He will be the voice of a man shouting out in the desert, [urging people] to make the road for the Lord ready [to travel on]; to make a straight pathway for him."

And he preached, saying, A man mightier than I comes after me of whom I am not worthy, having stooped down, to loosen the strap of his shoes.

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Immediately Jesus called to them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers, and went away to follow Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

saying, "Let me be: what have we to do with thou, Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, what thou art, thou art even that holy man promised of God."

The unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions, and screeching with a loud voice, came out of him.

And all were amazed and awe-struck, so they began to ask one another, "What does this mean? Here is a new sort of teaching--and a tone of authority! And even to foul spirits he issues orders and they obey him!"

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

Then a man with a serious skin disease came to Him and, on his knees, begged Him: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Instantly the leprosy left the man, and he became clean;

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

And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

But the man, when he went out, began to tell every one and to publish the matter abroad, so that it was no longer possible for Jesus to go openly into any town; but He had to remain outside in unfrequented places, where people came to Him from all parts.

And they come, bringing unto him a man sick of the palsy, borne of four.

When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug out an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.

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

But certain of the scribes were sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies?

Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your mat and walk’?

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

The man rose, and immediately under the eyes of all took up his mat and went out, so that they were all filled with astonishment, gave the glory to God, and said, "We never saw anything like this."

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was taking food with the tax-farmers and sinners, said to his disciples, Why does he take food and drink with such men?

And Jesus having heard it says to them, They that are strong have not need of a physician, but those who are ill. I have not come to call righteous men, but sinners.

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.

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

"Have you never read," Jesus replied, "what David did when the necessity arose and he and his men were hungry:

how he entered the house of God in the High-priesthood of Abiathar, and ate the Presented Loaves--which none but the priests are allowed to eat--and gave some to his men also?"

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And the Pharisees were watching Him to see if He would heal the man on the Sabbath day, so that they could [find a reason to] accuse Him.

And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

And he said to them, "Whether is it lawful? To do a good deed on the Sabbath day, or an evil? To save a man's life, or to kill?" But they held their peace.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Then he went up the hillside and summoned the men he wanted, and they went to him.

And he appointed twelve men, so that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

and Judas Iscariot, the man who also betrayed Him.

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem, said, He has Beelzebub, and, By the ruler of evil spirits he sends evil spirits out of men.

No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

In the mean time his brothers and his mother came there, and not being able to get within hearing,

A man went out to put seed in the earth:

He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables

The man who sows sows the word.

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

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

But when the grain is ready, he quickly sends men to get it cut, because the time for cutting has come.

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

He continued asking him, "What is your mane?" "Legion is my name, for we are many."

Jesus gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out [of the man] and entered the pigs. The herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea; and they were drowned [one after the other] in the sea.

The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had [previously] had the “legion” [of demons]; and they were frightened.

And they that had seen it related to them how it had happened to the man possessed by demons, and concerning the swine.

And as he went on board ship, the man that had been possessed by demons besought him that he might be with him.

But Jesus would not allow him, saying to the man, "Go home to your friends [and family?] and tell them about the great things the Lord has done for you and how He had pity on you."

And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

About then a man named Jairus, one of the officials of the synagogue, came to Jesus and, upon seeing Him, fell to the ground at His feet.

So, Jesus went along with the man, and was being thronged by a large crowd that followed Him.

And had undergone much at the hands of a number of medical men, and had given all she had, and was no better, but even worse,

While He is yet speaking, men come from the house to the Warden, and say, "Your daughter is dead: why trouble the Rabbi further?"

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

They laughed and laughed at him. But when he had driven all of them outside, he took the child's father and mother, along with the men who were with him, and went into the room where the child was.

And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

And he could do no mighty work there, none, except having laid his hands upon a few feeble men he healed them.

And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed many feeble men with olive oil, and healed them.

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 Herod heard of him, he said--"The man whom I beheaded--John--he must be risen!"

For Herod himself had sent men out to take John and put him in prison, because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had taken for himself.

For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee;

And straight away the king sent out one of his armed men, and gave him an order to come back with the head: and he went and took off John's head in prison,

He said to them, "You men, leave here and go to a deserted place and rest for awhile." For there were so many people coming and going [i.e., to listen to preaching, receive healing, etc.], that they had no opportunity even to eat.

But He answered them, "You [men] give them something to eat." And they replied, "Should we go and buy a supply of bread to give them to eat?" [Note: The amount mentioned here indicates that it was two hundred days of a farm laborer's pay, or about $14,000 in 1994].

And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves [completely according to ritual]; and there are many other things [oral, man-made laws and traditions handed down to them] which they follow diligently, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper utensils.)

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

you cling to what men hand down. You are fine teachers to cancel what God commanded, in order to keep what men have handed down!

But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

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

And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

acts of greed and covetousness, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained conduct, envy and jealousy, slander and profanity, arrogance and self-righteousness and foolishness (poor judgment).

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

And they bring to him a deaf man who could not speak right, and they beseech him that he might lay his hand on him.

Jesus, taking him aside by himself, away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, He touched the man’s tongue [with the saliva];

Then, looking up to Heaven, he sighed, and said to the man: "Ephphatha!" which means 'Be opened.'

And the man's ears were opened, and his tongue became untied, and he began to speak perfectly.