Mark

Mark

¹The beginning of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. ²As it is written in the books of the prophets: "Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way. ³The voice of a herald preaching in the wilderness and saying, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight.'" ⁴So John was baptizing in the wilderness and preaching baptism, so that they would repent and their sins would be forgiven. ⁵All the people of Judea and Jerusalem went out to him, and he baptized all of them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. ⁶John's clothing was made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁷He preached, saying, "One who is stronger than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to bend down and untie the straps of his sandals from his feet. ⁸I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." ⁹At that time our Lord Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. ¹⁰As he came up out of the water, he saw the sky torn open, and the Holy Spirit came down like a dove and rested on him. ¹¹A voice came from heaven, saying, "You are my Son, whom I love. In you I am well pleased." ¹²At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness. ¹³He stayed in the wilderness forty days and forty nights, and Satan tempted him. He was with the wild animals, and angels served him. ¹⁴After John was arrested and put in chains, our Lord Jesus came to Galilee and preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. ¹⁵He said, "The time has come, and the kingdom of heaven has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel." ¹⁶As he was passing along the Sea of Galilee, he found Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷Our Lord Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of people." ¹⁸At once they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹When he had gone a little farther from there, he found James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee. They too were in their boat, setting their nets in order and mending them. ²⁰He called them right away, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with his hired men, and went and followed him. ²¹They went to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and began to teach them. ²²They were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one with authority, and not like their scribes. ²³There was a man with a demon in the synagogue, and he cried out, ²⁴saying, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? We know you are the Holy One of God." ²⁵Our Lord Jesus rebuked him and said to him, "Be silent, and come out of him!" ²⁶The evil demon threw him into convulsions, cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him. ²⁷They were all astonished and said to one another, "What is this new teaching? He gives orders to the unclean demons with authority, and they obey him." ²⁸The news about him was heard throughout all the regions of Galilee. ²⁹When he left the synagogue, he went into Simon's house, and Andrew, James and John were with him. ³⁰Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a fever, and they told him about her. ³¹He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her at once, and she got up and served them. ³²In the evening, when the sun was setting, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. ³³All the people of the town gathered at the door around him. ³⁴He healed many who were sick and ailing, and he drove out many demons. He did not let them speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. ³⁵In the morning he got up while it was still very dark, went out to a lonely place, and prayed there. ³⁶Simon and those with him went after him. ³⁷When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is looking for you." ³⁸He said to them, "Get up, let us go to the other towns too, so that I can preach there as well, for that is the work I came for." ³⁹So he went and preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and he drove out demons. ⁴⁰A man with leprosy came to him, knelt down, begged him, and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." ⁴¹Our Lord Jesus had compassion on him. He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I am willing. Be clean." ⁴²As soon as he had said this, the man was healed of his leprosy. ⁴³He gave him a stern warning and sent him away, saying, "Be careful not to tell anyone. ⁴⁴Go, show yourself to the priest, and bring your offering for your cleansing as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." ⁴⁵But he went out and began to proclaim it and spread the word widely, so that the whole town was amazed. Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but stayed outside in lonely places, and people came to him from everywhere.