And John was clothed with camel's hair, and he had a leather girdle round his loins, and he ate locusts, and "honey of the wood."

and as soon as he rose from the water he saw the sky cleft asunder, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him,

And as he was passing along by the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting their net into the sea, for they were fishermen;

so Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."

As he went a little farther on he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in their boat mending the nets.

So they came to Capernaum, and as soon as the Sabbath Day came he went into the synagogue and began to teach.

So the unclean spirit, after tearing him, came out of him with a loud cry;

and every one was amazed so that they began questioning among themselves. "What does this mean? A new teaching with authority? He lays commands even upon unclean spirits and they obey him."

Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick of fever, and without delay they told him about her.

So he came and took her hand and raised her up. The fever left her at once, and she began to wait upon them.

So he went throughout Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons.

"See you say nothing to any one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your purification what Moses commanded for a testimony to them."

But he went out and began to tell every one and to publish it broadcast, so that Jesus could no longer enter any town openly; but he had to remain outside in lonely places, and people kept coming to him from every quarter.

"Why do you reason thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your cot and walk'?

But to let you see that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"??e said to the paralytic??11 "I bid you rise, take up your cot, and go home."

The man rose, at once took up his cot, and went out before them all; at which they were all astounded, and gave God glory, saying, "We never saw anything like this."

As he was passing by he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in the tax-office; and he said to him, "Follow me." So he rose and followed him.

But when some scribes of the Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers, they said to his disciples, "Is he eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?"

so the Son of man is Master even of the Sabbath."

And they kept watching Jesus to see whether he would cure him on the Sabbath; so as to have some charge to bring against him.

Then Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great crowd of people from Galilee followed.

So he directed his disciples to keep a little boat in readiness for him, because of the crowd, to prevent their crushing him.

For he had healed so many that all the people who had ailments pressed upon him so as to touch him.

So when he had called them to him he spoke to them in parables. "How," said he, "can Satan cast out Satan?

"Indeed, no one can enter the strong man's house and carry off his property without first binding the strong man; then he can plunder his house.

Now a crowd was sitting round him and they told him, "See! your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, wanting to see you."

Afterwards Jesus began to teach by the seaside, and a vast multitude of people gathered about him, so that he went on board a boat on the sea, and sat there, while all the people stayed on shore, at the water's edge.

"Listen! the Sower once went out to sow,

Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, so that it yielded no crop.

He went on to say to them. "The secret truth concerning the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside everything is told in parables,

so that, "for all their looking they may not see, and for all their hearing, they may not understand, lest perchance they should turn and be pardoned.

When they have heard the Word, the anxieties of life and the snares of wealth, and all sorts of other ambitions, come in to choke the Word, so that it proves unfruitful.

He went on to say. "Is the lamp brought in to be put under the bushel or the bed? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand?

So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them just as he was in the boat; and the other boats were with him.

But a great gale of wind came up, and the waves were dashing into the boat so that it began to fill.

Now he himself was sleeping on the cushion in the stern, so they woke him up, saying, "Master, do you not care if we perish?"

And he awoke, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"

The wind fell, and there ensued a great calm. Then he said to them. "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"

Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"

Then they came to the country of the Gadarenes, on the opposite side of the sea;

So the spirits begged him, saying, "Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them."

And he gave them leave. And out came the foul spirits and entered the swine; and the drove rushed down from the steep into the sea, in number about two thousand, and were choked in the sea.

On this the swineherds ran away and spread the news in town and country. So the people went to see what had happened.

So he went and began to publish abroad in the District of the Ten Towns all that Jesus had done for him; and every one was astonished and all men marveled.

Then after Jesus had recrossed in a boat to the other side, a vast multitude came crowding around him; so he stayed on the seashore.

Then one of the wardens of the synagogue, named Jairus, came up, and as soon as he saw Jesus, fell at his feet, with many entreaties,

So he went with him, and a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.

She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind and touched his cloak.

"You see the crowd thronging about you," said his disciples, "and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'"

But he kept looking about to see who had done it,

Then he took the child's hand and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," that is to say, "Little girl, I am speaking to you; arise!"

So they disapproved of him. Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native land and among his relatives and in his home."

And he wondered at their lack of faith. So he went among the neighboring villages, teaching.

So they fared forth and summoned men to repentance.

Now this Herod had sent and arrested John, and bound him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.

For John had often told Herod, "It is not right for you to live with your brother's wife."

So Herodias hated him, and wished to put him to death;

but she could not, for Herod was afraid of John because he knew that he was a just and holy man. So he kept him safe. When he listened to John he was much exercised, yet he found pleasure in listening to him.

So she came out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she replied.

So she at once hurried in to the king and made her request, "I want you," she said, "to give me, without delay, the head of John the Baptist on a charger."

So he sent at once a soldier of the guard with orders to bring his head.

When John's disciples heard of this, they came, and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

So they sailed away privately to a solitary place.

However, many saw them going, and recognized them, and ran together by land from all the neighboring towns, and arrived there first.

So when Jesus landed he saw a vast multitude, and he was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

Send the people away so that they may go to the farms and villages about here, and buy themselves something to eat."

"How many loaves have you?" he answered. "Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fishes."

And when evening came, the boat was half-way across the sea, while he was on shore alone;

but when he saw them distressed in rowing (for the wind was against them), about the fourth watch of the night he went to them, walking upon the sea,

they thought it was an apparition and shrieked aloud, for they all saw him and were terrified.

They had noticed that some of his disciples were eating with "common," that is to say, unwashed hands.

So the Pharisees and Scribes asked him. "Why do your disciples not follow the traditions of the elders? Why do they eat with 'common' unwashed hands?"

you say that if a man tells his father or mother, 'This money which otherwise you would have received from me, is Korban' (that is, a thing devoted to God),

"Let the children be filled first," he said to her. "It is unseemly to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

"True, Master," she answered, "but the dogs under the table do pick up the children's crumbs."

So she went home, and found the child lying in her bed and the demon departed.

Again he left the region of Tyre, and passed through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, crossing the District of the Ten Towns.

So Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put his finger in the man's ears, and moistened his tongue with saliva;

then looking up to heaven with a sigh, he said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened.")

So he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground; and when he had taken the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave to his disciples to distribute to the crowd.

So he gave them this warning. "Look out! Be on the watch against the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod."

Are your minds so slow to comprehend? You have eyes, do you not see? You have ears, do you not hear?

The man looked up and said, "I can make out the people, for as they move about, I see them like trees."

Then Jesus again put his hands on the man's eyes; and the man, staring straight ahead, recovered his sight and continued to see everything perfectly.

From there Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he began to question his disciples saying, "Who do people say I am?"

And they told him. "Some say John the Baptist, others, Elijah, and others that you are one of the prophets."

And he continued questioning them, "But you yourselves, Who do you say I am?" Peter in reply said to him, "You are Christ."

Then he strictly charged them not to say this about him to any one;

But he turned round, and looked upon his disciples, and rebuked Peter. "Get thee behind me, Satan," he said, "for your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but man's."

Then summoning the crowd to him, with his disciples. he said: "If any man wishes to follow me, let him renounce self, take up his cross, and so follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever, for my sake and the gospel's, loses his life will save it.

"In solemn truth I tell you," he said, "there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God, come with power."

(For he did not know what to say, they were so awestruck.)

And suddenly as they looked around, they saw no one any more beside them, but Jesus alone.

So they asked him, "How is it that the Scribes say that Elijah must first come?"

When they rejoined the disciples they saw a great crowd surrounding them, and some Scribes disputing with them.

As soon as they saw him, all the people were astounded and ran up to greet him.

So they brought the boy to him, and when he saw Jesus, the spirit at once convulsed him, and he fell to the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

The boy's father with a cry said instantly. "I do believe; help my unbelief."

And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit. "You dumb and deaf spirit," he said, "come out of him, I command you, and never enter him again."