and immediately on His coming up out of the water He saw an opening in the sky, and the Spirit like a dove coming down to Him;

and a voice came from the sky, saying, "Thou art My Son dearly loved: in Thee is My delight."

When it was evening, after sunset people came bringing Him all who were sick and the demoniacs;

and such numbers of people came together that there was no longer room for them even round the door. He was speaking His Message to them,

"Why does this man use such words?" they said; "he is blaspheming. Who can pardon sins but One--that is, God?"

When He was sitting at table in Levi's house, a large number of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners were at table with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many such who habitually followed Him.

Jesus heard the words, and He said, "It is not the healthy who require a doctor, but the sick: I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners."

With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.

For Herod himself had sent and had had John arrested and had kept him in prison in chains, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.

Then the King, though intensely sorry, yet for the sake of his oaths, and of his guests, would not break faith with her.

Then they scoured the whole district, and began to bring Him the sick on their mats wherever they heard He was.

And enter wherever He might--village or town or hamlet--they laid their sick in the open places, and entreated Him to let them touch were it but the tassel of His robe; and all, whoever touched Him, were restored to health.

and when they come from market they will not eat without bathing first; and they have a good many other customs which they have received traditionally and cling to, such as the rinsing of cups and pots and of bronze utensils, and the washing of beds.)

"Where can we possibly get bread here in this remote place to satisfy such a crowd?" answered His disciples.

The Pharisees followed Him and began to dispute with Him, asking Him for a sign in the sky, to make trial of Him.

For whoever is bent on securing his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, will secure it.

His garments also became dazzling with brilliant whiteness--such whiteness as no bleaching on earth could give.

For he knew not what to say: they were filled with such awe.

"Whoever for my sake receives one such young child as this, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not so much me as Him who sent me."

"In solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has forsaken house or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,

"You yourselves must be on your guard. They will deliver you up to Sanhedrins; you will be brought into synagogues and cruelly beaten; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to be witnesses to them for me.

and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days, no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days.

Then He will send forth the angels and gather together His chosen People from north, south, east and west, from the remotest parts of the earth and the sky.

Earth and sky will pass away, but it is certain that my words will not pass away.

"I am," replied Jesus, "and you and others will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the divine Power, and coming amid the clouds of the sky."

And signs shall attend those who believe, even such as these. By making use of my name they shall expel demons. They shall speak new languages.

They shall take up venomous snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison it shall do them no harm whatever. They shall lay their hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover."