even as it is written in the prophet Isaiah, Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face to prepare your way.

and all the land of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem, kept going out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was among the wild beasts, but the angels were ministering to him.

And as he was passing along by the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting their net into the sea, for they were fishermen;

As he went a little farther on he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in their boat mending the nets.

They were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the Scribes.

"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."

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.

One day a leper cane to him and besought him as he knelt down to him, saying, "If you choose, you are able to cleanse me."

"See you say nothing to any one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your purification what Moses commanded for a testimony to them."

Then Jesus, when he perceived their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son your sins are forgiven."

But there were some Scribes sitting there who reasoned in their hearts.

Jesus clearly perceived at once be the Spirit that they were thus reasoning in their hearts and said to them.

"Why do you reason thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your cot and walk'?

But to let you see that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"??e said to the paralytic??11 "I bid you rise, take up your cot, and go home."

The man rose, at once took up his cot, and went out before them all; at which they were all astounded, and gave God glory, saying, "We never saw anything like this."

Later on Levi was sitting at table in his house, and together with Jesus and his disciples a number of tax-gatherers and sinners were guests, for there were many of them who used to follow him.

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?"

One Sabbath he was walking along through the wheat-fields, and his disciples, as they began to make their way across, were pulling the heads of wheat.

"Look," said the Pharisees to him, "Why are they doing on the Sabbath Day what is against the law?"

Again he went into a synagogue where there was a man with his hand withered.

Then he asked them. "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath Day, or to do harm? to save a life, or to destroy it?"

They were silent. Then looking around upon them with anger, and deeply grieved by the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" He stretched it out, and the hand was at once completely restored.

And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they threw themselves down at his feet, screaming out, "You are the Son of God."

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."

"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he replied.

Then, with a glance at those who were in the circle sitting around him, he added.

"Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God, that one is my brother and sister and mother."

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 some seed fell into good soil and yielded a crop that sprang up and increased, yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.

"What the Sower sows is the Word. There are those 'on the wayside' where the Word is sown.

And like the sowing upon 'stony ground' are those who, whenever they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy,

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.

There are others who are 'sown among thorns.'

But those, on the other hand, who were sown on that good soil, are those who listen to the Word, and welcome it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold."

He went on to say. "Is the lamp brought in to be put under the bushel or the bed? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand?

Of its own accord the earth bears its crops; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

With many such illustrations Jesus used to tell his message to people as far as they were able to receive it;

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

But a great gale of wind came up, and the waves were dashing into the boat so that it began to fill.

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

Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"

He continued asking him, "What is your mane?" "Legion is my name, for we are many."

And he gave them leave. And out came the foul spirits and entered the swine; and the drove rushed down from the steep into the sea, in number about two thousand, and were choked in the sea.

When they got to Jesus they found the demoniac sitting there clothed and in his right mind??he man who had had the "Legion"??nd they were awestruck.

"Go home to your own people, and tell them what great things God has done for you, and has had mercy upon you."

"My little daughter," he said, "is dying. I beseech you, come and lay your hands on her, that she may recover and live."

"Daughter," he said, "your faith has saved you. Go in peace, and be cured of your complaint."

While he was still speaking men came from the house of the warden of the synagogue to tell him, "Your daughter is dead, why trouble the Teacher any further?"

"The child is not dead, but asleep." And they began to laugh him to scorn. Then he put them all outside, took the father and mother of the child and those he brought with him, and entered the room where the child was lying.

And instantly the little girl stood up, and began to walk, for she was twelve years old, They were at once beside themselves with utter amazement.

When it came Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; many, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get all this?" they asked; "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, and miracles such as these that happen at his hands?

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?"

they were to wear sandals, but not to put on two tunics.

and if any place does not receive you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust under your feet, as a warning to them."

King Herod heard it, for the name of Jesus had become well known, People were saying, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and on that account these powers are working in him."

"He is Elijah," said others. And still others were saying, "He is a prophet, like one of the old prophets."

For John had often told Herod, "It is not right for you to live with your brother's wife."

Then he said to them, "Come apart, yourselves, to a quiet spot, and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they could not get time even to eat.

So when Jesus landed he saw a vast multitude, and he was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

In answer he said to them, "You yourselves are to give them food." "Are we to go and buy fifty dollars worth of bread," they said, "and give them food?"

Those who ate the bread were five thousand adult men.

they thought it was an apparition and shrieked aloud, for they all saw him and were terrified.

Then he got into the boat beside them, and the wind ceased, and they were utterly astounded,

And whenever he entered into villages or cities or the fields they would lay the sick in the market-places and beseech him to let them touch even the tassel of his cloak, and all who touched him were made well.

They had noticed that some of his disciples were eating with "common," that is to say, unwashed hands.

So the Pharisees and Scribes asked him. "Why do your disciples not follow the traditions of the elders? Why do they eat with 'common' unwashed hands?"

"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrites," he answered. "As it is written, 'This people honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far from me;

"It is praiseworthy, is it," he exclaimed, "to reject the command of God that you may keep your tradition!

For although Moses said, Honor your father and mother, and Let him who curses father or mother suffer death,

you say that if a man tells his father or mother, 'This money which otherwise you would have received from me, is Korban' (that is, a thing devoted to God),

you exempt him from doing any service for his father or mother.

Thus by your tradition which you have handed down you set at naught the word of God; and you do many other things like that."

"Are even you without understanding?" he said. "Do you not perceive that nothing whatever from without can defile a man by entering him,

"For that saying of yours, go home," he replied; "the demon has departed from your daughter."

And his ears were opened and the bond of his tongue was loosened, and he spoke plainly.

and people were amazed beyond measure saying. "How successfully he does things! Even the deaf he makes to hear, and the dumb to speak."

and if I send them away fasting to their homes, they will faint on the way. Moreover, some of them are from a distance."

"Where will it be possible," answered his disciples, "for one to fill these men with bread in a lonely place like this?"

They ate and were filled and they took up of broken pieces that were left, seven hampers.

They that had eaten were about four thousand.

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

Are your minds so slow to comprehend? You have eyes, do you not see? You have ears, do you not hear?

Then they came to Bethsaida, where some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and begged him to touch him.

And they told him. "Some say John the Baptist, others, Elijah, and others that you are one of the prophets."

And he continued questioning them, "But you yourselves, Who do you say I am?" Peter in reply said to him, "You are Christ."

But he turned round, and looked upon his disciples, and rebuked Peter. "Get thee behind me, Satan," he said, "for your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but man's."

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?

"In solemn truth I tell you," he said, "there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God, come with power."

Moreover there appeared to them Elijah, with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.

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

As soon as they saw him, all the people were astounded and ran up to greet him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing with them?"

and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and is wasting away. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."

But they did not understand his words, and were afraid to ask him the meaning.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he got into the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the road?"

But they were silent, for on the road they were disputing together which one was greatest.

"Master," said John, "we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he did not follow us."

"And if any one shall cause one of these little ones who believe on me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown out into the sea with a great millstone about his neck.

"If your hand cause you to stumble, cut it off! It is better to be maimed and to enter into life than to have two hands and go away into hell, into the fire that cannot be put out.