People from the whole Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem were going out to him, and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

He was in the wilderness forty days, enduring temptations from Satan. He was with wild animals, and angels were ministering to his needs.

Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God.

Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,

Simon's mother-in-law was lying down, sick with a fever, so they spoke to Jesus at once about her.

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed.

Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.

The leprosy left him at once, and he was clean.

But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still they kept coming to him from everywhere.

Now after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home.

So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them.

When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on.

As Jesus was having a meal in Levi's home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

When the experts in the law and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat as they made their way.

He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry --

how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread, which is against the law for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?"

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath.

Then Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

After looking around at them in anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

A crowd was sitting around him and they said to him, "Look, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you."

Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, it withered.

When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them.

So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him.

Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.

But he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care that we are about to die?"

So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Be quiet! Calm down!" Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.

Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him.

For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

There on the hillside, a great herd of pigs was feeding.

As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go with him.

When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea.

Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years.

At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler's house saying, "Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?"

But Jesus, paying no attention to what was said, told the synagogue ruler, "Do not be afraid; just believe."

And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child's father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was.

The girl got up at once and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this.

He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then he went around among the villages and taught.

because Herod stood in awe of John and protected him, since he knew that John was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, and yet he liked to listen to John.

He said to them, "Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while" (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat).

When it was already late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is an isolated place and it is already very late.

When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land.

He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, he came to them walking on the sea, for he wanted to pass by them.

When they saw him walking on the water they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,

They ran through that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to be.

And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches.)

After Jesus left there, he went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice.

The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin. She asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples and said to them,

Everyone ate and was satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again. And he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them,

Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."

Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?"

But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us."

Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them.

But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.

They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.

Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry.

After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.

They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him

John's baptism -- was it from heaven or from people? Answer me."

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, "How is it that the experts in the law say that the Christ is David's son?

If David himself calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!"

So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head.

Then, when it was evening, he came to the house with the twelve.

Right away, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders.

Day after day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. But this has happened so that the scriptures would be fulfilled."

A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to arrest him,

And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest's courtyard. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by the fire.

But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest's slave girls came by.

But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they requested.

A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection.

Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom.

The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).

It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.

Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"

When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.

Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),