In the desert came John who baptized, and preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

As he went a little farther on he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in their boat mending the nets.

"What business have you with us, you Jesus of Nazareth? Are you come to destroy us? I know you who you are, the Holy One of God."

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.

But there were some Scribes sitting there who reasoned in their hearts.

"Why does this man speak like this? He blasphemes. Who is able to forgive sins but One, God himself?"

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.

On hearing this Jesus said to them. "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

For he had healed so many that all the people who had ailments pressed upon him so as to touch him.

Then he went up the hillside and called to him those whom he chose, and they came to him.

Twelve of them whom he also called "Apostles," he appointed to be with him, and also that he might send them out to preach,

There was Simon, whom he surnamed Peter,

and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

The Scribes also who had come down from Jerusalem, said, "He is Beelzebub," and, "He casts out demons by the power of the Prince of the demons."

but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit is never forgiven. Nay, he is in the grasp of an eternal sin."

"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he replied.

Then, with a glance at those who were in the circle sitting around him, he added.

"Any one who has ears to hear," he added, "let him listen to this."

And like the sowing upon 'stony ground' are those who, whenever they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy,

There are others who are 'sown among thorns.'

But those, on the other hand, who were sown on that good soil, are those who listen to the Word, and welcome it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold."

For he who holds, to him will more be given, and he who holds not, from him will be taken even what he holds."

Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"

who lived among the tombs.

When they got to Jesus they found the demoniac sitting there clothed and in his right mind??he man who had had the "Legion"??nd they were awestruck.

And those who had been eye-witnesses told them what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine.

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

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

Jesus, instantly conscious that the power within him had gone forth, turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

"You see the crowd thronging about you," said his disciples, "and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'"

But he kept looking about to see who had done it,

But when Herod heard, he said, "That John whom I beheaded has come back to life."

Now this Herod had sent and arrested John, and bound him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.

Those who ate the bread were five thousand adult men.

And whenever he entered into villages or cities or the fields they would lay the sick in the market-places and beseech him to let them touch even the tassel of his cloak, and all who touched him were made well.

One day the Pharisees came to him in a body with some Scribes who had come from Jerusalem.

For although Moses said, Honor your father and mother, and Let him who curses father or mother suffer death,

And they brought to him a deaf man who stammered, and begged him to lay his hands upon him.

From there Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he began to question his disciples saying, "Who do people say I am?"

And he continued questioning them, "But you yourselves, Who do you say I am?" Peter in reply said to him, "You are Christ."

"In solemn truth I tell you," he said, "there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God, come with power."

Jesus said to him. "'If you can'! All things can be for one who believes."

"Whoever in my name receives one such little child, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me, but Him who sent me."

"Do not try to stop him," Jesus answered, "for there is no one who performs a miracle in my name who can soon speak evil of me.

He who is not against us is for us.

"And if any one shall cause one of these little ones who believe on me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown out into the sea with a great millstone about his neck.

"Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her;

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

Then Jesus looked round on his disciples and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!"

"My sons, how hard it is for those who trust in money to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

"Then who can be saved?" they said to themselves astonished beyond measure.

"I tell you solemnly," said Jesus, "that there is no man who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's,

But many who are first shall be last, and the last, first."

who will mock him, spit upon him, flog him, and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again."

but a seat upon my right hand or my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been reserved."

"You know that those who are regarded as rulers among the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make them feel their authority.

and those who went before him and those who came after kept shouting. "Hosanna! Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Presently they reached Jerusalem, and, after entering the Temple courts, Jesus began to drive out those who were buying and selling there, and to upset the tables of the money-changers, and the stalls of those who sold doves,

And whenever you stand up to pray, forgive, if you have anything against any one, that so your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

"By what authority do you do these things? or who gave you this authority to 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.

Then came up some Sadducees, men who say there is no resurrection. They too questioned him, saying.

There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife, and died leaving no family.

Just then up came one of the Scribes who had heard them arguing, and realized that Jesus had answered them admirably. "What commandment," he asked, "is the first of all?"

and in his teaching he said: "Look out for the Scribes who like to walk about in long robes, and to receive salutations in the street, and to have prominent places in the synagogues,

they who consume the property of widows and make long, pretentious prayers. The greater shall their condemnation be."

There came also a poor widow who dropped in two little coins, worth a cent.

On this he called his disciples to him, and said: "I tell you solemnly that this poor widow has put in more than all who have put their offerings into the treasury;

When, however, they are leading you all to trial, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but whatever is given you in that hour, that say, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor go in to get anything out of his house;

and he who is in the field, let him not turn back to get his cloak.

And had not the Lord cut short those days, not a single person would escape; but for the elect's sake whom he has chosen, he has cut them short.

Some of those who were present said among themselves indignantly. "Why has the perfume been wasted like this?

While they were at the table, eating, Jesus said solemnly. "It is one of you who will betray me??ne who is eating with me."

"It is one of the Twelve," said Jesus, "one who is dipping into the same dish with me.

For the Son of man is going his way, as the Scripture says, but woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It were good for that man if he had never been born."

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

So Pilate, who wished to make himself strong with the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and gave Jesus over for crucifixion, after he had scourged him.

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.

And the passers-by kept jeering at him, wagging their heads and saying. "Ah! you who were to 'destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days,' save yourself!

The Christ! The King of Israel! Let him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe." They also who had been crucified with Jesus kept reviling him.

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.

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 they kept saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?"

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!

So they went out, and ran from the tomb, for they were trembling and amazed; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid??9 Now after his resurrection, early on the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.

She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

Afterward he appeared to the Eleven themselves, as they were eating, and reproached them for their lack of faith, and stubborn hearts, because they disbelieved those who had seen him risen.

He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who disbelieves shall be condemned.

Moreover these signs shall follow those who believe. They shall drive out demons in my name; they shall speak with new tongues in foreign languages;