In his preaching John said, "One who is more powerful than I am will follow my ministry. I am not [even] worthy to stoop down and loosen the straps of His sandals [i.e., to serve as His slave].

and saying, "The time is full come, and the kingdom of God is even at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel."

And Jesus said to them, "{Follow} me and I will make you become fishers of people."

Immediately Jesus called to them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers, and went away to follow Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

And they were full of wonder at his teaching, because he gave it as one having authority, and not like the scribes.

when all at once, there in their synagogue, a man under the power of a foul spirit screamed out:

So the foul spirit, after throwing the man into convulsions, came out of him with a loud cry.

And all were amazed and awe-struck, so they began to ask one another, "What does this mean? Here is a new sort of teaching--and a tone of authority! And even to foul spirits he issues orders and they obey him!"

Then a leper came to Jesus and began pleading with him. He fell on his knees and told him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."

"How doth this fellow so blaspheme? Who can forgive sins, but God only?"

And he got up, and straight away took up the bed and went out before them all, so that they were all full of wonder, and gave glory to God, saying, We have never seen anything like this.

And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

Later on Levi was sitting at table in his house, and together with Jesus and his disciples a number of tax-gatherers and sinners were guests, for there were many of them who used to follow him.

No man seweth a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment: else that which should fill it up taketh from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent is made.

For he cured many, so that all who had diseases fell down before him, that they might touch him;

And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

with full power to heal diseases, and dispossess demons.

This was because they said, "He is possessed by a foul spirit."

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Some of the seed that fell along the roadside represents where 'the word' was sown [i.e., preached]. When these people have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away 'the word' which had been sown in them.

and they have no real root in themselves, so they endure only for a little while; then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they [are offended and displeased at being associated with Me and] stumble and fall away.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And awaking up he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Silence; be mute. And the wind fell, and there was a great calm.

And he said to them, Why are you full of fear? have you still no faith?

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, "What fellow is this? For both wind and sea obey him."

At once, on His landing, there came from the tombs to meet Him a man possessed by a foul spirit.

Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him [in homage];

For He had said to him, "Foul spirit, come out of the man."

He gave them leave; and the foul spirits came out and entered into the swine, and the herd--about 2,000 in number--rushed headlong down the cliff into the Lake and were drowned in the Lake.

And those feeding the swine did flee, and told in the city, and in the fields, and they came forth to see what it is that hath been done;

And they came to Jesus, and saw the man in whom had been the evil spirits seated, clothed and with full use of his senses, and they were full of fear.

Those who had seen it described [in detail] to the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man, and [told them all] about the pigs.

And he went on his way, and made public in the country of Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him: and all men were full of wonder.

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

A woman [in the crowd] had [suffered from] a hemorrhage for twelve years,

Immediately her flow of blood was dried up; and she felt in her body [and knew without any doubt] that she was healed of her suffering.

But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

upon which they fell a laughing: however, having turned them all out, and taking with him the father and the mother of the damsel, and those that had accompany'd him, he entred in where the damsel was lying.

And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things [this knowledge and spiritual insight]? What is this wisdom [this confident understanding of the Scripture] that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?

Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are His sisters not here with us?” And they were [deeply] offended by Him [and their disapproval blinded them to the fact that He was anointed by God as the Messiah].

Then summoning the Twelve to Him, He proceeded to send them out by twos, and gave them authority over the foul spirits.

And he said to them, Wherever ye enter a house, there abide fill ye leave that place.

Now the apostles met together in a body before Jesus, and gave him a full account, both of what they had done, and what they had taught.

And they fell back, in companies, by hundreds and by fifties.

and they all ate until they were full.

And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

When evening fell, the boat was out in the middle of the Sea, and Jesus on the shore alone.

And he went up to them into the ship, and the wind fell. And they were exceedingly beyond measure astonished in themselves and wondered;

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?"

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Nothing that goes into a man from the outside can make him foul, but the things that come from the inside of a man are the things that make him foul."

And He answered them, "Are you too without understanding yet? Do you not know that nothing from the outside that goes into a man can make him foul,

He kept on saying, "The thing that comes from the inside of a man is the thing that makes him foul,

All these evils come from the inside of a man and make him foul."

For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

having heard of him, came and fell at his feet, (The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation) and besought him to cast the devil out of her daughter.

So, He said to her, "Children should be the first ones to eat until they are full, for it is not proper to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."

“I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat.

And his disciples answered him, Whence shall one be able to fill these men with bread here in a desert place?

And he sendeth word to the multitude, to fall back upon the ground. And, taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he brake, and was giving unto his disciples, that they might be setting before them; and they set before the multitude.

And the people ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

Do you have eyes, but fail to see? Do you have ears, but fail to hear? Don't you remember?

When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

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

And straight away all the people, when they saw him, were full of wonder, and running to him, gave him worship.

And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

for he was instructing his disciples, and telling them-- "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of his fellow men, and they will put him to death, but, when he has been put to death, he will rise again after three days."

And John answered him saying, Teacher, we saw some one casting out demons in thy name, who does not follow us, and we forbad him, because he does not follow us.

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he will not lose his reward.

"And whoever shall occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe, he would be better off if, with a millstone round his neck, he were lying at the bottom of the sea.

And if thy hand causeth thee to fall into sin, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

And if thy foot causeth thee to fall into sin, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

And if thy eye causeth thee to fall into sin, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell-fire.

Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.

And the disciples were full of wonder at his words. But Jesus said to them again, Children, how hard it is for those who put faith in wealth to come into the kingdom of God!

Peter began to speak to him, "Look, we have left everything to follow you!"

They were still on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were full of wonder, and some, though they followed, did so with fear. Then, once more calling to Him the Twelve, He began to tell them what was about to happen to Him.

Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.

Jesus, however, called them to Him and said to them, "You are aware how those who are deemed rulers among the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men make them feel their authority;

And Jesus said to him, "Go, your faith has healed you." And immediately he regained [his] sight and began to follow him on the road.

"Go," He said, "to the village facing you, and immediately on entering it you will find an ass's foal tied up which no one has ever yet ridden: untie him and bring him here.

The two disciples went, and, finding a foal tethered outside a door in the street, they untied it.

when some of the bystanders called out, "What are you doing, untying the foal?"

So they brought the foal to Jesus, and threw their outer garments over him; and Jesus mounted.

But in the distance He saw a fig-tree in full leaf, and went to see whether perhaps He could find some figs on it. When however He came to it, He found nothing but leaves (for it was not fig time)

And it came to the ears of the chief priests and scribes, and they took thought how they might put him to death; being in fear of him, because all the people were full of wonder at his teaching.

As soon as evening fell, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

And Jesus said to them, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's. And they were full of wonder at him.

"The second is this: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as thou lovest thyself.' "Other Commandment greater than these there is none."