"The time is now come," he said, "and the kingdom of God is near! Repent and believe the gospel."

"What business have you with us, you Jesus of Nazareth? Are you come to destroy us? I know you who you are, the Holy One of God."

and every one was amazed so that they began questioning among themselves. "What does this mean? A new teaching with authority? He lays commands even upon unclean spirits and they obey him."

Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick of fever, and without delay they told him about her.

He cured many who were ill with various diseases, and drove out many demons. But he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.

But he went out and began to tell every one and to publish it broadcast, so that Jesus could no longer enter any town openly; but he had to remain outside in lonely places, and people kept coming to him from every quarter.

and at once such a crowd gathered that there was no longer room for them, even around the door.

Now the disciples of John and the Pharisees were keeping a fast, and people came to ask him, "How is it that the disciples of John and the Pharisees are fasting, but your disciples are not?"

No one ever sews a piece of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment, otherwise the patch tears away from it??he new from the old??nd a worse tear is made.

And no one ever pours new wine into old wine-skins, else the wine would burst the skins, and both wine and skins would be lost. New wine is poured into fresh wine-skins.

and if Satan has revolted against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand. Nay, he meets his end!

"Indeed, no one can enter the strong man's house and carry off his property without first binding the strong man; then he can plunder his house.

but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit is never forgiven. Nay, he is in the grasp of an eternal sin."

Now a crowd was sitting round him and they told him, "See! your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, wanting to see you."

some other seed fell on stony soil, where it had not much earth; and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil,

but when the sun rose it was scorched and withered away because it had no root.

Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, so that it yielded no crop.

but because they have no root in themselves they last for a time; but when suffering or persecution ensues because of the Word, they at once fall away.

Now he himself was sleeping on the cushion in the stern, so they woke him up, saying, "Master, do you not care if we perish?"

The wind fell, and there ensued a great calm. Then he said to them. "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"

and he had no sooner stepped out of the boat, than a man out of the tombs came to meet him, a man with an unclean spirit,

Not even with a chain could any man bind him, for he had been bound with fetters and chains again and again, and had snapped the chains, and broken the fetters; and there was no one strong enough to master him.

Now there was on the hillside a great drove of swine feeding.

Now there was a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,

and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, but was no better; on the contrary, rather grew worse.

But Jesus, paying no attention to the remark, said to the warden of the synagogue, "Have no fear, only believe."

He, however, repeatedly cautioned them not to let any one know about it, and directed them to give her something to eat.

He bade them take nothing but a staff for their journey; no bread, no wallet, no coins in their purse;

Now this Herod had sent and arrested John, and bound him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.

but she could not, for Herod was afraid of John because he knew that he was a just and holy man. So he kept him safe. When he listened to John he was much exercised, yet he found pleasure in listening to him.

Then when the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him and said: "This place is desert, and the day is now far spent.

After he rose and left that place, he went away into the region of Tyre and Sidon. Here he went into a house and wished no one to know it but he could not be hid.

"My heart aches for the crowd, because they have remained with me three days now, and they have nothing to eat;

At this Jesus sighed deeply in his spirit, and said: "Why does the present generation seek a sign? In solemn truth I tell you that no sign shall be given this generation."

Now they had forgotten to take bread, and had not in the boat with them more than one loaf.

And they began arguing with one another because they had no bread, He noted this and said to them.

"Why are you arguing together because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive and understand?

Here in their presence he was transfigured; and his clothes also became glistering with a radiant whiteness, such as no bleaching on earth could give.

(For he did not know what to say, they were so awestruck.)

And suddenly as they looked around, they saw no one any more beside them, but Jesus alone.

Jesus and his disciples, after leaving that place, passed through Galilee; but he was unwilling that any one should know it,

"Do not try to stop him," Jesus answered, "for there is no one who performs a miracle in my name who can soon speak evil of me.

so that they are no more two, but one flesh.

Now people were bringing little children to Jesus for him to touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.

Jesus said to him. "Why do you call me 'good'? No one is good save one, God himself.

You know the commandments. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat, honor your father and mother."

"I tell you solemnly," said Jesus, "that there is no man who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's,

but shall receive a hundred times as much, now in this present world, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands??nd persecutions with them??nd in the world to come eternal life.

"You know not what you are asking," said Jesus. "Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

"You know that those who are regarded as rulers among the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make them feel their authority.

Now when they were approaching Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,

Jesus sent two of his disciples and told them. "Go to that village in front of you, and immediately on entering it you will find a colt tied, upon which no man has ever sat; untie him and bring him here.

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple, and after he had looked around at everything, as the hour was now late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

So, addressing the tree, he said, "Let no man ever more eat fruit from you." And the disciples heard it.

Now every evening he used to go outside the city;

So their answer to Jesus was, "We do not know." "Neither will I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

"Have you not read this Scripture?" (he continued) "The very stone which the builders rejected Has now become the corner-stone;

And they kept seeking to lay hold on him, but were afraid of the crowd, for they knew well that he had spoken this parable about them; so they left him and went away.

So when they came, they said: "Teacher, we know that you are sincere and are not afraid of any one, for you do not regard the face of men; nay, but you reach the way of God in truth. Is it right to pay poll-tax to Caesar or not?

Then came up some Sadducees, men who say there is no resurrection. They too questioned him, saying.

"Teacher, Moses taught us that if a man's brother die, and leave a wife behind him, but no child, that his brother is to marry the widow and to raise up a family for his brother.

There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife, and died leaving no family.

"Is not this the reason for your error," Jesus answered them, "that you know not the Scripture nor the power of God?

Jesus saw that he had answered with discrimination, and said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one ventured to question him.

"David himself then calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?" Now the great mass of the people were wont to listen to him with delight;

For those will be days of suffering the like of which has never been from the beginning of God's creation until now, and never shall be.

"From the fig tree learn now her parable; as soon as ever her branches are full of sap and bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.

So also do you, whenever you see these things happening, know that He is near, at your very door.

But concerning that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,

Take heed! Awake! for you never know the time. As a man gone abroad and leaving his house gives authority to his slaves, to each his task; and orders the porter to keep watch;

keep watch then, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming??n the evening, at midnight, at cockcrow, or in the morning??36 lest he should come unexpectedly and find you sleeping;

Now two days later was the feast of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread. Both the chief priests and the Scribes were continually seeking how they might arrest him by a stratagem and kill him;

Now Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went away to the high priests to betray Jesus to them;

While they were at the table, eating, Jesus said solemnly. "It is one of you who will betray me??ne who is eating with me."

Solemnly I tell you I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

and when he returned he found them once more asleep, for their eyes were heavy with sleep, and they knew not what to say to him.

Then he came the third time, and said: "Sleep on now, and take your rest! It is over. My hour is come. Look! the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Now the betrayer had given them a sign. "The one I kiss," he said, "is the man. Arrest him, and take him away safely."

Then the high priest rose and stood forth among them. "Have you no answer to make?" he asked Jesus; "What is it that these testify against you?"

Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, there came one of the maid servants of the high priest, and saw Peter warming himself.

But he denied it. He said: "I don't know, I don't understand what you are saying." Then he went out into the porch, and the cock crew.

But he began with curses an solemn oaths to say, "I do not know the man you are talking about."

"Do you make no answer?" he said,

"See, how many accusations they are making." But Jesus no longer made any answer, at which Pilate wondered.

Now at the time of the feast it was customary to release to them a prisoner, whatever one they asked for.

They kept striking him on the head with a rod, and spitting upon him; and on bended knee they did him homage.

Now with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right hand and one on his left.

The Christ! The King of Israel! Let him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe." They also who had been crucified with Jesus kept reviling him.

So they went out, and ran from the tomb, for they were trembling and amazed; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid??9 Now after his resurrection, early on the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.

Moreover these signs shall follow those who believe. They shall drive out demons in my name; they shall speak with new tongues in foreign languages;