the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.'"

In the wilderness John the baptizer began preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

As he went along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen).

Simon and his companions searched for him.

When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you."

He replied, "Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do."

Now a leper came to him and fell to his knees, asking for help. "If you are willing, you can make me clean," he said.

He told him, "See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Some people came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.

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.

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.

For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd would not press toward him.

For he had healed many, so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order to touch him.

Now Jesus went up the mountain and called for those he wanted, and they came to him.

When his family heard this they went out to restrain him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

I tell you the truth, people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the blasphemies they utter.

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

For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing.

For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light.

For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey 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.

(For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!")

Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

But Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, "Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you."

So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.

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

for she kept saying, "If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed."

Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bread, no bag, no money in their belts --

Now King Herod heard this, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him."

For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

For John had repeatedly told Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

But a suitable day came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee.

When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you."

So she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother said, "The head of John the baptizer."

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).

Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something for themselves to eat."

But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "Should we go and buy bread for two hundred silver coins and give it to them to eat?"

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.

for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: "Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders.

He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition."

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

But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, 'Whatever help you would have received from me is corban' (that is, a gift for God),

then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother.

For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer." (This means all foods are clean.)

For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder,

He said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and to throw it to the dogs."

They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well.

There were about four thousand who ate. Then he dismissed them.

Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for a sign from heaven to test him.

Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, "Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to this generation."

Now they had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?" They replied, "Twelve."

"When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?" They replied, "Seven."

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.

For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?

What can a person give in exchange for his life?

For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

So Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters -- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

(For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.)

It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

Then Jesus said to him, "'If you are able?' All things are possible for the one who believes."

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."

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

For whoever is not against us is for us.

For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ's name will never lose his reward.

"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire.

where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.

Everyone will be salted with fire.

Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

But Jesus said to them, "He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother,

Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought 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.

As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, "You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

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

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Jesus looked at them and replied, "This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God."

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared."

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Rabbi, let me see again."

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.

Then he began to teach them and said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!"

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.

I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

But if we say, 'From people -- '" (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet).

Then he began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.

"Teacher, Moses wrote for us: 'If a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother.'