the voice of one who cries in the desert, 'Make the way ready for the Lord, level the paths for him' ??4 John appeared baptizing in the desert and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

And all the land of Jewry, and they of Jerusalem went out unto him, and were all baptised of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

And John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and honey.

And as soon as he was come out of the water, John saw the heavens open, and the holy ghost descending upon him like a dove.

And immediately the spirit drove him into a wilderness:

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

And they straightway forsook their nets, and followed him.

And anon he called them. And they left their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired servants, and went their way after him.

And they marveled at his learning. For he taught them as one that had power with him, and not as the scribes did.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Hold thy peace and come out of him."

And the unclean spirit tare him, and cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him.

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they demanded one of another among themselves, saying, "What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For he commandeth the foul spirits with power, and they obey him."

And the report about him then went out everywhere in the whole surrounding region of Galilee.

And Simon's mother-in-law lay sick of a fever, and anon they told him of her.

And at even, when the sun was down, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils,

and he healed many that were sick of divers diseases. And he cast out many devils; and suffered them not to speak, because they knew him.

And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

And when they had found him, they said unto him, "All men seek for thee."

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

And Jesus had compassion on him, and put forth his hand, touched him, and said unto him, "I will, be thou clean."

And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

And he charged him and sent him away forthwith

and said unto him, "See that thou say nothing to any man, but get thee hence and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimonial unto them."

But he, as soon as he was departed, began to tell many things and to publish the deed, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places, and they came to him from every quarter.

and immediately many collected round him, so that there was no room, not even at the door; and he spake the word to them.

And there came unto him, that brought one sick of the palsy, borne of four men:

and because they could not come nigh unto him for press, they uncovered the roof of the house where he was. And when they had broken it open, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say to him, 'Get up, pick up your pallet and start walking!"

And he went out again unto the sea, and all the people resorted unto him, and he taught them.

And as Jesus passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sit at the receipt of custom and said unto him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him.

And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat at meat also with Jesus and his disciples. For there were many that followed him.

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?"

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees did fast, and they therefore came and said unto him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples fast not?"

And Jesus said to them, Will the friends of a newly-married man go without food while he is with them? as long as they have him with them they will not go without food.

And the Pharisees said unto him, "Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?"

And he said to them, "Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was a hungered both he and they that were with him?

How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the hallowed loaves, which is not lawful but for the priests only to eat: and gave also to them which were with him?"

and they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

Then glancing round him in anger and vexation at their obstinacy he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was quite restored.

And the Pharisees departed, and straightway gathered a counsel, with them that belonged to Herod, against him: that they might destroy him.

And Jesus avoided with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude followed him from Galilee and from Jewry,

and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan: and they that dwelled about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude: which when they had heard what things he did, came unto him.

And he commanded his disciples, that a ship should wait on him, because of the people, lest they should throng him.

For he had healed many, insomuch that they pressed upon him, for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

And when the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him, and cried saying, "Thou art the son of God."

And he straightly charged them that they should not utter him.

And he went up into a mountain, and called unto him whom he would, and they came unto him.

And he ordained the twelve that they should be with him, and that he might send them to preach.

He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),

And James, him of Zebedee, and John brother of James; and he set to them names Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder:

And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James him of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

and Judas Iscariot, which same also betrayed him.

And when they that longed unto him heard of it, they went out to hold him. For they said, "He is too fervent."

And the Teachers of the Law, who had come down from Jerusalem, said: "He has Baal-zebub in him, and he drives the demons out by the help of Baal-zebub, their chief."

And he called them unto him, and in similitudes said unto them, "How can Satan drive out Satan?

And if Satan is at war with himself, and there is division in him, he will not keep his place but will come to an end.

No man who has got into a strong man's house can carry off his goods, without first securing him; and not till then will he plunder his house.

But whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but the evil he has done will be with him for ever:

This was said in reply to the charge that he had a foul spirit in him.

And then came his mother and his brethren, and stood without, and sent unto him and called him:

And the people sat about him, and said unto him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek for thee without."

And he looked round about on his disciples, which sat in compass about him, and said, "Behold, my mother, and my brethren:

And he began again to teach by the seaside. And there gathered together unto him much people, so greatly that he entered in to a ship, and sat in the sea, and all the people was by the seaside on the shore:

And he said unto them, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked him of the similitude.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

For unto him that hath, shall it be given: And from him that hath not, shall be taken away, even that he hath."

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

And they left the people, and took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other ships.

And he was in the stern asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him, and said to him, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, "What fellow is this? For both wind and sea obey him."

And when he was come out of the ship, anon there met him out of the graves a man possessed of an unclean spirit,

which had his abiding among the graves. And no man could bind him: no, not with chains,

because that when he was often bound with fetters and chains, he plucked the chains asunder, and brake the fetters in pieces: Neither could any man tame him.

No one was able to tame him: and all the time, night and day, he was among the tombs in the mountains, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

When he had spied Jesus afar off, he ran, and worshipped him,

For he had said unto him, "Come forth out of the man thou foul spirit."

And he asked him, "What is thy name?" and he answered him, saying, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

And he prayed him instantly, that he would not send them away out of the country.

and all the devils besought him saying, "Send us into the herd of swine, that we may enter into them."

And they came out to Jesus, and they saw him that was vexed with the fiend, and had the legion, sit: both clothed and in his right mind; and were afraid.

And they that saw it told them, how it had happened unto him that was possessed with the devil: and also of the swine.

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

And when he was come into the ship, he that had the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

Howbeit, Jesus would not suffer him but said unto him, "Go home into thine own house and to thy friends, and show them what great things the Lord hath done unto thee, and how he had compassion on thee."

And he departed, and began to publish in the ten cities, what great things Jesus had done unto him; and all men did marvel.

And when Jesus was come over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him, and he was nigh unto the sea.

And behold, there came unto him one of the rulers of the Synagogue, whose name was Jairus: and when he saw him, he fell down at his feet,

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."

And he went with him, and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Then a woman, who had been bleeding for twelve years, came to Him.

When she had heard of Jesus: she came into the press behind him, and touched his garment.

And Jesus immediately felt, in himself, the virtue that went out of him, and turned him round about in the press, and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

And his disciples said unto him, "Thou seest the people thrusting thee on every side, and yet askest, 'Who did touch me?'"

Then He looked around to see who had done this [i.e., touched Him and received healing].

The woman feared and trembled, for she knew what was done within her. And she came and fell down before him and told him the truth of everything.

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?"

And he suffered no man to follow him more than Peter, and James and John the brother of James.

And they laughed him to scorn. Then he put them all out, and took the father and the mother of the maiden, and them that were with him, and entered in where the maiden lay;