He is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; make the paths straight for Him.'"

As He was walking along the shore of the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets in the sea, for they were fishermen.

So Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishermen for catching men."

And they were dumbfounded at His teaching, for He was teaching them like one who had authority to teach, and not like the scribes.

And Simon and his companions diligently searched for Him

and found Him, and said to Him, "Everybody is looking for you."

And He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring towns, to preach in them, too, for that is why I came out here."

And His heart was moved with pity for him, so He stretched out His hand and touched him, and said, "I do want to! Be cured!"

"See that you tell nobody a single word about it. Be gone, show yourself to the priest, and to prove it to the people, make the offering for your purification which Moses prescribed."

But he went out and began to publish it so much and to spread the story so far, that Jesus could not any more go into any town openly, but had to stay out in thinly settled places. But the people kept coming to Him from every quarter.

Then four men came bringing to Him a paralyzed man.

Levi was at table in his house, and he had many tax-collectors and notorious sinners as guests, along with Jesus and His disciples, for there were many of them, and they began to follow Him.

Jesus heard it, and said to them, "Not well but sick people have to send for the doctor. It is not upright but sinful people that I have come to invite."

How is it that he went into the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the sacred loaves, which it is against the law for anyone except the priests to eat, and gave part of them to his soldiers, too?"

So He told His disciples to keep a little boat ready for Him all the time, to prevent the crowds from crushing Him.

For He cured so many people that all who had ailments kept crowding up against Him to touch Him.

And again the crowds gathered so that it was not possible for them even to take their meals.

His kinsmen heard of it and came over to get hold of Him, for they kept saying, "He has gone crazy."

I solemnly say to you, men will be forgiven for all their sins and all the abusive things they say.

And a crowd was sitting around Him when they told Him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you."

but the worries of the times, the deceiving pleasures of being rich, and evil desires for other things, creep in and choke the truth out, and it yields nothing.

For nothing is ever hidden by people except for the purpose of having it known, and people do not keep secrets except to tell them.

For whoever has will have more given to him, but whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."

But as soon as the crop Will permit it, he puts in the sickle, for the reaping time has come."

With many stories like these He kept on telling them the message, as far as they could understand it.

for he had often been fastened with fetters and chains but had snapped the chains and broken the fetters, and no one was strong enough to overpower him.

For Jesus was saying to him, "You foul spirit, come out of him."

He asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

However, He did not let him, but said to him, "Go home to your folks, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and has taken pity on you."

And so he went away and began to tell everybody in the Ten Cities how much Jesus had done for him; and everybody was dumbfounded.

Then a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,

for she kept saying, "If I can only touch His clothes, I shall get well."

So the woman, as she knew what had taken place for her, though frightened and trembling, came forward and fell on her knees before His feet, and told Him the whole truth.

And He said to her, "My daughter, your faith has cured you. Go in peace and be free from your disease."

And the little girl at once got up and started walking around, for she was twelve years old. And instantly they were completely dumbfounded.

Is He not the carpenter, Mary's son, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And do not His sisters live here among us?" And so they found a cause for stumbling over him.

He ordered them not to take anything for the journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in the purse;

King Herod heard of Him, for His name was now on everybody's lips, and people were saying that John the Baptist had risen from the dead, and that this was why such mighty powers were working in Him.

For this very Herod had sent and seized John and bound him and put him in prison, just to please Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

For John kept saying to Herod, "It is not right for you to be living with your brother's wife."

So Herodias had it in for him and wanted to have him killed. But she could not have it done,

for Herod stood in awe of John, because he knew that he was an upright and holy man, and so he protected him. When he heard him speak, he was very much disturbed, and yet he liked to hear him.

Herodias' daughter came in and danced for them, and fascinated Herod and his guests. So the king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I will give it to you."

And he promised her on oath, "I will give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom."

She left the room and asked her mother, "What shall I ask him for?" And she answered, "The head of John the Baptist."

And He said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a little while." For there was an endless stream of people coming and going, and they had no time even to eat.

So when He got out of the boat, He saw a great crowd waiting, and His heart was moved with pity at the sight of them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and so He proceeded to teach them a number of things.

And because He saw that they were struggling at the oars, for the wind was against them, a while before daybreak He started toward them walking on the sea, and He meant to go right up beside them.

for they all saw Him and were terrified. But He at once spoke to them and said, "Keep up courage! It is I; stop being afraid."

for they did not understand the lesson of the loaves; their minds were dull.

For the Pharisees and all the Jews practice the customs handed down to them from their forefathers,

But He answered them, "Isaiah beautifully prophesied about you hypocrites; as the Scripture says: "'This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far, far away from me;

For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and again, 'Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death,'

you let him off from doing anything more for his father or mother;

for from the inside, that is, from the hearts of men, designs for doing evil come, sexual immorality, stealing, murder,

But He was saying to her, "Let the children first eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it out to the house dogs."

"My heart goes out in pity for these people, for they have been staying with me three days now, and they have nothing left to eat.

And if I send them home hungry, they will give out on the road, for some of them are a long way from home."

About four thousand people were there. Then He sent them away.

But He sighed in spirit and said, "Why do the people of these times ask for a spectacular sign? I solemnly say, no sign at all will be given them."

Do you not remember how many basketfuls of pieces you picked up when I broke the five loaves in pieces for the five thousand?" They said to Him, "Twelve."

"And how many hamper-basketfuls of pieces when I broke the seven loaves in pieces for the four thousand?" They said to Him, "Seven."

Then He instructed them for the first time that the Son of Man had to endure great suffering and be disowned by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, and be killed but rise again after three days.

And without any reserve He was telling them this fact. So Peter took Him aside and began to reprove Him for it.

But He turned and glanced at His disciples and reproved Peter by saying, "Get out of my way, Satan, for this view of yours is not from God but from men!"

For whoever wants to save his higher life, will have to give up the lower life, and whoever gives up his lower life for me and for the good news, will save the higher life.

For what benefit will it be to a man to gain the whole world and fail to gain the higher life?

For what price can a man give to buy back life?

For whoever is ashamed of me and my teaching in this unfaithful, sinful age, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when He comes back in His Father's splendor with the holy angels."

Then Peter interrupted and said to Jesus, "Teacher, it is good for us to be here. So let us put up three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."

For he did not really know what to say, he was so frightened.

A man from the crowd answered Him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit.

and many a time it has thrown him into the fire or into the water, to destroy him. But if there is anything you can do for him, do pity us and help us!"

Jesus said to him, "If there is anything I can do! Everything is possible for him who has faith!"

for He was now teaching His disciples, and saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be turned over into men's hands, and they will kill Him, but three days after that He will rise again."

But they had nothing to say, for they had discussed with one another which of them was to be the greatest.

John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to drive out demons, and we tried to stop him, for he was not one of our followers."

Jesus said, "Do not try to stop him, for there is no one who will use my name to do a mighty deed, and then be able soon to abuse me.

For whoever is not against us is for us.

"For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink, on the ground that you belong to Christ, I solemnly say to you, he will not fail to get his reward.

If your hand makes you do wrong, cut it off. You might better go into life maimed than keep both your hands and go down to the pit, to the fire that is never put out.

where the worm that feeds upon them never dies and the fire is never put out.

Everyone must be seasoned with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt loses its strength, how can you season it again?

And people were bringing little children to Him for Him to touch them, but the disciples reproved them for it.

When Jesus saw it, He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them from it, for to such as these the kingdom of God belongs.

But his countenance fell at that command, and he went away in deep distress, for he owned a great deal of property.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have money to get into the kingdom of God!"

It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God."

But Jesus looked at them and said, "This is impossible for men, but everything is possible for God."

Jesus said, "I solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farm for me and for the good news,

And Zebedee's two sons, James and John, came up to Him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

He asked them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Jesus said to them, "You do not realize what you are asking for. Can you drink the cup that I am drinking, or endure the baptism of agony that I am to endure?"

but seats at my right and at my left are not mine to give, but they will be given to those for whom they have been prepared."

For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom price to set many free."

So Jesus stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." Then they told the blind man, saying, "Cheer up! Get up! He is calling for you."

Then Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man answered, "Good Teacher, I want to see again."

Now in the distance He saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and He went up to it to see if He might find some figs on it, but when He got to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the time for figs.

And He continued teaching them and saying, "Does not the Scripture say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a cave for robbers."

Then the high priests and the scribes heard of this, and they kept looking for some way to destroy Him, for they were afraid of Him, for everybody was swept off his feet at what He said.