and the whole of Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him and got baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

Now it was in those days that Jesus arrived from Nazaret in Galilee and got baptized in the Jordan by John.

But Jesus checked it; "Be quiet," he said, "come out of him."

On leaving the synagogue they went straight to the house of Simon and Andrew, accompanied by James and John.

Now when evening came, when the sun set, they brought him all who were ill or possessed by daemons ??33 indeed the whole town was gathered at the door ??34 and he cured many who were ill with various diseases and cast out many daemons; but as the daemons knew him he would not let them say anything.

so he stretched his hand out in pity and touched him saying, "I do choose, be cleansed."

"What does the man mean by talking like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"

Then he went out again by the seaside, and all the crowd came to him and he taught them.

So he told his disciples to have a small boat ready; it was to prevent him being crushed by the crowd,

He appointed twelve to be with him, also that he might despatch them to preach

But the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul," and "It is by the prince of daemons that he casts out daemons."

So he called them and said to them by way of parable, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

I tell you truly, the sons of men shall be forgiven all their sins, and all the blasphemies they may utter,

Once more he proceeded to teach by the seaside, and a crowd gathered round him greater than ever, so he entered a boat on the sea and sat down, while all the crowd stayed on shore.

When he was by himself his adherents and the twelve asked him about the parable,

and he said to them: "The open secret of the Realm of God is granted to you, but these outsiders get everything by way of parables,

so that for all their seeing they may not perceive, and for all their hearing they may not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven."

He also said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be placed under a bowl or a bed? Is it not to be placed upon the stand?

Nothing is hidden except to be disclosed, nothing concealed except to be revealed.

Also he said to them, "Take care what you hear; the measure you deal out to others will be dealt out to yourselves, and you will receive extra.

For he who has, to him shall more be given; while as for him who has not, from him shall be taken even what he has."

he sleeps at night and rises by day, and the seed sprouts and shoots up ??he knows not how.

(For the earth bears crops by itself, the blade first, the ear of corn next, and then the grain full in the ear.)

but once sown it springs up to be larger than any plant, throwing out such big branches that the wild birds can roost under its shadow."

he never spoke to them except by way of parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.

so, leaving the crowd, they took him just as he was in the boat, accompanied by some other boats.

And he woke up, checked the wind, and told the sea, "Peace, be quiet." The wind fell and there was a great calm.

But they were overawed and said to each other, "Whatever can he be, when the very wind and sea obey him?"

who dwelt among the tombs; by this time no one could bind him, not even with a chain,

shrieking aloud, "Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? By God, I adjure you, do not torture me."

and when they reached Jesus they saw the lunatic sitting down, clothed and in his sober senses ??the man who had been possessed by 'Legion.' That frightened them.

He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be free from your complaint."

then he took the child's hand and said to her, "Talitha koum" ??which may be translated, "Little girl, I am telling you to rise."

Leaving there he went to his native place, followed by his disciples.

Is this not the joiner, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters settled here among us?" So they were repelled by him.

And summoning the twelve he proceeded to send them out two by two; he gave them power over the unclean spirits,

also they cast out a number of daemons and cured a number of sick people by anointing them with oil.

However a number of people who saw them start and recognized them, got to the place before them by hurrying there on foot from all the towns.

send them off to the farms and villages round about to buy some food for themselves."

He replied, "Give them some food, yourselves." They said, "Are we to go and buy ten pounds' worth of food and give them that to eat?"

nothing outside a man can defile him by entering him; it is what comes from him that defiles him.

He said to them, "So you do not understand, either? Do you not see how nothing outside a man can defile him by entering him?

He said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first of all; it is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

So taking him aside from the crowd by himself, he put his fingers into the man's ears, touched his tongue with saliva,

Now the Pharisees came out and started to argue with him, asking him for a Sign from heaven, by way of tempting him.

But he sighed in spirit and said, "Why does this generation demand a Sign? I tell you truly, no Sign shall be given this generation."

So he took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village; then, after spitting on his eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?"

And he proceeded to teach them that the Son of man had to endure great suffering, to be rejected by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, to be killed and after three days to rise again;

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this disloyal and sinful generation, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Six days afterwards Jesus took Peter, James and John, and led them up a high hill by themselves alone; in their presence he was transfigured,

He said to them, "Elijah does come first, to restore all things; but what is written about the Son of man as well? This, that he is to endure great suffering and be rejected.

He answered them, "O faithless generation, how long must I still be with you? how long have I to bear with you? Bring him to me."

So they brought the boy to him, and when the spirit saw Jesus it at once convulsed the boy; he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! Anything can be done for one who believes."

At once the father of the boy cried out, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

for he was teaching his disciples, telling them that the Son of man would be betrayed into the hands of men, that they would kill him, and that when he was killed he would rise again after three days.

So he sat down and called the twelve. "If anyone wants to be first," he said to them, "he must be last of all and the servant of all."

Jesus said, "Do not stop him; no one who performs any miracle in my name will be ready to speak evil of me.

And whoever is a hindrance to one of these little ones who believe, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung round his neck and be thrown into the sea.

If your hand is a hindrance to you, cut it off: better be maimed and get into Life, than keep your two hands and go to Gehenna, to the fire that is never quenched.

If your foot is a hindrance to you, cut it off: better get into Life a cripple, than keep your two feet and be thrown into Gehenna.

If your eye is a hindrance to you, tear it out: better get into God's Realm with one eye, than keep your two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna,

Everyone has to be consecrated by the fire of the discipline.

Salt is excellent: but if salt is tasteless, how are you to restore its flavour? Let there be 'salt between you'; be at peace with one another."

They said, "Moses permitted a man to divorce her by writing out a separation notice."

and the pair shall be one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

They were more astounded than ever; they said to themselves, "Then who ever can be saved?"

Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of man will be betrayed to the high priests and scribes; they will sentence him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles,

not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

and whoever of you wants to be first must be your slave;

for the Son of man himself has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

A number of the people checked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

but some of the bystanders said to them, "What do you mean by untethering that colt?"

and both those in front and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name!

Blessed be the Reign to come, our father David's reign. Hosanna in high heaven!"

also he taught them. "Is it not written," he asked, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations? You have made it a den of robbers."

But these vinedressers said to themselves, 'Here is the heir; come on, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be our own.'

They came up and said to him, "Teacher, we know you are sincere and fearless; you do not court human favour, you teach the Way of God honestly. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Are we to pay, or are we not to pay?" But he saw their trick and said to them, "Why tempt me? Bring me a shilling. Let me see it."

At the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? She was wife to the seven of them."

David here calls him Lord. Then how can he be his son?" Now the mass of the people listened with delight to him.

they prey upon the property of widows and offer long unreal prayers. All the heavier will their sentence be!"

Jesus said to him, "You see these great buildings? Not a stone shall be left on another, without being torn down."

"Tell us, when is this to happen? What will be the sign for all this to be accomplished?"

And when you hear of wars and rumours of war, do not be alarmed; these have to come, but it is not the end yet.

For nation will rise against nation, and realm against realm; there will be earthquakes here and there, and famines too. All that is but the beginning of the trouble.

Look to yourselves. Men will hand you over to Sanhedrins and you will be flogged in synagogues and brought before governors and kings for my sake, to testify to them.

(Ere the end, the gospel must be preached to all nations.)

and you will be hated by all men on account of my name; but he will be saved who holds out to the very end.

Pray it may not be winter when it comes,

for those days will be days of misery, the like of which has never been from the beginning of God's creation until now ??no and never shall be.

Had not the Lord cut short those days, not a soul would be saved alive; but he has cut them short for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen.

But when that misery is past, in those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not yield her light,

the stars will drop from heaven, and the orbs of the heavens will be shaken.

so, whenever you see this happen, you may be sure He is at hand, at the very door.

The passover and the festival of unleavened bread fell two days later; so the high priests and scribes were trying how to get hold of him by craft and have him put to death.

"Only," they said, "it must not be during the festival; that would mean a popular riot."

The poor you always have beside you, and you can be kind to them whenever you want; but you will not always have me.

They were delighted to hear it, and promised to pay him for it. Meantime he sought a good opportunity for betraying him.