And he remained in the desert for forty days, and Satan tried to tempt him there; and he was among the wild animals; but the angels waited on him.

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.

Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men."

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

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

He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring country towns, so that I may preach in them, too, for that is why I came out here."

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."

And some people came bringing to him a man who was paralyzed, four of them carrying him.

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.

How is it that he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the Presentation Loaves, which it is against the law for anyone but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions too?"

And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,

He told his disciples to have a boat always ready for his use, to prevent his being crushed by the crowd.

For he cured so many people that all who had any ailments pressed up to him to touch him.

And again the crowd gathered in such numbers that there was no chance for them even to have their meals.

His relatives heard of it and came over to stop him, for they said that he was out of his mind.

I tell you, men will be forgiven for everything, for all their sins and all the abusive things they say.

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

but the worries of the time and the pleasure of being rich and passions for other things creep in and choke the message out and it yields nothing.

For no one hides anything except for the purpose of sometime bringing it to light again, and people keep things secret only to reveal them some day.

For people who have will have more given them, and from people who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

But as soon as the crop will let him, the man goes in with his sickle, for the harvest time has come.

"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.

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

for he had often been fastened with fetters and chains and had snapped the chains and broken the fetters; and there was no one strong enough to master him,

For he was saying to him, "You foul spirit, come out of this man."

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

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 a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,

for she said, "If I can only touch his clothes, I shall get well."

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

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.

He forbade them to take anything for the journey except a staff??o bread, no bag, no small change even in their girdles;

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.

For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him and put him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

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

for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing that he was an upright and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him talk he was very much disturbed, and yet he liked to hear him.

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

"Ask me for anything you like and I will give it to you." And he made oath to her, "I will give you whatever you ask me for, up to half my kingdom."

When she had left the room she said to her mother, "What shall I ask him for?" But she said, "The head of John the baptizer."

And she hurried back at once to the king and asked him for it, saying, "I want you right away to give me John the Baptist's head on a platter."

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 they set off by themselves in their boat for a secluded place.

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."

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

For the Pharisees and all the Jews observe the rules handed down from their ancestors, and will not eat until they have washed their hands in a particular way,

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.'

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

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

For it is from inside, from men's hearts, that designs of evil come; immorality, stealing, murder, adultery,

He said to her, "Let the children first eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

And Jesus forbade them to tell anyone about it, but the more he forbade them the more they spread the news far and wide.

"I pity these people, for they have been staying with me three days now, and they have nothing left to eat.

And if I send them home hungry they will give out on the way, for some of them come from a distance."

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

And he sighed deeply and said, "Why do the men of this day ask for a sign? I tell you, no sign will be given them."

how many baskets of pieces you picked up when I broke the five loaves in pieces for those five thousand men?" They said to him, "Twelve."

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

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

Then he explained to them for the first time that the Son of Man must go through much suffering, and be refused by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, and be killed, and rise again three days after.

He told them this plainly. And Peter took him aside, and began to reprove him for it.

But turning and seeing his disciples he reproved Peter, and said, "Get out of my sight, you Satan! for you do not side with God, but with men."

For whoever wants to preserve his own life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me and for the good news will preserve it.

For what good does it do a man to gain the whole world and yet part with his life?

For what can a man give to buy back his life?

For if anyone is ashamed of me and my teachings in this unfaithful and sinful age, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when he comes back in his Father's glory, with the holy angels."

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.

One of the crowd answered, "Master, I brought my son to you, for he is possessed by a dumb spirit,

"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!"

Jesus said to him, " 'If there is anything I can do!' Everything is possible for one who has faith!"

for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and three days after he is killed he will rise again."

But they made no answer, for on the way they had been discussing with one another which of them was the greatest.

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."

But Jesus said, "Do not tell him not to do so, for there is no one who will use my name to do a mighty act, and be able soon after to abuse me.

For the man who is not against us is for us.

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink, on the ground that you belong to Christ, I tell you, will certainly not fail to be repaid.

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.

where the worm that feeds upon them never dies and the fire is never put out.

Everyone must be seasoned with fire.

But Jesus said to them, "It was on account of your perversity that he laid down that law for you.

And people brought children to him to have him touch them, but the disciples reproved them for it.

When Jesus saw it, he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not try to stop them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they.

But his face fell at Jesus' words, and he went away much cast down, for he had a great deal of property.

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have money to enter the Kingdom of God!"

It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God!"

Jesus looked at them and said, "For men it is impossible, but not for God, for anything is possible for God."

Jesus said, "I tell you, there is no one who has given up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news,

And Zebedee's two sons, James and John, came up to him and said, "Master, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

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

Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking for. Can you drink what I am drinking, or undergo the baptism that I am undergoing?"

but as for sitting at my right or at my left, that is not mine to give, but belongs to those for whom it is destined."

For the Son of Man himself has not come to be waited on, but to wait on other people, and to give his life to free many others."

Jesus spoke to him and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "Master, let me regain my sight!"

And he saw in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves, and he went up to it to see if he could find any figs on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the time for figs.

And he taught them, and said, "Does not the Scripture say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a robbers' cave."

The high priests and the scribes heard of this, and they cast about for a way of destroying him, for they were afraid of him, for all the people were amazed at what he taught.