John was there baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

And [as he] was passing by along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting [a net] into the sea (for they were fishermen).

And Simon and those [who were] with him searched diligently for him.

And they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you!"

And he said to them, "Let us go elsewhere, into the neighboring rural towns, so that I can preach there also, because I have come out for this [very] reason."

And he said to him, "See to it that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and bring for your cleansing [the things] which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.

And they came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four [of them].

And it happened that he {was dining} in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners {were dining with} Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they were following him.

And he said to them, "The Sabbath was established for people, and not people for the Sabbath.

And he told his disciples that a small boat should stand ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not press upon him.

For he had healed many, so that all those who {were suffering from diseases} pressed about him in order that they could touch him.

And [when] {his family} heard [this], they went out to restrain him, for they were saying, "He has lost his mind!"

And a crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers [are] outside looking for you."

For whoever does the will of God, this person is my brother and sister and mother."

and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other [things] come in [and] choke the word and it becomes unproductive.

For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light.

For whoever has, [more] will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

(For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!")

And he did not permit him, but said to him, "Go to your home to your [people] and tell them all that the Lord has done for you, and [that] he has had mercy on you."

And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him, and they were all astonished.

for she was saying, "If I touch just his clothing, I will be healed!"

and immediately the girl stood up and began walking around (for she was twelve years old). And {immediately they were utterly and completely astonished}.

And he commanded them that they take along nothing for the journey except only a staff--no bread, no traveler's bag, no money in their belts--

And whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, [as you] go out from there, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them."

For Herod himself had sent [and] arrested John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her.

For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not permitted for you to have your brother's wife."

For Herod was afraid of John, [because he] knew him [to be] a righteous and holy man and protected him. And [when he] listened to him, he was greatly perplexed, and [yet] he listened to him gladly.

And a suitable day came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers and military tribunes and the most prominent [men] of Galilee.

And [when] the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced and pleased Herod and {his dinner guests}, the king said to the girl, "Ask me [for] whatever you want, and I will give [it] to you."

And he swore to her, "Anything whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom!"

And she went out [and] said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer."

And he said to them, "You yourselves come privately to an isolated place and rest for a short time." For those [who were] coming and going were many, and they did not even have time to eat.

Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding farms and villages [and] purchase something to eat for themselves."

But he answered [and] said to them, "You give them [something] to eat." And they said to him, "Should we go [and] purchase bread for two hundred denarii and give [it] to them to eat?"

For they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, "Have courage, I am [he]! Do not be afraid!"

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands {ritually}, [thus] holding fast to the traditions of the elders.

And [when they come] from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other [traditions] which they have received [and] hold fast to--[for example,] the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)

So he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me.

For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'The one who speaks evil of father or mother {must certainly die}.'

you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother,

For it does not enter into his heart but into his stomach, and goes out into the latrine"--[thus] declaring all foods clean.

For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,

And he said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw [it] to the dogs!"

And if I send them away hungry to their homes they will give out on the way, and some of them have come from far away."

And he commanded the crowd to recline for a meal on the ground, and taking the seven loaves, [after he] had given thanks he broke [them] and began giving [them] to his disciples so that they could set [them] before [them]. And they set [them] before the crowd.

And they had a few small fish, and [after] giving thanks for them, he said to set these [before them] also.

Now there were about four thousand. And he sent them away.

And they had forgotten to take bread, and except [for] one loaf, they did not have [any] with them in the boat.

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" They said to him, "Twelve."

"When also [broke] the seven [loaves] for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they said to him, "Seven."

And looking up he said, "I see people, for I see [them] like trees walking around."

And he began to teach them that it was necessary [for] the Son of Man to suffer many [things] and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me and of the gospel will save it.

For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

For what can a person give in exchange for his life?

For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

And Peter answered [and] said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good [that] we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."

(For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.)

And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able [to do] anything, have compassion on us [and] help us!"

But Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All [things] [are] possible for the one who believes!"

for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And [when he] is killed, after three days he will rise."

For whoever is not against us is for us.

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in [my] name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward.

"And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead {a large millstone} is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea.

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better [for] you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell--into the unquenchable fire!

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better [for] you to enter into life lame than, having two feet, to be thrown into hell!

And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better [for] you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into hell,

'where their worm does not die and the fire is not extinguished.'

For everyone will be salted with fire.

And they asked him if it was permitted for a man to divorce [his] wife, [in order to] test him.

But Jesus said to them, "He wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.

But [when] Jesus saw [it], he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the young children come to me. Do not forbid them, {for to such belongs} the kingdom of God.

And Jesus looked around [and] said to his disciples, "How {difficult it is for} those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!"

It is easier [for] a camel to go through the eye of a needle than [for] a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God."

Jesus looked at them [and] said, "With human beings [it is] impossible, but not with God. For all [things] [are] possible with God."

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him [and] said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you."

And he said to them, "What do you want that I do for you?"

but to sit at my right hand or at [my] left is not mine to grant, but [is] for those for whom it has been prepared."

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life [as] a ransom for many."

And Jesus answered him [and] said, "What do you want {me to do} for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabboni, that I may regain [my] sight."

And [when he] saw from a distance a fig tree that had leaves, he went [to see] if perhaps he would find anything on it. And [when he] came up to it he found nothing except leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

And he began to teach and was saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations,' but you have made it a cave of robbers!"

And the chief priests and the scribes heard [it], and began considering how they could destroy him. For they were afraid of him because the whole crowd was astounded by his teaching.

Truly I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be [done] for him.

For this [reason] I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received [it], and it will be [done] for you.

And he began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around it], and dug a trough for the winepress, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey.

"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone's brother dies and he leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife and {father} descendants for his brother.

In the resurrection, when they rise, {whose} wife will she be? For the seven had her [as] wife.

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

And Jesus, [when he] saw that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to put a question to him any longer.

who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy [prayers] for the sake of appearance. These will receive more severe condemnation!"

For they all {contributed} out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in everything she had, her whole means of subsistence."

For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in [various] places. There will be famines. These [things] [are] the beginning of birth pains.

"But you, watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues and will have to stand before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them.

And when they arrest you [and] hand you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you should say, but whatever is given to you at that hour, say this. For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

For [in] those days there will be tribulation of such a kind as has not happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will happen.

And if the Lord had not shortened the days, {no human being would be saved}. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has shortened the days.

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce signs and wonders in order to mislead, if possible, the elect.

And then he will send out the angels, and will gather the elect together from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning--