"The voice of one crying aloud: 'In the Desert prepare a road for the Lord: Make His highways straight.'"

So John the Baptizer came, and was in the Desert proclaiming a baptism of the penitent for forgiveness of sins.

As for John, his garment was of camel's hair, and he wore a loincloth of leather; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

where He remained for forty days, tempted by Satan; and He was among the wild beasts, but the angels waited upon Him.

One day, passing along the shore of the Lake of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, throwing their nets in the Lake; for they were fisherman.

"Come and follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you fishers for men."

The people listened with amazement to His teaching--for there was authority about it: it was very different from that of the Scribes--

And Simon and the others searched everywhere for Him.

When they found Him they said, "Every one is looking for you."

"Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns," He replied, "that I may proclaim my Message there also; because for that purpose I came from God."

and saying, "Be careful not to tell any one, but go and show yourself to the Priest, and for your purification present the offerings that Moses appointed as evidence for them."

But the man, when he went out, began to tell every one and to publish the matter abroad, so that it was no longer possible for Jesus to go openly into any town; but He had to remain outside in unfrequented places, where people came to Him from all parts.

and such numbers of people came together that there was no longer room for them even round the door. He was speaking His Message to them,

when there came a party of people bringing a paralytic--four men carrying him.

When He was sitting at table in Levi's house, a large number of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners were at table with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many such who habitually followed Him.

And Jesus said to them: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath;

For He had cured many of the people, so that all who had any ailments pressed upon Him, to touch Him.

And He went into a house. But again the crowd assembled, so that there was no opportunity for them even to snatch a meal.

Hearing of this, His relatives came to seize Him by force, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

So He called them to Him, and using figurative language He appealed to them, saying, "How is it possible for Satan to expel Satan?

For if civil war breaks out in a kingdom, nothing can make that kingdom last;

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, he remains for ever unabsolved: he is guilty of a sin of the Ages."

Now a crowd was sitting round Him; so they tell Him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, inquiring for you."

"Here are my mother and my brothers. For wherever there is one who has been obedient to God, there is my brother--my sister--and my mother."

but they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown.

For those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away."

With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.

Then they were filled with terror, and began to say to one another, "Who is this, then? For even wind and sea obey Him."

for many a time he had been left securely bound in fetters and chains, but afterwards the chains lay torn link from link, and the fetters in fragments, and there was no one strong enough to master him.

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

Jesus also questioned him. "What is your name?" He said. "Legion," he replied, "for there are a host of us."

But He would not allow it. "Go home to your family," He said, "and report to them all that the Lord has done for you, and the mercy He has shown you."

So the man departed, and related publicly everywhere in the Ten Towns all that Jesus had done for him; and all were astonished.

Now a woman who for twelve years had suffered from haemorrhage,

for she said, "If I but touch His clothes, I shall be cured."

"Daughter," He said, "your faith has cured you: go in peace, and be free from your complaint."

Instantly the little girl rises to her feet and begins to walk (for she was twelve years old)

He charged them to take nothing for the journey except a stick; no bread, no bag, and not a penny in their pockets,

King Herod heard of all this (for the name of Jesus had become widely known)

For Herod himself had sent and had had John arrested and had kept him in prison in chains, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.

For John had repeatedly told Herod, "You have no right to be living with your brother's wife."

for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man, and he protected him. After listening to him he was in great perplexity, and yet he found a pleasure in listening.

at which Herodias's own daughter came in and danced, and so charmed Herod and his guests that he said to her, "Ask me for anything you please, and I will give it to you."

He even swore to her, "Whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

She at once went out and said to her mother: "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptizer," she replied.

Then the King, though intensely sorry, yet for the sake of his oaths, and of his guests, would not break faith with her.

Then He said to them, "Come away, all of you, to a quiet place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, so that they had no time even for meals.

So when Jesus landed, He saw a vast multitude; and His heart was moved with pity for them, because they were like sheep which have no shepherd, and He proceeded to teach them many things.

But when He saw them distressed with rowing (for the wind was against them)

for they all saw Him and were terrified. He, however, immediately spoke to them. "There is no danger," He said; "it is I; be not alarmed."

For they had not learned the lesson taught by the loaves, but their minds were dull.

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews--being, as they are, zealous for the traditions of the Elders--never eat without first carefully washing their hands,

"Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites," He replied; "as it is written, "'This People honour Me with their lips, while their hearts are far away from Me:

For Moses said, 'Honour thy father and thy mother' and again, 'He who curses father or mother, let him die the death.'

And so you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or mother,

For from within, out of men's hearts, their evil purposes proceed--fornication, theft, murder, adultery,

"For those words of yours, go home," He replied; "the demon has gone out of your daughter."

Then Jesus charged them to tell no one; but the more He charged them, all the more did they spread the news far and wide.

"My heart yearns over the people," He said; "for this is now the third day they have remained with me, and they have nothing to eat.

So He passed the word to the people to sit down on the ground. Then taking the seven loaves He blessed them, and broke them into portions and proceeded to give them to His disciples for them to distribute, and they distributed them to the people.

The Pharisees followed Him and began to dispute with Him, asking Him for a sign in the sky, to make trial of Him.

Heaving a deep and troubled sigh, He said, "Why do the men of to-day ask for a sign? In solemn truth I tell you that no sign will be given to the men of to-day."

When I broke up the five loaves for the 5,000 men, how many baskets did you carry away full of broken portions?" "Twelve," they said.

"And when the seven for the 4,000, how many hampers full of portions did you take away?" "Seven," they answered.

Then for the second time He put His hands on the man's eyes, and the man, looking steadily, recovered his sight and saw everything distinctly.

And now for the first time He told them, "The Son of Man must endure much suffering, and be rejected by the Elders and the High Priests and the Scribes, and be put to death, and after two days rise to life."

But turning round and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Adversary," He said, "for your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but men's."

For whoever is bent on securing his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, will secure it.

For what could a man give to buy back his life?

when Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, we are thankful to you that we are here. Let us put up three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

For he knew not what to say: they were filled with such awe.

"and often it has thrown him into the fire or into pools of water to destroy him. But, if you possibly can, have pity on us and help us."

for He was teaching His disciples, and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will put Him to death; and after being put to death, in three days He will rise to life again."

But they remained silent; for on the way they had debated with one another who was the chief of them.

"Whoever for my sake receives one such young child as this, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not so much me as Him who sent me."

"You should not have tried to hinder him," replied Jesus, "for there is no one who will use my name to perform a miracle and be able the next minute to speak evil of me.

He who is not against us is for us;

If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out.

Or if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life crippled, than remain in possession of both your feet and be thrown into Gehenna.

Or if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God half-blind than remain in possession of two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna,

where their worm does not die and the fire does not go out.

Every one, however, will be salted with fire.

"What rule did Moses lay down for you?" He answered.

"It was in consideration of your stubborn hearts," said Jesus, "that Moses enacted this law for you;

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cling to his wife,

One day people were bringing young children to Jesus for Him to touch them, but the disciples interfered.

Jesus, however, on seeing this, was moved to indignation, and said to them, "Let the little children come to me: do not hinder them; for to those who are childlike the Kingdom of God belongs.

At these words his brow darkened, and he went away sad; for he was possessed of great wealth.

The disciples were amazed at His words. Jesus, however, said again, "Children, how hard a struggle is it for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

Jesus looking on them said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God."

"In solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has forsaken house or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,

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.

"What would you have me do for you?" He asked.

but as to sitting at my right hand or at my left, that is not mine to give: it will be for those for whom it is reserved."

For the Son of Man also did not come to be waited upon, but to wait on others, and to give His life as the redemption-price for a multitude of people."

"What shall I do for you?" said Jesus. "Rabboni," replied the blind man, "let me recover my sight."

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 He remonstrated with them. "Is it not written," He said, "'My House shall be called The House of Prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it what it now is--a robbers' cave."

This the High Priests and Scribes heard, and they began to devise means to destroy Him. For they were afraid of Him, because of the deep impression produced on all the people by His teaching.