As it is written in Isaiah the Prophet, "See, I am sending My messenger before Thee, Who will prepare Thy way";

There went out to him people of all classes from Judaea, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem of all ranks, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, making open confession of their sins.

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan;

and immediately on His coming up out of the water He saw an opening in the sky, and the Spirit like a dove coming down to Him;

At once the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the Desert,

"The time has fully come," He said, "and the Kingdom of God is close at hand: repent, and believe this Good News.

At once they left their nets and followed Him.

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

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

"What have you to do with us, Jesus the Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One."

But Jesus reprimanded him, saying, "Silence! come out of him."

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!"

And His fame spread at once everywhere in all that part of Galilee.

Then on leaving the synagogue they came at once, with James and John, to the house of Simon and Andrew.

So He went to her, and taking her hand He raised her to her feet: the fever left her, and she began to wait upon them.

When it was evening, after sunset people came bringing Him all who were sick and the demoniacs;

and the whole town was assembled at the door.

Then He cured numbers of people who were ill with various diseases, and He drove out many demons; not allowing the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

In the morning He rose early, while it was still quite dark, and leaving the house He went away to a solitary place and there prayed.

Moved with pity Jesus reached out His hand and touched him. "I am willing," He said; "be cleansed."

The leprosy at once left him, and he was cleansed.

Jesus at once sent him away, strictly charging him,

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.

After some days He entered Capernaum again, and it soon became known that He was at home;

At once perceiving by His spirit that they were reasoning within themselves, Jesus asked them, "Why do you thus argue in your minds?

The man rose, and immediately under the eyes of all took up his mat and went out, so that they were all filled with astonishment, gave the glory to God, and said, "We never saw anything like this."

Again He went out to the shore of the Lake, and the whole multitude kept coming to Him, and He taught them.

And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, "Follow me." So he rose and followed 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.

Jesus heard the words, and He said, "It is not the healthy who require a doctor, but the sick: I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners."

No one mends an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth. Otherwise, the patch put on would tear away from it--the new from the old--and a worse hole would be made.

One Sabbath He was walking through the wheatfields when His disciples began to pluck the ears of wheat as they went.

So the Pharisees said to Him, "Look! why are they doing what on the Sabbath is unlawful?"

"Have you never read," Jesus replied, "what David did when the necessity arose and he and his men were hungry:

how he entered the house of God in the High-priesthood of Abiathar, and ate the Presented Loaves--which none but the priests are allowed to eat--and gave some to his men also?"

At another time, when He went to the synagogue, there was a man there with one arm shrivelled up.

Grieved and indignant at the hardening of their hearts, He looked round on them with anger, and said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." He stretched it out, and the arm was completely restored.

And the foul spirits, whenever they saw Him, threw themselves down at His feet, screaming out: "You are the Son of God."

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

The Scribes, too, who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zebul in him; and it is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he expels the demons."

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;

"Listen: the sower goes out to sow.

As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.

Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil;

but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away.

Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop.

But some of the seed falls into good ground, and gives a return: it comes up and increases, and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold."

"What the sower sows is the Message.

Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message sown in them.

In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those who, when they have heard the Message, at once accept it joyfully,

but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."

He went on to say, "Is the lamp brought in in order to be put under the bushel or under the bed? Is it not rather in order that it may be placed on the lampstand?

Why, there is nothing hidden except with a view to its being ultimately disclosed, nor has anything been made a secret but that it may at last come to light.

He also said to them, "Take care what you hear. With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and that with interest.

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

Another saying of His was this: "How are we to picture the Kingdom of God? or by what figure of speech shall we represent it?

It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;

yet when sown it springs up and becomes larger than all the herbs, and throws out great branches, so that the birds build under its shadow."

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

But a heavy squall came on, and the waves were now dashing into the boat, so that it was fast filling.

But He Himself was in the stern asleep, with His head on the cushion: so they woke Him. "Rabbi," they cried, "is it nothing to you that we are drowning?"

So they arrived at the opposite shore of the Lake, in the country of the Gerasenes.

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

And when he saw Jesus in the distance, he ran and threw himself at His feet,

crying out in a loud voice, "What hast Thou to do with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? In God's name I implore Thee not to torment me."

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."

And he earnestly entreated Him not to send them away out of the country.

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.

The swineherds fled, and spread the news in town and country. So the people came to see what it was that had happened;

And those who had seen it told them the particulars of what had happened to the demoniac, and all about the swine.

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."

when there came one of the Wardens of the Synagogue--he was called Jair--who, on beholding Him, threw himself at His feet,

and besought Him with many entreaties. "My little daughter," he said, "is at the point of death: I pray you come and lay your hands upon her, that she may recover and live."

"You see the multitude pressing you on all sides," His disciples exclaimed, "and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

until the woman, frightened and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and threw herself at His feet, and told Him all the truth.

While He is yet speaking, men come from the house to the Warden, and say, "Your daughter is dead: why trouble the Rabbi further?"

To this their reply is a scornful laugh. He, however, puts them all out, takes the child's father and mother and those He has brought with Him, and enters the room where the child lies.

but He gave strict injunctions that the matter should not be made known, and directed them to give her something to eat.

On the Sabbath He proceeded to teach in the synagogue; and many, as they heard Him, were astonished. "Where did he acquire all this?" they asked. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what are these marvellous miracles which his hands perform?

And He could not do any miracle there, except that He laid His hands on a few who were out of health and cured them; and

He wondered at their unbelief. So He went round the adjacent villages, teaching.

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

Wherever you enter a house, make it your home till you leave that place.

So they set out, and preached in order that men might repent.

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 length Herodias found her opportunity. Herod on his birthday gave a banquet to the nobles of his court and to the tribunes and the principal people in Galilee,

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."

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.

He at once sent a soldier of his guard with orders to bring John's head. So he went and beheaded him in the prison,

and brought his head on a dish and gave it to the young girl, who gave it to her mother.

When John's disciples heard of it, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

By this time it was late; so His disciples came to Him, and said, "This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late:

send them away that they may go to the farms and villages near here and buy themselves something to eat."

"How many loaves have you?" He inquired; "go and see." So they found out, and said, "Five; and a couple of fish."

All ate and were fully satisfied.