked him, What is thy name And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
14And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.
15And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
16And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
17And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
18And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
20And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
21And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
22And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
24And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes
31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
35While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
36As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
37And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
38And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
39And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
40And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
42And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
43And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
Chapter 6
1And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. 2And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. 4But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
7And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
8And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
10And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
14And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
15Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
16But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
17For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.
18For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
19Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
20For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
22And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
24And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
25And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
26And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
27And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
29And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.
30And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
33And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
34And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
35And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat
38He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42And they did all eat, and were filled.
43And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
45And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
46And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
47And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
51And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
53And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
54And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
55And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
56And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.
Chapter 7
1Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
14And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
15There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
16If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
24And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
25For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
31And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
2I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
3And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
4And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
5And he asked them, How many loaves have ye And they said, Seven.
6And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
7And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
8So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.
9And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
10And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
11And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
17And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread perceive ye not yet, neither understand have ye your heart yet hardened
18Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
19When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up They say unto him, Twelve.
20And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up And they said, Seven.
21And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand
22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
23And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
25After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
26And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
27And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am
28And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
29And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
30And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
33But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Christian Standard Bible
2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.
3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!
4John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
7He proclaimed, "One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.
8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
10As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased."
12Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness.
13He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
14After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God:
15"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
16As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea —for they were fishermen.
17"Follow me," Jesus told them, "and I will make you fish for people."
18Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
19Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order.
20Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
21They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.
22They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.
23Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out,
24"What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
25Jesus rebuked him saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"
26And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.
27They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other: "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."
28At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.
29As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John.
30Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.
31So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were sick and demon-possessed.
33The whole town was assembled at the door,
34and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.
36Simon and his companions searched for him,
37and when they found him they said, "Everyone is looking for you."
39He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
40Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him: "If you are willing, you can make me clean."
41Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. "I am willing," he told him. "Be made clean."
42Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
43Then he sternly warned him and sent him away at once,
44telling him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."
45Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere.
Chapter 2
1When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. 3They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts:
7"Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?
10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" —he told the paralytic—
11"I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home."
13Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.
14Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, "Follow me," and he got up and followed him.
15While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him.
16When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
19Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.
20But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made.
22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins."
23On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain.
24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
25He said to them, "Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry —
26how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests —and also gave some to his companions?"
27Then he told them, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
28So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Chapter 3
1Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. 2In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3He told the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand before us." 4Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
7Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea,
8Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.
9Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him.
10Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him.
11Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God!"
12And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
13Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him.
14He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach,
15and to have authority to drive out demons.
16He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter;
17and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name "Boanerges" (that is, "Sons of Thunder" );
18Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot,
19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
20Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.
21When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, "He’s out of his mind."
23So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan?
24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished.
27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
28"Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.
29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" —
30because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."
31His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him.
32A crowd was sitting around him and told him, "Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you."
33He replied to them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"
34Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Chapter 4
1Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3"Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. 6When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times." 9Then he said, "Let anyone who has ears to hear listen."
10When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve, asked him about the parables.
11He answered them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables
13Then he said to them: "Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables?
14The sower sows the word.
15Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.
16And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.
17But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.
18Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,
19but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown."
21He also said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?
22For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen."
24And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you.
25For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."
26"The kingdom of God is like this," he said. "A man scatters seed on the ground.
27He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how.
28The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head.
29As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come."
30And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?
31It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground.
32And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade."
33He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand.
34He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.
35On that day, when evening had come, he told them, "Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea."
36So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him.
37A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
38He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?"
39He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40Then he said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Chapter 5
1They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. 2As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. 3He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain — 4because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him.
7And he cried out with a loud voice, "What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!"
8For he had told him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"
9"What is your name?" he asked him. "My name is Legion," he answered him, "because we are many."
10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.
11A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside.
12The demons begged him, "Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them."
13So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.
14The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened.
15They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
16Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs.
17Then they began to beg him to leave their region.
18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him.
19Jesus did not let him but told him, "Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you."
20So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
21When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the sea.
22One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet
23and begged him earnestly, "My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well and live."
24So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.
25Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years
26had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse.
27Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing.
28For she said, "If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well."
29Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
32But he was looking around to see who had done this.
33The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
34"Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction."
36When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, "Don’t be afraid. Only believe."
37He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother.
38They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly.
39He went in and said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."
40They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was.
41Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum" (which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, get up" ).
42Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.
43Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and told them to give her something to eat.
Chapter 6
1He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. "Where did this man get these things?" they said. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? 3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?" So they were offended by him.
4Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household."
5He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.
7He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
8He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts,
9but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.
10He said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place.
11If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."
12So they went out and preached that people should repent.
13They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
14King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him."
15But others said, "He’s Elijah." Still others said, "He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago."
17For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.
18John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife."
19So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not,
20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
21An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.
22When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you."
23He promised her with an oath: "Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
24She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" "John the Baptist’s head," she said.
25At once she hurried to the king and said, "I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately."
26Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her.
27The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison,
28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother.
29When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught.
31He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while." For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
32So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place,
33but many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.
35When it grew late, his disciples approached him and said, "This place is deserted, and it is already late.
36Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat."
38He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." When they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."
39Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
42Everyone ate and was satisfied.
43They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish.
44Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.
45Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray.
47Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them.
49When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out,
50because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, "Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."
51Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded,
52because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
54As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him.
55They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
56Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed.
Chapter 7
1The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him. 2They observed that some of his disciples were eating bread with unclean —that is, unwashed—hands. 3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they have washed. And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and dining couches. ) 5So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders, instead of eating bread with ceremonially unclean hands?"
6He answered them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.
8Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition."
9He also said to them, "You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition!
10For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.
11But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit you might have received from me is corban’" (that is, an offering devoted to God),
12"you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.
13You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other similar things."
14Summoning the crowd again, he told them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand:
15Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."
16
17When he went into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable.
18He said to them, "Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a person from the outside can defile him?
19For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated" (thus he declared all foods clean ).
20And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him.
21For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,
22adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
23All these evil things come from within and defile a person."
24He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice.
25Instead, immediately after hearing about him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit came and fell at his feet.
26The woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she was asking him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs."
29Then he told her, "Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has left your daughter."
30When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.
31Again, leaving the region of Tyre, he went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis.
32They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking and begged Jesus to lay his hand on him.
33So he took him away from the crowd in private. After putting his fingers in the man’s ears and spitting, he touched his tongue.
34Looking up to heaven, he sighed deeply and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!").
35Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.
36He ordered them to tell no one, but the more he ordered them, the more they proclaimed it.
Chapter 8
1In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called the disciples and said to them, 2"I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance."
5"How many loaves do you have?" he asked them. "Seven," they said.
6He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd.
7They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well.
8They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces.
9About four thousand were there. He dismissed them.
10And he immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
11The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, demanding of him a sign from heaven to test him.
12Sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, "Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."
13Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.
14The disciples had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15Then he gave them strict orders: "Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
16They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread.
17Aware of this, he said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts?
18Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear? And do you not remember?
22They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.
23He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"
25Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.
26Then he sent him home, saying, "Don’t even go into the village."
29"But you," he asked them, "who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah."
30And he strictly warned them to tell no one about him.
31Then he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days.
32He spoke openly about this. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33But turning around and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns."
34Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it.
36For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?
37What can anyone give in exchange for his life?
38For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
New Living Translation
2just as the prophet Isaiah had written: 'Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way.
3He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ '
4This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
5All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
6His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
7John announced: 'Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.
8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!'
9One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.
10As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice from heaven said, 'You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.'
12The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness,
13where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
14Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.
15The time promised by God has come at last!' he announced. 'The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!'
16One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
17Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!'
18And they left their nets at once and followed him.
19A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets.
20He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
21Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority — quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
23Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
24Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!'
25But Jesus reprimanded him. 'Be quiet! Come out of the man,' he ordered.
26At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
27Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. 'What sort of new teaching is this?' they asked excitedly. 'It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!'
28The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
29After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home.
30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away.
31So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.
32That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.
33The whole town gathered at the door to watch.
34So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.
35Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.
36Later Simon and the others went out to find him.
37When they found him, they said, 'Everyone is looking for you.'
38But Jesus replied, 'We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.'
39So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.
41Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be healed!'
42Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.
43Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning:
44Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.'
Chapter 2
1When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'My child, your sins are forgiven.'
6But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,
7What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!'
8Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, 'Why do you question this in your hearts?
9Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
10So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.' Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,
11Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!'
13Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.
14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me and be my disciple,' Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.
15Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)
16But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, 'Why does he eat with such scum? '
19Jesus replied, 'Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them.
20But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
23One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat.
24But the Pharisees said to Jesus, 'Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?'
25Jesus said to them, 'Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
26He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.'
27Then Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.
28So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!'
Chapter 3
1Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
3Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, 'Come and stand in front of everyone.'
4Then he turned to his critics and asked, 'Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?' But they wouldn’t answer him.
5He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, 'Hold out your hand.' So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!
6At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.
7Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea,
8Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.
9Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him.
10He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him.
11And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, 'You are the Son of God!'
12But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.
13Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.
14Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach,
15giving them authority to cast out demons.
16These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter),
17James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them 'Sons of Thunder' ),
18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot ),
19Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
20One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat.
21When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. 'He’s out of his mind,' they said.
23Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. 'How can Satan cast out Satan?' he asked.
24A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.
25Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
26And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.
27Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger — someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
28I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven,
29but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.'
30He told them this because they were saying, 'He’s possessed by an evil spirit.'
31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them.
32There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, 'Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.'
33Jesus replied, 'Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?'
34Then he looked at those around him and said, 'Look, these are my mother and brothers.
35Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.'
Chapter 4
1Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. 2He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
3Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.
4As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.
5Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.
6But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.
7Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.
8Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!'
9Then he said, 'Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.'
13Then Jesus said to them, 'If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?
14The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others.
15The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.
16The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.
17But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.
18The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word,
19but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
20And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!'
21Then Jesus asked them, 'Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.
22For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.
23Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.'
24Then he added, 'Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given — and you will receive even more.
25To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.'
26Jesus also said, 'The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.
27Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.
28The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.
29And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.'
30Jesus said, 'How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?
31It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds,
32but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.'
33Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand.
34In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
35As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.'
36So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).
37But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
39When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Silence! Be still!' Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.
40Then he asked them, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?'
Chapter 5
1So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. 2When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4Whenever he was put into chains and shackles — as he often was — he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
6When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.
7With a shriek, he screamed, 'Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!'
8For Jesus had already said to the spirit, 'Come out of the man, you evil spirit.'
9Then Jesus demanded, 'What is your name?' And he replied, 'My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.'
10Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
11There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.
12Send us into those pigs,' the spirits begged. 'Let us enter them.'
14The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened.
15A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.
16Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.
17And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.
19But Jesus said, 'No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.'
20So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
21Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.
22Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet,
23pleading fervently with him. 'My little daughter is dying,' he said. 'Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.'
24Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him.
25A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.
26She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.
27She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.
28For she thought to herself, 'If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.'
29Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
32But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.
33Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done.
34And he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.'
37Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James).
38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing.
39He went inside and asked, 'Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.'
40The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.
41Holding her hand, he said to her, 'Talitha koum,' which means 'Little girl, get up!'
42And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.
43Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.
Chapter 6
1Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, 'Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?' 3Then they scoffed, 'He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.' They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
4Then Jesus told them, 'A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.'
5And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.
7And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits.
8He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick — no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.
9He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes.
10Wherever you go,' he said, 'stay in the same house until you leave town.
11But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.'
12So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.
13And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.
14Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying, 'This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles.'
15Others said, 'He’s the prophet Elijah.' Still others said, 'He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.'
17For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her.
18John had been telling Herod, 'It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.'
19So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless,
20for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.
21Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee.
22Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. 'Ask me for anything you like,' the king said to the girl, 'and I will give it to you.'
23He even vowed, 'I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!'
26Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her.
27So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison,
28brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother.
29When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb.
30The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.
31Then Jesus said, 'Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.' He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
32So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
33But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.
34Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, 'This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.
36Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.'
39Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.
41Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.
42They all ate as much as they wanted,
43and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.
44A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.
45Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home.
46After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
47Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land.
48He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them,
49but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost.
50They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. 'Don’t be afraid,' he said. 'Take courage! I am here! '
51Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed,
52for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.
53After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore
54and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once,
55and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was.
56Wherever he went — in villages, cities, or the countryside — they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.
Chapter 7
1One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. 4Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to — such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles. )
6Jesus replied, 'You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
7Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’
9Then he said, 'You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.
10For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’
11But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’
12In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents.
13And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.'
14Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. 'All of you listen,' he said, 'and try to understand.
15It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. '
16
17Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used.
18Don’t you understand either?' he asked. 'Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you?
19Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.' (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)
20And then he added, 'It is what comes from inside that defiles you.
21For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,
22adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
23All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.'
24Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret.
25Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit,
26and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia,
27Jesus told her, 'First I should feed the children — my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.'
29Good answer!' he said. 'Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.'
30And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.
31Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.
32A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.
33Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue.
34Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, 'Ephphatha,' which means, 'Be opened!'
35Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!
36Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news.
37They were completely amazed and said again and again, 'Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.'
Chapter 8
1About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 2I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.'
6So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.
7A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.
8They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.
9There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten.
10Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.
12When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, 'Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.'
13So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.
14But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat.
15As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, 'Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.'
16At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread.
17Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, 'Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?
18‘You have eyes — can’t you see? You have ears — can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?
22When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.
23Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, 'Can you see anything now?'
25Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.
26Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Don’t go back into the village on your way home.'
31Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead.
32As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.
34Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
35If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.
36And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
37Is anything worth more than your soul?
38If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.'
English Standard Version
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’"
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
6Now John was clothed with camel 's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
7And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
12The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
13And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
15and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
16Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
17And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
18And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
19And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.
20And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
21And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
23And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
24"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God."
25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"
26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.
27And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."
28And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
29And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30Now Simon 's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.
31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.
33And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,
37and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you."
38And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out."
39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
40And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean."
41Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean."
42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
43And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once,
44and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
45But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Chapter 2
1And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7"Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" — he said to the paralytic — 11"I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." 12And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
13He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.
14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
15And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
16And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
18Now John 's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John 's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
19And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.
22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins — and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."
23One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
24And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
25And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:
26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"
27And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."
Chapter 3
1Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." 4And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. 5And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
8and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.
9And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,
10for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.
11And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."
12And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
13And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
14And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach
15and have authority to cast out demons.
16He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);
18Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.
21And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind."
22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons."
23And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.
27But no one can enter a strong man 's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
28"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,
29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" —
30for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."
31And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.
32And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you."
33And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"
34And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."
Chapter 4
1Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3"Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." 9And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
10And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
11And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
12so that "‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’"
13And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
14The sower sows the word.
15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.
17And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
18And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,
19but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
20But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."
21And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?
22For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
24And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.
25For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
26And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.
27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
30And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?
31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,
32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."
36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Chapter 5
1They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7And crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." 8For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many." 10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12and they begged him, saying, "Send us to the pigs; let us enter them." 13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.
15And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
16And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.
17And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.
18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.
19And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
21And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.
22Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet
23and implored him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live."
24And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,
26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.
28For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well."
29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?"
31And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’"
32And he looked around to see who had done it.
33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.
34And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
35While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler 's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?"
36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."
37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.
38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
39And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping."
40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child 's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.
41Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."
42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.
43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Chapter 6
1He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." 5And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
7And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
8He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff — no bread, no bag, no money in their belts —
9but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
10And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.
11And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."
12So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.
13And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
14King Herod heard of it, for Jesus ' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."
15But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."
16But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."
17For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip 's wife, because he had married her.
18For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother 's wife."
19And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not,
20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
22For when Herodias 's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you."
23And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."
24And she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."
25And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.
27And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John 's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison
28and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.
31And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.
36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"
38And he said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish."
39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
41And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.
42And they all ate and were satisfied.
43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.
44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
45Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,
49but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,
50for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
51And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,
52for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore.
54And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him
55and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.
56And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
Chapter 7
1Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. ) 5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" 6And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
7in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."
9And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’
11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban"’ (that is, given to God) —
12then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,
13thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."
14And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:
15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."
16
17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.
18And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,
19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
20And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him.
21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
24And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.
25But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.
26Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children 's bread and throw it to the dogs."
28But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children 's crumbs."
29And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."
30And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
31Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.
32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.
33And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.
34And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
36And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.
37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Chapter 8
1In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2"I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away." 4And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" 5And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." 6And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
11The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
12And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
13And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
14Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
16And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
18Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve."
20"And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven."
21And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
22And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.
23And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"
24And he looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking."
25Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."
27And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"
28And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."
29And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."
30And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
34And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel 's will save it.
36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
37For what can a man give in return for his soul?
38For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
New International Version
2as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" —
3"a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ "
4And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
6John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
7And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
12At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,
13and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
15"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."
18At once they left their nets and followed him.
19When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
20Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out,
24"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
25"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"
26The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him."
28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
29As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
30Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her.
31So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
33The whole town gathered at the door,
34and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
36Simon and his companions went to look for him,
37and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
38Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."
39So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
41Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"
42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:
44"See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."
45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Chapter 2
1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,
7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things?
9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
10But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the man,
11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."
12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
13Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.
14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
19Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.
20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
21"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.
22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."
23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.
24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?
26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Chapter 3
1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.
8When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.
9Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.
10For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
11Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."
12But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.
13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.
14He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach
15and to have authority to drive out demons.
16These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),
17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means "sons of thunder"),
18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot
19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.
21When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
23So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan?
24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.
27In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.
28Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter,
29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin."
31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.
32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother."
Chapter 4
1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times."
10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
13Then Jesus said to them, "Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
14The farmer sows the word.
15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;
19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown."
21He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?
22For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear."
24"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.
25Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them."
26He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
28All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
30Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.
32Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade."
33With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.
34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."
36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?"
Chapter 5
1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
7He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!"
8For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you impure spirit!"
9Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."
10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
12The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them."
13He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.
17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.
19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
21When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.
22Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.
23He pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live."
24So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.
25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."
29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.
33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.
34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.
38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.
39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep."
40But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.
41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means "Little girl, I say to you, get up!").
42Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.
43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?
3Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
4Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home."
5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.
7Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.
8These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.
9Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.
10Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."
12They went out and preached that people should repent.
13They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.
18For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife."
19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,
20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled ; yet he liked to listen to him.
22When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you."
23And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.
27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,
28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.
29On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it’s already very late.
36Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
42They all ate and were satisfied,
43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
48He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,
50because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."
51Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,
52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.
54As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.
55They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
56And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Chapter 7
1The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. )
6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’
9And he continued, "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’
11But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—
12then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother.
13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
14Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.
15Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them."
16
17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.
18"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them?
19For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20He went on: "What comes out of a person is what defiles them.
21For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,
22adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
23All these evils come from inside and defile a person."
24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.
25In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet.
26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
31Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
32There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
33After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue.
34He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!").
35At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.
37People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Chapter 8
1During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."
6He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so.
7They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.
8The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
9About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away,
10he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.
12He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it."
13Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
14The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.
15"Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."
17Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
18Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?
22They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
25Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don’t even go into the village."
31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
35For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
36What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
37Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."
New King James Version
2As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
7And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.
8I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
11Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
12Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.
13And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
14Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
16And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
17Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
18They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
19When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.
20And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
21Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.
22And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
23Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
24saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
26And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”
28And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
29Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.
31So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
32At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.
33And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
34Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
35Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
36And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.
37When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”
41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
42As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
43And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,
44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Chapter 2
1And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
6And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘ Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?
10But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,
11“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
12Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
13Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.
14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
15Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.
16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
19And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
20But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.
21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.
22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
23Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.
24And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:
26how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”
27And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
28Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Chapter 3
1And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
7But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea
8and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.
9So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.
10For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.
11And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”
12But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.
13And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
14Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
15and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
16Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;
17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”;
18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;
19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
20Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
23So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?
24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.
27No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter;
29but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”—
30because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.
32And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
33But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”
34And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
Chapter 4
1And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:
3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.
5Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.
6But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.
7And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
10But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
11And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,
13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
14The sower sows the word.
15And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.
18Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
21Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?
22For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.
25For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
26And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,
27and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
28For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
29But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
31It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
32but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
33And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.
34But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
35On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
36Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.
37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
38But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
40But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
41And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Chapter 5
1Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
7And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
9Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
10Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
11Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.
12So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”
13And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.
14So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.
15Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
16And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.
17Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
18And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.
19However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”
20And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
21Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.
22And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet
23and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”
24So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
25Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
26and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
27When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.
28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
30And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
32And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
33But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
34And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
36As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
37And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
38Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.
39When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
40And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.
41Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
42Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.
43But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
Chapter 6
1Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
4But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
5Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
7And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
8He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts—
9but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
10Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.
11And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
12So they went out and preached that people should repent.
13And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
16But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”
17For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her.
18Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not;
20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
22And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”
23He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
26And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.
27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison,
28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
30Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.
31And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
32So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
33But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.
34And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
35When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.
36Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
39Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.
41And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.
42So they all ate and were filled.
43And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.
44Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
45Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.
46And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
47Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.
48Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.
49And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;
50for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
51Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.
52For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
53When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.
54And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,
55ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.
56Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
Chapter 7
1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
6He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
7And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
9He said to them, “ All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
11But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God),
12then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
13making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand:
15There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
16If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.
18So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
19because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
20And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
24From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.
25For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.
26The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
31Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.
32Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.
33And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.
34Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
36Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Chapter 8
1In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
6So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.
7They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.
8So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.
9Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,
10immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
11Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
12But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
13And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.
15Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
17But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
22Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.
23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
25Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
26Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
34When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
38For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
