One day, passing along the shore of the Lake of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, throwing their nets in the Lake; for they were fisherman.

At once they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on a little further He saw James the son of Zabdi and his brother John: they also were in the boat mending the nets, and He immediately called them.

They therefore left their father Zabdi in the boat with the hired men, and went and followed Him.

So they came to Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath He went to the synagogue and began to teach.

And all were amazed and awe-struck, so they began to ask one another, "What does this mean? Here is a new sort of teaching--and a tone of authority! And even to foul spirits he issues orders and they obey him!"

Then on leaving the synagogue they came at once, with James and John, to the house of Simon and Andrew.

Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill in bed with a fever, and without delay they informed Him about her.

Then He cured numbers of people who were ill with various diseases, and He drove out many demons; not allowing the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

When they found Him they said, "Every one is looking for you."

Finding themselves unable, however, to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they untiled the roof just over His head, and after clearing an opening they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

"Why does this man use such words?" they said; "he is blaspheming. Who can pardon sins but One--that is, God?"

At once perceiving by His spirit that they were reasoning within themselves, Jesus asked them, "Why do you thus argue in your minds?

The man rose, and immediately under the eyes of all took up his mat and went out, so that they were all filled with astonishment, gave the glory to God, and said, "We never saw anything like this."

But when the Scribes of the Pharisee sect saw Him eating with the sinners and the tax-gatherers, they said to His disciples, "He is eating and drinking with the tax-gatherers and sinners!"

"Can a wedding party fast while the bridegroom is among them?" replied Jesus. "So long as they have the bridegroom with them, fasting is impossible.

But a time will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast.

One Sabbath He was walking through the wheatfields when His disciples began to pluck the ears of wheat as they went.

So the Pharisees said to Him, "Look! why are they doing what on the Sabbath is unlawful?"

They closely watched Him to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath--so as to have a charge to bring against Him.

Then He asked them, "Are we allowed to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil? to save a life, or to destroy one?" They remained silent.

But no sooner had the Pharisees left the synagogue than they held a consultation with the Herodians against Jesus, to devise some means of destroying Him.

And the foul spirits, whenever they saw Him, threw themselves down at His feet, screaming out: "You are the Son of God."

Then He went up the hill; and those whom He Himself chose He called, and they came to Him.

He appointed twelve of them, that they might be with Him, and that He might also send them to proclaim His Message,

Hearing of this, His relatives came to seize Him by force, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

In solemn truth I tell you that all their sins may be pardoned to the sons of men, and all their blasphemies, however they may have blasphemed;

This was because they said, "He is possessed by a foul spirit."

By this time His mother and His brothers arrive, and standing outside they send a message to Him to call Him.

Now a crowd was sitting round Him; so they tell Him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, inquiring for you."

that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'"

Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message sown in them.

In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those who, when they have heard the Message, at once accept it joyfully,

but they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown.

Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message,

For those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away."

So they got away from the crowd, and took Him--as He was--in the boat; and other boats accompanied Him.

But He Himself was in the stern asleep, with His head on the cushion: so they woke Him. "Rabbi," they cried, "is it nothing to you that we are drowning?"

Then they were filled with terror, and began to say to one another, "Who is this, then? For even wind and sea obey Him."

So they arrived at the opposite shore of the Lake, in the country of the Gerasenes.

So they besought Jesus. "Send us to the swine," they said, "so that we may enter into them."

and when they came to Jesus, they beheld the demoniac quietly seated, clothed and of sane mind--the man who had had the legion; and they were awe-stricken.

Then they began entreating Him to depart from their district.

So they come to the Warden's house. Here He gazes on a scene of uproar, with people weeping aloud and wailing.

On the Sabbath He proceeded to teach in the synagogue; and many, as they heard Him, were astonished. "Where did he acquire all this?" they asked. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what are these marvellous miracles which his hands perform?

Is not this the carpenter, Mary's son, the brother of James and Joses, Jude and Simon? And do not his sisters live here among us?" So they turned angrily away.

But wherever they will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave shake off the very dust from under your feet to bear witness concerning them."

So they set out, and preached in order that men might repent.

Many demons they expelled, and many invalids they anointed with oil and cured.

When John's disciples heard of it, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

When the Apostles had re-assembled round Jesus, they reported to Him all they had done and all they had taught.

Then He said to them, "Come away, all of you, to a quiet place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, so that they had no time even for meals.

Accordingly they sailed away in the boat to a solitary place apart.

But the people saw them going, and many knew them; and coming by land they ran together there from all the neighbouring towns, and arrived before them.

So when Jesus landed, He saw a vast multitude; and His heart was moved with pity for them, because they were like sheep which have no shepherd, and He proceeded to teach them many things.

send them away that they may go to the farms and villages near here and buy themselves something to eat."

"Give them food yourselves," He replied. "Are we," they asked, "to go and buy two hundred shillings' worth of bread and give them food?"

"How many loaves have you?" He inquired; "go and see." So they found out, and said, "Five; and a couple of fish."

And they sat down in rows of hundreds and of fifties.

And they carried away broken portions enough to fill twelve baskets, besides pieces of the fish.

They saw Him walking on the water, and thinking that it was a spirit they cried out;

for they all saw Him and were terrified. He, however, immediately spoke to them. "There is no danger," He said; "it is I; be not alarmed."

Then He went up to them on board the boat, and the wind lulled; and they were beside themselves with silent amazement.

For they had not learned the lesson taught by the loaves, but their minds were dull.

Having crossed over they drew to land in Gennesaret and came to anchor.

But no sooner had they gone ashore than the people immediately recognized Him.

Then they scoured the whole district, and began to bring Him the sick on their mats wherever they heard He was.

And enter wherever He might--village or town or hamlet--they laid their sick in the open places, and entreated Him to let them touch were it but the tassel of His robe; and all, whoever touched Him, were restored to health.

They had noticed that some of His disciples were eating their food with 'unclean' (that is to say, unwashed)

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews--being, as they are, zealous for the traditions of the Elders--never eat without first carefully washing their hands,

and when they come from market they will not eat without bathing first; and they have a good many other customs which they have received traditionally and cling to, such as the rinsing of cups and pots and of bronze utensils, and the washing of beds.)

But idle is their devotion while they lay down precepts which are mere human rules.'

"Let the children first eat all they want," He said; "it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

Here they brought to Him a deaf man that stammered, on whom they begged Him to lay His hands.

Then Jesus charged them to tell no one; but the more He charged them, all the more did they spread the news far and wide.

The amazement was extreme. "He succeeds in everything he attempts," they exclaimed; "he even makes deaf men hear and dumb men speak!"

About that time there was again an immense crowd, and they found themselves with nothing to eat. So He called His disciples to Him.

"My heart yearns over the people," He said; "for this is now the third day they have remained with me, and they have nothing to eat.

If I were to send them home hungry, they would faint on the way, some of them having come a great distance."

"How many loaves have you?" He asked. "Seven," they said.

So He passed the word to the people to sit down on the ground. Then taking the seven loaves He blessed them, and broke them into portions and proceeded to give them to His disciples for them to distribute, and they distributed them to the people.

They had also a few small fish. He blessed them, and He told His disciples to distribute these also.

So the people ate an abundant meal; and what remained over they picked up and carried away--seven hampers of broken pieces.

Now they had forgotten to take bread, nor had they more than a single loaf with them in the boat;

they explained His words to one another by saying, "We have no bread!"

He perceived what they were saying, and He said to them, "What is this discussion of yours about having no bread? Do you not yet see and understand? Are your minds so dull of comprehension?

When I broke up the five loaves for the 5,000 men, how many baskets did you carry away full of broken portions?" "Twelve," they said.

"And when the seven for the 4,000, how many hampers full of portions did you take away?" "Seven," they answered.

And they came to Bethsaida. And a blind man was brought to Jesus and they entreated Him to touch him.

"John the Baptist," they replied, "but others say Elijah, and others, that it is one of the Prophets."

He went on to say, "In solemn truth I tell you that some of those who are standing here will certainly not taste death till they have seen the Kingdom of God already come in power."

For he knew not what to say: they were filled with such awe.

Instantly they looked round, and now they could no longer see any one, but themselves and Jesus.

As they were coming down from the mountain, He very strictly forbad them to tell any one what they had seen "until after the Son of Man has risen from among the dead."

So they kept the matter to themselves, although frequently asking one another what was meant by the rising from the dead.

They also asked Him, "How is it that the Scribes say that Elijah must first come?"

Yet I tell you that not only has Elijah come, but they have also done to him whatever they chose, as the Scriptures say about him."

As they came to rejoin the disciples, they saw an immense crowd surrounding them and a party of Scribes disputing with them.

Immediately the whole multitude on beholding Him were astonished and awe-struck, and yet they ran forward and greeted Him.

and wherever it comes upon him, it dashes him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I begged your disciples to expel it, but they had not the power."