And John was clothed with camel's hair, and he had a leather girdle round his loins, and he ate locusts, and "honey of the wood."

It was at that time that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan;

and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was among the wild beasts, but the angels were ministering to him.

And as he was passing along by the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting their net into the sea, for they were fishermen;

They were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the Scribes.

and every one was amazed so that they began questioning among themselves. "What does this mean? A new teaching with authority? He lays commands even upon unclean spirits and they obey him."

and the whole town was gathered at the door.

He cured many who were ill with various diseases, and drove out many demons. But he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.

The leprosy at once left him, and he was made clean.

and at once such a crowd gathered that there was no longer room for them, even around the door.

While he was speaking his message, they came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four men.

When they could not get him near to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof under which he stood, and after making an opening, they let down the cot on which the paralytic was lying.

As he was passing by he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in the tax-office; and he said to him, "Follow me." So he rose 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.

One Sabbath he was walking along through the wheat-fields, and his disciples, as they began to make their way across, were pulling the heads of wheat.

He answered them. "Have you never read what David did when he was needy and hungry, he and his men?

How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which none but priests may eat, and gave some to his men?

"The Sabbath," he told them, "was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath;

Again he went into a synagogue where there was a man with his hand withered.

They were silent. Then looking around upon them with anger, and deeply grieved by the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" He stretched it out, and the hand was at once completely restored.

From Judea, too, and Jerusalem, and Idumea, and from beyond Jordan, and from the district of Tyre and Sidon, they came to him a vast multitude, because they heard what he was doing.

There was Simon, whom he surnamed Peter,

Now a crowd was sitting round him and they told him, "See! your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, wanting to see you."

but when the sun rose it was scorched and withered away because it had no root.

When he was alone his followers and the Twelve began asking about the parables.

and to them it was his practice never to speak except in parables. But he used to explain everything in private to his disciples.

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

Now he himself was sleeping on the cushion in the stern, so they woke him up, saying, "Master, do you not care if we perish?"

Not even with a chain could any man bind him, for he had been bound with fetters and chains again and again, and had snapped the chains, and broken the fetters; and there was no one strong enough to master him.

For Jesus was saying, "Foul spirit, come out of the man."

Now there was on the hillside a great drove of swine feeding.

As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging to go with him; but he said,

So he went and began to publish abroad in the District of the Ten Towns all that Jesus had done for him; and every one was astonished and all men marveled.

Now there was a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,

and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, but was no better; on the contrary, rather grew worse.

At once the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was cured of her complaint.

While he was still speaking men came from the house of the warden of the synagogue to tell him, "Your daughter is dead, why trouble the Teacher any further?"

"The child is not dead, but asleep." And they began to laugh him to scorn. Then he put them all outside, took the father and mother of the child and those he brought with him, and entered the room where the child was lying.

And instantly the little girl stood up, and began to walk, for she was twelve years old, They were at once beside themselves with utter amazement.

And he was unable to do any miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick folk and healed them.

but she could not, for Herod was afraid of John because he knew that he was a just and holy man. So he kept him safe. When he listened to John he was much exercised, yet he found pleasure in listening to him.

Then the king was exceedingly sorry; yet on account of his oaths and his guests he was unwilling to disappoint her.

So when Jesus landed he saw a vast multitude, and he was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

Then when the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him and said: "This place is desert, and the day is now far spent.

And when evening came, the boat was half-way across the sea, while he was on shore alone;

but when he saw them distressed in rowing (for the wind was against them), about the fourth watch of the night he went to them, walking upon the sea,

they thought it was an apparition and shrieked aloud, for they all saw him and were terrified.

for they had not understood about the loaves; on the contrary their heart was hardened.

and began running over that whole country, and carrying the sick about on their beds, wherever they heard he was.

Forthwith a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet

(the woman was a Greek, a Syro-phoenician by race), and again and again she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

And his ears were opened and the bond of his tongue was loosened, and he spoke plainly.

Here in their presence he was transfigured; and his clothes also became glistering with a radiant whiteness, such as no bleaching on earth could give.

So with a loud shriek it came out, after throwing the boy into convulsion after convulsion. The boy looked like a corpse, so that most of them said that he was dead.

Jesus and his disciples, after leaving that place, passed through Galilee; but he was unwilling that any one should know it,

for he was explaining to his disciples that the Son of man was to be betrayed into the hands of men, and that they would put him to death, but that after he had been put to death, he would rise again after three days,

But they were silent, for on the road they were disputing together which one was greatest.

Presently some Pharisees came up and tested him, by asking if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife.

Jesus was indignant when he saw it, and said: "Let the little children come to me. Do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such.

But his face fell at these words, and he went away saddened, for he was one who had great wealth.

They were still on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus led the way; and they were amazed, and some, although they followed, were afraid. Then once more he took the Twelve, and began to tell them what was about to befall him.

Then they reached Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimeus, the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road.

Hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began shouting and saying, "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me!"

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple, and after he had looked around at everything, as the hour was now late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The next day after leaving Bethany he was hungry,

and seeing a fig tree in the distance full of leaves, he came to see if he could find anything on it, and found on it nothing but leaves (for it was not the time of figs).

Once more they came into Jerusalem; and as he was walking in the Temple courts, there came to him the high priests and Scribes and elders and asked him.

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me!"

So their answer to Jesus was, "We do not know." "Neither will I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

Presently Jesus began to speak to them in parables. "There was once a man," he said, "who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine-press, built a tower, rented it to tenants, and went abroad.

While he was teaching in the Temple courts, Jesus in his turn asked. "How is it that the Scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

As Jesus was walking out of the Temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and buildings these are!"

Now two days later was the feast of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread. Both the chief priests and the Scribes were continually seeking how they might arrest him by a stratagem and kill him;

And while he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper, while he was dining, a woman came with an alabaster vase of very costly, pure spikenard perfume, and, breaking the vase, she poured the perfume on his head.

At that instant, while he was yet speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came up, and with him a mob armed with swords and clubs, sent by the high priests and Scribes and elders.

Day after day I was face to face with you in the Temple courts, teaching, and you did not seize me. But this is done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled."

Peter also had followed Jesus at a distance, until he was inside the court of the high priest. There he was sitting among the officers, warming himself in the light of the fire.

Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, there came one of the maid servants of the high priest, and saw Peter warming himself.

As soon as it was down, after the high priests had conferred with the elders and the whole Sanhedrin, they bound Jesus, and took him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

Now at the time of the feast it was customary to release to them a prisoner, whatever one they asked for.

A man named Barabbas was there in prison, with some rioters who had committed murder during an uprising.

For he recognized that it was through spite that the high priests had handed him over.

Simon a Cyrenian, a passer-by, who was coming from the country (the father of Alexander and Rufus), they commandeered to carry the cross of Jesus.

It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.

Over his head there was written the words of the charge against him. "The King of the Jews"

And the curtain of the Sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.

Then the army captain, who was standing facing Jesus when he thus died, said, "in truth this man was a Son of God."

women who used to follow him when he was in Galilee, and minister to him; and many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with him.

Toward sunset, as it was the preparation (that is the day preceding the Sabbath),

there came Joseph of Arimathea, a Councilor, honorable in rank, who was himself also looking for the kingdom of God. He boldly went in to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching to see where he was laid.

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices in order to go and anoint him.

And very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb as the sun was rising;

But then as they looked up they saw that the stone, which was a very large one, was already rolled away;

They were terrified, but he said to them. "Do not be terrified! You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified? He is risen; he is not here. See, the place where they laid him!

But they, although they heard that he was living and had been seen by her did not believe it.

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.