Now about that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

And they were all so amazed that they kept asking: "What is this? Strange teaching indeed! He gives his commands with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!"

But Jesus said to them: "Let us go somewhere else, into the country towns near, that I may make my proclamation in them also; for that was why I came."

The man, however, went away, and began to speak about it publicly, and to spread the story so widely, that Jesus could no longer go openly into a town, but stayed outside in lonely places; and people came to him from every direction.

Some days later, when Jesus came back to Capernaum, the news spread that he was in a house there;

And so many people collected together, that after a while there was no room for them even round the door; and he began to tell them his Message.

Jesus, at once intuitively aware that they wee debating with themselves in this way, said to them: "Why are you debating in your minds about this?

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins on earth"--here he said to the paralyzed man--

When the Teachers of the Law belonging to the party of the Pharisees saw that he was eating in the company of such people, they said to his disciples: "He is eating in the company of tax- gatherers and outcasts!"

Hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill. I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast."

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast, and people came and asked Jesus: "Why is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, while yours do not?"

But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be parted from them, and they will fast then--when that day comes.

And they watched Jesus closely, to see if he would cure the man on the Sabbath, so that they might have a charge to bring against him.

And a great number, hearing of all that he was doing, came to him from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Edom, from beyond the Jordan, and from the country round Tyre and Sidon.

For he had cured many of them, and so people kept crowding upon him, that all who were afflicted might touch him.

And he appointed twelve--whom he also named 'Apostles'--that they might be with him, and that he might send them out as his Messengers, to preach,

So he appointed the Twelve--Peter (which was the name that Jesus gave to Simon),

And Judas Iscariot, the man that betrayed him.

Jesus went into a house; and again a crowd collected, so that they were not able even to eat their food.

When his relations heard of it, they went to take charge of him, for they said that he was out of his mind.

I tell you that men will be forgiven everything--their sins, and all the slanders that they utter;

This was said in reply to the charge that he had a foul spirit in him.

And he said: "To you the hidden truth of the Kingdom of God has been imparted; but to those who are outside it all teaching takes the form of parables, that--

The People meant by the seed that falls along the path are these--where the Message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the Message that has been sown in them.

But the cares of life, and the glamour of wealth, and cravings for many other things come in and completely choke the Message, so that it gives no return.

Nothing is hidden unless it is some day to come to light, nor was anything ever kept hidden but that it should some day come into the light of day.

Yet, when sown, shoots up, and becomes larger than any other herb, and puts out great branches, so that even 'the wild birds can roost in its shelter.'"

A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.

Jesus was in the stern asleep upon the cushion; and the disciples roused him and cried: "Teacher! is it nothing to you that we are lost?"

But they were struck with great awe, and said to one another: "Who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

and he begged Jesus again and again not to send them away out of that country.

And the spirits begged Jesus: "Send us into the pigs, that we may take possession of them."

Then those who had seen it related to them all that had happened to the possessed man, as well as about the pigs;

But Jesus refused. "Go back to your home, to your own people," he said, "and tell them of all that the Lord has done for you, and how he took pity on you."

So the man went, and began to proclaim in the district of the Ten Towns all that Jesus had done for him; and every one was amazed.

"My little daughter," he said, "is at the point of death; I beg you to come and place your hands on her, that her life may be spared."

At once the mischief was stopped, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint.

Jesus at once became aware of the power that had gone out from him, and, turning round in the crowd, he said: "Who touched my clothes?"

On leaving that place, Jesus, followed by his disciples, went to his own part of the country.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the Synagogue; and the people, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get this?" they said, "and what is this wisdom that has been given him? and these miracles which he is doing?

"Whenever you go to stay at a house," he said, "remain there till you leave that place;

And if a place does not welcome you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet, as a protest against them."

Now King Herod heard of Jesus; for his name had become well known. People were saying--"John the Baptizer must have risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him."

And when his daughter--that is, the daughter of Herodias--came in and danced, she delighted Herod and those who were dining with him. 'Ask me for whatever you like,' the King said to the girl, 'and I will give it to you';

And he swore to her that he would give her whatever she asked him--up to half his kingdom.

When the Apostles came back to Jesus, they told him all that they had done and all that they had taught.

"Come by yourselves privately to some lonely spot," he said, "and rest for a while"--for there were so many people coming and going that they had not time even to eat.

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

They had noticed that some of his disciples ate their food with their hands 'defiled,' by which they meant unwashed.

So the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law asked Jesus this question--"How is it that your disciples do not follow the traditions of our ancestors, but eat their food with defiled hands?"

His answer was: "It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you hypocrites in the words--'This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me;

There is nothing external to a man, which by going into him can 'defile' him; but the things that come out from a man are the things that defile him."

"What, do even you understand so little?" exclaimed Jesus. "Do not you see that there is nothing external to a man, which by going into a man, can 'defile' him,

"It is what comes out from a man," he added, "that defiles him,

For it is from within, out of the hearts of men, that there come evil thoughts--unchastity, theft, murder, adultery,

On leaving that place, Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And he went into a house, and did not wish anyone to know it, but could not escape notice.

"For saying that," he answered, "you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter."

About that time, when there was again a great crowd of people who had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him, and said:

The people had sufficient to eat, and they picked up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left.

Now the disciples had forgotten to take any bread with them, one loaf being all that they had in the boat.

Afterwards Jesus and his disciples went into the villages round Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples this question-- "Who do people say that I am?"

"But you," he asked, "who do you say that I am?" To this Peter replied: "You are the Christ."

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo much suffering, and that he must be rejected by the Councillors, and the Chief Priests, and the Teachers of the Law, and be put to death, and rise again after three days.

For what could a man give that is of equal value with his life?

"I tell you," he added, "that some of those who are standing here will not know death till they have seen the Kingdom of God come in power."

And suddenly, on looking round, they saw that there was now no one with them but Jesus alone.

"How is it," they asked Jesus, "that our Teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"

But I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have treated him just as they pleased, as Scripture says of him."

But, when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly collecting, he rebuked the foul spirit: "Deaf and dumb spirit, it is I who command you. Come out from him and never enter him again."

With a loud cry the spirit threw the boy into repeated convulsions, and then came out from him. The boy looked like a corpse, so that most of them said that he was dead.

Leaving that place, Jesus and his disciples went on their way through Galilee; but he did not wish any one to know it,

For it is by fire that every one will be salted.

On leaving that place, Jesus went into the district of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered about him again; and again, as usual, he began teaching them.

"It was owing to the hardness of your hearts," said Jesus, "that Moses gave you this direction;

And the man and his wife shall become one;' so that they are no longer two, but one.

When, however, Jesus saw this, he was indignant. "Let the little children come to me," he said, "do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of God belongs.

Jesus looked at the man, and his heart went out to him, and he said: "There is still one thing wanting in you; go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall heave wealth in Heaven; then come and follow me."

Who will not receive a hundred times as much, even now in the present--houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though not without persecutions, and, in the age that is coming, Immortal Life.

"You do not know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink? or receive the baptism that I am to receive?"

"Yes," they answered, "we can." "You shall indeed drink the cup that I am to drink," Jesus said, "and receive the baptism that I am to receive,

But as to a seat at my right or at my left--that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

Hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to call out: "Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me."

And, if any one says to you 'Why are you doing that?', say 'The Master wants it, and will be sure to send it back here at once.'"

As they passed by early in the morning, they noticed that the fig-tree was withered up from the very roots.

"I tell you that if any one should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!', without ever a doubt in his mind, but in the faith that what he says will be done, he would find that it would be.

And therefore I say to you 'Have faith that whatever you ask for in prayer is already granted you, and you will find that it will be.'

And, whenever you stand up to pray, forgive any grievance that you have against any one, that your Father who is in Heaven also may forgive you your offenses."

"I will put one question to you," said Jesus. "Answer me that, and then I will tell you what authority I have to act as I do.

It is about John's baptism. Was it of divine or human origin? Answer me that."

After this his enemies were eager to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed the parable. So they let him alone, and went away.

These men came to him and said: "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man, and are not afraid of any one, for you pay no regard to a man's position, but teach the Way of God honestly; are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?

Next came some Sadducees--the men who maintain that there is no resurrection. Their question was this--

"Teacher, in our Scriptures Moses decreed that, should a man's brother die, leaving a widow but no child, the man should take the widow as his wife, and raise up a family for his brother.

As to the dead, and the fact that they rise, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him thus--'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

Then came up one of the Teachers of the Law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question: "What is the first of all the commandments?"

"Wisely answered, Teacher!" exclaimed the Teacher of the Law. "It is true, as you say, that 'there is one God,' and that 'there is no other besides him';

Seeing that he had answered with discernment, Jesus said to him: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." After that no one ventured to question him further.

While Jesus was teaching in the Temple Courts, he asked: "How is it that the Teachers of the Law say that the Christ is to be David's son?

David himself calls him 'lord,' how comes it, then, that he is to be his son?" The mass of the people listened to Jesus with delight.

In the course of his teaching, Jesus said: "See that you are on your guard against the Teachers of the Law, who delight to walk about in long robes, and to be greeted in the streets with respect,