As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "Here I send my messenger on before you; He will prepare your way;

and out of the heavens came a voice: "You are my Son, my Beloved! You are my Chosen!"

As he was passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets in the sea, for they were fishermen.

He went on a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; they too were in their boat putting their nets in order.

And they were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

"What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, you are God's holy One!"

And they were all so amazed that they discussed it with one another, and said, "What does this mean? It is a new teaching! He gives orders with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!"

In the evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons,

And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and drove out many demons, and he would not let the demons speak, because they knew that he was Christ.

and found him, and said to him, "They are all looking for you!"

saying to him, "See that you say nothing about this to anybody, but begone! show yourself to the priest, and in proof of your cure make the offerings for your purification which Moses prescribed."

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven."

There were some scribes sitting there pondering and saying to themselves,

Jesus, at once perceiving by his spirit that they were pondering over this, said to them, "Why do you ponder over this in your minds?

Which is easier, to say to this paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say to him, "Get up and pick up your mat and walk'?

"I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!"

And he got up, and immediately picked up his mat and went out before them all, so that they were all astonished and acknowledged the power of God, saying, "We never saw anything like this before."

He was at table in his house, with many tax-collectors and irreligious people who were at table with him and his disciples, for there were many of them among his followers.

And when the scribes who were of the Pharisees' party saw that he was eating with irreligious people and tax-collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax-collectors and irreligious people?"

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast. And people came and asked him, "Why is it that when John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are keeping the fast, yours are not keeping it?"

No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old coat; or if he does, the patch tears away, the new from the old, and makes the hole worse than ever.

And no one pours new wine into old wine-skins; or if he does, the wine bursts the skins, and the wine is lost, and the skins too. New wine has to be put into fresh skins."

And the Pharisees said to him, "Look! Why are they doing what it is against the law to do on the Sabbath?"

And they were watching him closely, to see whether he would cure him on the Sabbath, in order to get a charge to bring against him.

And he said to them, "Is it allowable to do people good on the Sabbath, or to do them harm? To save life or kill?" But they made no answer.

And he looked around at them with anger, hurt by their obstinacy, and he said to the man, "Hold out your hand!" And he held it out, and his hand was cured.

And whenever the foul spirits saw him, they fell down before him and screamed out, "You are the Son of God!"

with power to drive out the demons. These were the twelve he appointed:

There was a crowd sitting around him when they told him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you."

He answered, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

And looking around at the people sitting about him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!

Then he began again to teach by the seashore. And a crowd gathered around him so great that he got into a boat and sat in it, a little way from the shore, while all the people were on the land close to the water.

Some of it fell on rocky ground, and where there was not much soil, and it sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,

The ones by the path are those into whose hearts the message falls, and as soon as they hear it Satan comes and carries off the message that has been sown in their hearts.

but it takes no real root in them and they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes because of the message they give it up at once.

It is different with those sown among the thorns. They are people who listen to the message,

And the ones sown in good ground are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.

"Do people get out the lamp," he said to them, "and then put it under the peck-measure, or under the bed, instead of putting it up where it belongs?

"How can we find any comparison," he said, "for the reign of God, or what figure can we use to describe it?

With many such figures he told them the message, as far as they were able to receive it.

So they left the crowd and took him away in the boat in which he was sitting. There were other boats with him.

He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him up and said to him, "Master, does it make no difference to you that we are sinking?"

And he said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"

And they were very much frightened, and said to one another, "Who can he be? For even the wind and the sea obey him."

He asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "My name is Legion, for there are many of us."

So he gave them permission. And the foul spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the drove of about two thousand rushed over the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned.

When they came to Jesus and found the demoniac sitting quietly with his clothes on and in his right mind??he same man who had been possessed by Legion??hey were frightened.

And he would not permit it, but said to him, "Go home to your own people, and tell them all the Lord has done for you and how he took pity on you."

And he went off and began to tell everybody in the Ten Towns all Jesus had done for him; and they were all astonished.

and appealed to him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come, lay your hands on her, so that she may get well and live!"

And he said to her, "My daughter, it is your faith that has cured you. Go in peace and be free from your disease."

Even as he spoke people came from the house of the leader of the synagogue and said, "Your daughter is dead. Why should you trouble the Master any further?"

And they laughed at him. But he drove them all out, and took the child's father and mother and the men who were with him and went into the room where the child was lying.

And the little girl immediately got up and walked about, for she was twelve years old. The moment they saw it they were utterly amazed.

When the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue. And the people were astonished when they heard him, and said, "Where did he get all this? How does he come to have such wisdom? How are such marvelous things done through him?

they were to go in sandals, and not to wear two shirts.

If any place refuses to receive you or to listen to you, when you leave it shake off the very dust from the soles of your feet as a warning to them."

King Herod heard of him, for his name was now well known, and people were saying that John the baptizer had risen from the dead, and that that was why he was endowed with these extraordinary powers.

John said to Herod, "It is not right for you to be living with your brother's wife."

Herodias' own daughter came in and danced for them. And Herod and his guests were delighted, and the king said to the girl,

And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to some quiet place, and rest a little while." For people were coming and going in large numbers, and they had no time even for meals.

So when he got out of the boat, he found a great crowd gathered, and his heart was touched at the sight of them, because they were like sheep that have no shepherd; and he proceeded to teach them a great deal.

There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

And he saw that they were straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, and toward morning he went out to them, walking on the sea, and was going to join them.

for they all saw him and were terrified. But he immediately spoke to them and said, "Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid."

Then he went up to them and got into the boat. And the wind fell. And they were perfectly beside themselves,

for they had not understood about the loaves, but their minds were blinded.

And whatever village or town or farm he went to, they would lay their sick in the market-place and beg him to let them touch just the tassel of his cloak, and all who touched it were cured.

And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not observe the rules handed down by our ancestors, but eat food without purifying their hands?"

But he said to them, "It was about you hypocrites that Isaiah prophesied so finely, in the words, " 'This people honor me with their lips, Yet their hearts are far away from me.

But their worship of me is all in vain, For the lessons they teach are but human precepts.'

"How skilful you are," he said to them, "in nullifying what God has commanded in order to observe what has been handed down to you.

For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and again, 'Whoever abuses his father or mother must be put to death.'

But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Anything of mine that might have been of use to you is Korban," ' that is, consecrated to God,

you let him off from doing anything more for his father or mother,

He said to her, "If you can say that, go home; the demon has left your daughter."

And his ears were opened and his tongue was released and he talked plainly.

And people were utterly amazed, and said, "How well he has done everything! He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak!"

His disciples replied, "Where can anyone get bread enough, here in this solitude, to satisfy these people's hunger?"

And they ate and satisfied their hunger. And the pieces that they left, that were picked up, filled seven baskets.

There were about four thousand of the people. And he dismissed them.

And he warned them, saying, "Look out! Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!"

They were discussing with one another their being without bread.

And he noticed it and said to them, "Why do you discuss your being without bread? Do you not yet see nor understand? Are your minds so dull?

He looked up and said, "I can see people, for they look to me like trees, only they are moving about."

They said to him, "John the Baptist; others say Elijah, and others that you are one of the prophets."

And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to him, "You are the Christ."

Then Peter spoke, and said to Jesus, "Master, how good it is that we are here! Let us put up three huts, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."

For he did not know what to say, they were so frightened.

As they were going down the mountain, he cautioned them to let no one know what they had seen, until the Son of Man should rise from the dead.

And all the people were amazed when they saw him, and they ran up to him and greeted him.

And he asked them, "What are you discussing with them?"

and wherever it seizes him it convulses him, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth; and he is wasting away. I told your disciples to drive it out, and they could not do it."

"From his childhood, and many a time it has thrown him into the fire or into the water, to put an end to him. But if there is anything you can do, take pity on us and help us!"

When he had gone home, and his disciples were alone with him, they asked him, "Why could not we drive it out?"

But they did not understand what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

And they reached Capernaum. When he reached home, he asked them, "What was it that you were discussing on the way?"

John said to him, "Master, we saw a man driving out demons with your name, and we told him not to do so, for he was not one of our followers."

If your hand makes you fall, cut it off. You might better enter upon life maimed, than go with both your hands to the pit, into the fire that cannot be put out.

And if your foot makes you fall, cut it off. You might better enter upon life crippled, than be thrown with both your feet into the pit.