The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

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.

Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God.

Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people."

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

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

But Jesus rebuked him: "Silence! Come out of him!"

Simon's mother-in-law was lying down, sick with a fever, so they spoke to Jesus at once about her.

Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be clean!"

Immediately Jesus sent the man away with a very strong warning.

But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still they kept coming to him from everywhere.

When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Now immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, he said to them, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?

Jesus went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught 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.

When Jesus heard this he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, 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?"

Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast.

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.

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

They watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they could accuse him.

Then Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him. And from Judea,

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

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

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

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

Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him.

Then he cried out with a loud voice, "Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God -- do not torment me!"

(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."

He begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region.

Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.

They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind -- the one who had the "Legion" -- and they were afraid.

Then they asked Jesus to leave their region.

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.

When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea.

Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came up, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.

Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around him.

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,

Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

But Jesus, paying no attention to what was said, told the synagogue ruler, "Do not be afraid; just believe."

Now Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.

Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own house."

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

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."

Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.

As Jesus came ashore he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd.

As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus.

And they saw that some of Jesus' disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed.

Now when Jesus had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable.

After Jesus left there, he went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice.

Then Jesus went out again from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis.

After Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man's ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue.

Jesus ordered them not to tell anything. But as much as he ordered them not to do this, they proclaimed it all the more.

In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples and said to them,

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

And Jesus ordered them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!"

When he learned of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened?

Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Jesus and asked him to touch him.

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again. And he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Jesus sent him home, saying, "Do not even go into the village."

Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them,

Then Elijah appeared before them along with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

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."

Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more except Jesus.

Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.

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

Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.

They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know,

Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?"

But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me.

Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them.

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

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.

Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

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."

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

The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, "Children, how hard it is 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

They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.

But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?"

They said to him, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience,

Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.

They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man and said to him, "Have courage! Get up! He is calling you."

He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

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