And he proclaimed--"There is coming after me one more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to stoop down and unfasten his sandals.

And he was there in the Wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and among the wild beasts, while the angels ministered to him.

Now there was in their Synagogue at the time a man under the power of a foul spirit, who called out:

In the morning, long before daylight, Jesus rose and went out, and, going to a lonely spot, there began to pray.

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.

But some of the Teachers of the Law who were sitting there were debating in their minds:

There was a crowd sitting round Jesus, and some of them said to him: "Look, your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you."

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

And he asked him: "What is your name?" "My name," he said, "is Legion, for there are many of us;"

There was a large drove of pigs close by, feeding on the hill- side.

When they came to Jesus, they found the possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind--the very man who had had the 'Legion' in him--and they were awe-struck.

And he could not work any miracle there, beyond placing his hands upon a few infirm persons, and curing them;

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

"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.

And many people saw them going, and recognized them, and from all the towns they flocked together to the place on foot, and got there before them.

When they come from market, they will not eat without first sprinkling themselves; and there are many other customs which they have inherited and hold to, such as the ceremonial washing of cups, and jugs, and copper pans).

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,

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

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:

There were about four thousand people. Then Jesus dismissed them.

They came to Bethsaida. There some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and begged him to touch him.

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain alone by themselves. There his appearance was transformed before their eyes,

Then a cloud came down and enveloped them; and from the cloud there came a voice--"This is my Son, the Beloved; him you must hear."

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

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."

"I tell you," said Jesus, "there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, on my account and on account of the Good News,

"Listen!" he said. "We are going up to Jerusalem; and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law, and they will condemn him to death, and they will give him up to the Gentiles,

"Go to the village facing you," he said; "and, as soon as you get there, you will find a foal tethered, which no one has ever ridden; untie it, and bring it.

They came to Jerusalem. Jesus went into the Temple Courts, and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of the pigeon-dealers,

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

There were once seven brothers; of whom the eldest took a wife, but died and left no family;

When men rise from the dead, there is no marrying or being married; but they are as angels in Heaven.

The second is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

"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';

For 'nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom'; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This will be but the beginning of the birth-pangs.

And at that time if any one should say to you 'Look, here is the Christ!' 'Look, there he is!', do not believe it;

Jesus sent forward two of his disciples and said to them: "Go into the city, and there a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him;

He will himself show you a large upstairs room, set out ready; and there make preparations for us."

In the evening he went there with the Twelve,

Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court- yard of the High Priest, was sitting there among the police- officers, warming himself at the blaze of the fire.

For, though there were many who gave false evidence against him, yet their evidence did not agree.

And there the maidservant, on seeing him, began to say again to the by-standers: "This is one of them!"

There they offered him drugged wine; but Jesus refused it.

There were some women also watching from a distance, among them being Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joseph, and Salome--

But go, and say to his disciples and to Peter 'He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.'"