The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And it happened that in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

Then right after that the Holy Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert.

And after John {had been taken into custody}, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God

And while walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw Simon [i.e., Peter] and his brother Andrew casting their net in the lake, for they were fishermen.

And Jesus said to them, "{Follow} me and I will make you become fishers of people."

Jesus at once called them, and they left their father Zebediah in the boat with the crew, and went after him.

Then they went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

saying, "{Leave us alone}, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"

And the fame of Jesus spread at once in all directions, through the whole neighborhood of Galilee.

and 2:1], and on the [first] Sabbath day Jesus entered the synagogue and taught people.

where Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, who presently acquainted Jesus with it.

Jesus went up to her and, grasping her hand, raised her up; the fever left her, and she began to wait upon them.

When evening came and the sun had set, they brought to Jesus all those who were sick and those dominated by evil spirits.

Jesus cured many who were ill with various diseases, and drove out many demons, and would not permit them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ.

And in the morning, very early, Jesus arose and went out into a solitary place, and there prayed.

He said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns so that I can preach there also, for this was why I came out [i.e., Jesus was sent by God to preach to other towns as well as Capernaum. See Luke 4:43]."

So, Jesus went into the [Jewish] synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching [the good news about the coming kingdom, verses 14-15] and driving out evil spirits.

Then a person with an infectious skin disease came to Jesus and, kneeling down before Him, begged Him, saying, "If you want to, you can heal me." [Note: Throughout this narrative the term "heal/healing" is originally "clean/cleansing" because the Jews viewed a person with such a disease as ceremonially "unclean." See Lev. 13:1-3].

But Jesus, moved with compassion, having stretched out his hand, touched him, and says to him, I will, be thou cleansed.

But Jesus at once drove him out of their presence, and gave him this stringent charge:

But he went out, and made it public, giving an account of it everywhere, so that Jesus was no longer able to go openly into a town, but was outside in the waste land; and they came to him from every part.

After Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, it became known that He was [back] at home [i.e., possibly at the house of Peter and Andrew, where He was staying. See 1:29].

Such a large crowd gathered that there wasn't room for them, even in front of the door. Jesus was speaking his message to them

And as they could not get him near to Jesus, on account of the crowd, they dug through the roof over the spot where He was standing and let the pallet down that the paralyzed man was lying on.

And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to him, Son, you have forgiveness for your sins.

And Jesus, having knowledge in his spirit of their thoughts, said to them, Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?

Then Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to 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 about that he was seated at meat in his house, and a number of tax-farmers and sinners were at table with Jesus and his disciples: for there were a great number of them, and they came after him.

And the scribes and Pharisees seeing him eat with publicans and sinners, said to his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? And Jesus hearing it saith to them-

And Jesus, hearing it, said to them, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill: I have come not to get the upright but sinners.

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. So they came to Jesus and said, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

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.

Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat as they made their way.

And the Pharisees asked Him, "Look, why are they [i.e., Jesus' disciples] doing what is against the law of Moses on the Sabbath day?"

"Have you never read," answered Jesus, "what David did when he was in want and hungry, he and his companions--

And Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath day was made for man's [benefit], and not man for the Sabbath [day's benefit].

Then Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

the Pharisees watched Jesus, to see if he would heal him on the sabbath-day, that so they might accuse him.

"Stand out in the middle," Jesus said to the man with the withered hand;

So Jesus looked around at them in anger, because He was pained over their stubbornness of mind, and said to the man, "Hold out your hand." And he held it out, and his hand was cured.

And the Pharisees immediately went out and conferred with the Herodians against Jesus, plotting how they could kill Him. [Note: These Herodians were members of a political party favoring King Herod]

And Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great number from Galilee came after him: and from Judaea,

So Jesus told his disciples to keep a small boat close by, for fear the crowd should crush him.

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

So he appointed the Twelve--Peter (which was the name that Jesus gave to Simon),

and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. Then Jesus went into a house.

Now Jesus went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat.

And the experts in the law of Moses who had come down from Jerusalem were saying [Note: This followed the incident of Jesus healing a man with an evil spirit. See Matt. 12:22-28], "He has Beelzebub [in him]," and "He is driving out evil spirits by [the power of] the chief of evil spirits."

So Jesus called them to him, and answered them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan?

Jesus said all this because these experts in the law of Moses had been saying, "He has an evil spirit in him."

Then Jesus' mother and his brothers came. Standing outside, they sent word to him, to summon him.

There was a crowd sitting round Jesus, and some of them said to him: "Look, your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you."

Jesus again began teaching along the shore of the lake [of Galilee]. A huge crowd gathered around Him so that He had to sit in a boat out in the lake [to speak to them], while all the crowd stood on the shore.

And Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear with ought to listen [to this] carefully."

And Jesus continued to speak to them, "Do you not know what this parable means? Then how can you understand any of the other parables?

And Jesus said to them: "Is a lamp brought to be put under the corn-measure or under the couch, instead of being put on the lampstand?

Take care what you listen to," said Jesus. "The measure you mete will be meted out to you, and more will be added for you.

And Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like a farmer who scattered seed on the ground,

Jesus also said: "To what can we liken the Kingdom of God?

With many other parables like these, Jesus kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to understand.

On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake."

whilst Jesus was at the stern, asleep on a pillow: upon which they awak'd him, crying out, master, have you so little concern to let us sink? then he rose,

Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: "Hush! Be still!" Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed.

Then Jesus and His disciples [finally] arrived on the other side of the lake [i.e., the east side] in the district of Geresa [Note: Matt. 8:28 says 'Gadara.' Geresa and Gadara were two towns

and as soon as Jesus was come out of the ship, he met a demoniack, who came from among the tombs, where he haunted,

And when he saw Jesus from far off, he went quickly to him and gave him worship;

And crying out with a loud voice he said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name, do not be cruel to me.

For Jesus had said to him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.

And Jesus said, What is your name? And he made answer, My name is Legion, because there are a great number of us.

and he was very importunate with Jesus not to drive them away from that country.

And the spirits begged Jesus: "Send us into the pigs, that we may take possession of them."

And Jesus immediately allowed them. And the unclean spirits going out entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep slope, into the sea (about two thousand), and were choked in the sea.

And they came to Jesus, and saw the man in whom had been the evil spirits seated, clothed and with full use of his senses, and they were full of fear.

Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

as he was embarking, the late demoniack desired, that he might be with Jesus.

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 went on his way, and made public in the country of Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him: and all men were full of wonder.

And when Jesus had gone over again in the boat to the other side, a great number of people came to him: and he was by the sea.

And a man named Jairus, a leader of a synagogue, came up, and when he saw Jesus he flung himself at His feet

And Jesus went with him; and many people followed him, and thronged him.

When she had news of the things which Jesus did, went among the people coming after him, and put her hand on his robe.

And straight away Jesus was conscious that power had gone out of him; and, turning to the people, he said, Who was touching my robe?

But Jesus looked about to see who had done it.

But the woman became afraid and trembled with fear, for she knew what had happened to her [i.e., the healing], so she came and fell down in front of Jesus and told Him the whole truth.

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue official's house and said [to the official], "Your daughter is dead; why are you bothering the Teacher any more?"

But Jesus, giving no attention to their words, said to the ruler of the Synagogue, Have no fear, only have faith.

Jesus allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw mass confusion. People were crying and sobbing loudly.

Taking her hand, Jesus said to her: "Taleitha, koum!"--which means 'little girl, I am speaking to you--Rise!'

But Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.

Jesus leaving that place, went into his own country, attended by his disciples.

And Jesus said to them, A prophet is nowhere without honour, but in his country, and among his relations, and in his family.

And he wondered at the want of faith shown by the people. Jesus went round the villages, one after another, teaching.

Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

In the mean time king Herod heard of Jesus, whose name was now celebrated, and he said, John the Baptist is risen from the dead, no wonder then that he works miracles.

But when King Herod heard [about Jesus], he said, "John, whom I [had] decapitated, has risen."