"The voice of one crying aloud: 'In the Desert prepare a road for the Lord: Make His highways straight.'"

John [the Immerser] came immersing people in the desert and proclaiming that those immersed on the basis of their repentance would receive the forgiveness of sins [from God].

And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

And, straightway, there was in their synagogue, a man in an impure spirit, - and he cried out aloud,

Now when evening came, when the sun set, they brought him all who were ill or possessed by daemons ??33 indeed the whole town was gathered at the door ??34 and he cured many who were ill with various diseases and cast out many daemons; but as the daemons knew him he would not let them say anything.

And Jesus healed many who were suffering with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him [recognizing Him as the Son of God].

And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But He was out in deserted places, and they would come to Him from everywhere.

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees would fast regularly. Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

And he told his disciples that a small boat should stand ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not press upon him.

and the impure spirits, as soon as they beheld him, were falling down to him, and crying aloud, while he was speaking, Thou, art the Son of God!

And He would strongly warn them not to make Him known.

And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

And he appointed twelve, so that they would be with him and so that he could send them out to preach

Then came his brethren and his mother, and standing without sent unto him, calling aloud for him.

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

This is so that even though they see, they will see and yet not perceive. And even though they hear, they will hear and yet not understand. For if they did, they would turn [back to God] again and receive forgiveness."

but worry [over things] of the world, and the deceitfulness of material wealth, and the evil desires for other things entered their hearts and choked [the effectiveness of] 'the word,' so that it did not yield a crop [in their lives].

Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."

For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.

and whenever the fruit may yield itself, immediately he doth send forth the sickle, because the harvest hath come.'

when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade."

He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand.

And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.

and, continually, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, was he crying aloud, and cutting himself in pieces with stones.

shrieking aloud, "Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? By God, I adjure you, do not torture me."

And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

On the side of a [nearby] mountain, a large herd of [wild] hogs was grazing.

The evil spirits begged Him, saying, "Send us into those [wild] hogs, so we can enter their bodies."

And He gave them permission to do it. So, the evil spirits went out of the man's body and entered the bodies of the [wild] hogs. The herd then rushed down the cliff into the lake. There were about two thousand that drowned in the lake.

Those who saw this told the people what had happened to the man dominated by the evil spirits and about the [wild] hogs.

And they began to pray him, that he would depart from their coasts.

But He would not let him; instead, He told him, “Go back home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you.”

and besought him greatly saying, "My daughter lieth at point of death, I would thou wouldst come and lay thy hand on her, that she might be safe and live."

He would not allow anyone to accompany him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.

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

And straightway the damsel rose up, and walked; for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed straightway with a great amazement.

so that excepting the cure of a few sick by the imposition of hands, he would not work any miracle there,

and he charged them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no bread, no wallet, now money in their purse;

But others were saying, “He is Elijah!” And others were saying, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets [of old].”

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

because Herod was in awe of John and was protecting him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very disturbed, yet would hear him gladly.

And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

And he swore to her that he would give her whatever she asked him--up to half his kingdom.

At once she hurried in to the king and said, "I would like you to give me the head of John the Immerser on a [large] platter right away."

And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

And straightaway he compelled his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself would send the crowd away.

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

But, they, seeing him, upon the sea, walking, supposed that it was an apparition, and cried out aloud;

And wherever He came into villages, or cities, or the countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places and pleading with Him [to allow them] just to touch the fringe (tassel with a blue cord) of His robe; and all who touched it were healed.

Now the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not take food without washing their hands with care, keeping the old rule which has been handed down to them:

but you [Pharisees and scribes] say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you is Corban, (that is to say, already a gift to God),”’

And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

Jesus therefore said to her, let the children first be satisfy'd; for it would not be decent to take the children's bread, and throw it to puppys.

And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they were imploring him that he would place his hand on him.

Then He ordered them to tell no one, but the more He would order them, the more they would proclaim it.

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

there the Pharisees being come, they began to dispute with him, and to try him, desir'd he would work some miracle in the sky.

And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought to him a blind man and implored him that he would touch him.

And teaching them, he said that the Son of man would have to undergo much, and be hated by those in authority, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days come back from the dead.

And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's shall save it.

For what would it benefit a person to gain the whole world [i.e., of material things] and give up his life [i.e., of spiritual blessings]?

And what would a man give in exchange for his life?

And his clothing became shining, very white, as no cleaner on earth would make it.

For he knew not what he would say, for they were frightened.

Jesus answered them, "Elijah truly will come first and restore all things [i.e., to their proper perspective concerning the Messiah]. And it is [also] written [in the Scriptures] about the Son of man, that He would suffer very much and be rejected.

But I say unto you, that Elijah is come, and they have also done unto him whatsoever they would, even as it is written of him.

And it did come out, after shrieking aloud and convulsing him violently. The child turned like a corpse, so that most people said, "he is dead";

And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

for he was teaching his disciples, telling them that the Son of man would be betrayed into the hands of men, that they would kill him, and that when he was killed he would rise again after three days.

And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe and trust in Me to stumble [that is, to sin or lose faith], it would be better for him if a heavy millstone [one requiring a donkey’s strength to turn it] were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out.

Or if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life crippled, than remain in possession of both your feet and be thrown into Gehenna.

Or if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God half-blind than remain in possession of two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna,

And they brought children to him, so that he would touch them. And the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them.

Jesus looked at them and said, "This would be impossible with men, but not with God, for everything is possible with God."

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were astonished, but those who followed Him were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, He began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

And Jesus, calling them near, saith unto them - Ye know that, they who think to rule the nations, lord it over them, and, their great ones, wield authority over them;

But it is not so among you: but whosoever would become great among you, shall be your minister;

and whosoever would be first among you, shall be servant of all.

And, hearing that it was, Jesus the Nazarene, he began to be crying aloud, and saying - O Son of David! Jesus! have mercy on me.

And many were rebuking him, that he might hold his peace; but, he, so much the more, was crying aloud, O Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

And, they who were going before, and they who were following after, were crying aloud - Hosanna! Blessed, is he that is coming in the name of the Lord!

And [when he] saw from a distance a fig tree that had leaves, he went [to see] if perhaps he would find anything on it. And [when he] came up to it he found nothing except leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

And whenever evening came, they would go out of the city.

"I tell you that if any one should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!', without ever a doubt in his mind, but in the faith that what he says will be done, he would find that it would be.

"Teacher, Moses wrote to us [Deut. 25:5] that if a man's brother dies, leaving his widow behind without having had any children, his brother should marry his widow and father children by her. These children would then be considered his [dead] brother's.

When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect's sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days.