the voice of one who cries in the desert, 'Make the way ready for the Lord, level the paths for him' ??4 John appeared baptizing in the desert and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

He announced, "After me one who is mightier will come, and I am not fit to stoop and untie the string of his sandals:

Now there was a man with an unclean spirit in their synagogue, who at once shrieked out,

"Jesus of Nazaret, what business have you with us? Have you come to destroy us? We know who you are, you are God's holy One."

Now when evening came, when the sun set, they brought him all who were ill or possessed by daemons ??33 indeed the whole town was gathered at the door ??34 and he cured many who were ill with various diseases and cast out many daemons; but as the daemons knew him he would not let them say anything.

Now there were some scribes sitting there who argued in their hearts,

"What does the man mean by talking like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "Those who are strong have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill: I have not come to call just men but sinners."

for he healed so many that all who had complaints were pressing on him to get a touch of him.

there was Simon, whom he surnamed Peter,

and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Then they went indoors,

But the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul," and "It is by the prince of daemons that he casts out daemons."

He replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

And glancing at those who were sitting round him in a circle he said, "There are my mother and my brothers!

He added, "Anyone who has ears to hear, let him listen to this."

Similarly those who are sown 'on stony soil' are the people who on hearing the word accept it with enthusiasm;

Another set are those who are sown 'among thorns'; they listen to the word,

As for those who were sown 'on good soil,' these are the people who listen to the word and take it in and bear fruit at the rate of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

For he who has, to him shall more be given; while as for him who has not, from him shall be taken even what he has."

who dwelt among the tombs; by this time no one could bind him, not even with a chain,

and when they reached Jesus they saw the lunatic sitting down, clothed and in his sober senses ??the man who had been possessed by 'Legion.' That frightened them.

And those who had seen it related to them what had happened to the lunatic and the swine.

And there was a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years ??26 she had suffered a great deal under a number of doctors and had spent all her means but was none the better; in fact she was rather worse.

Jesus was at once conscious that some healing virtue had passed from him, so he turned round in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

His disciples said to him, "You see the crowd are pressing round you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

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

However a number of people who saw them start and recognized them, got to the place before them by hurrying there on foot from all the towns.

(The number of men who ate the loaves was five thousand.)

whatever village or town or hamlet he went to, they would lay their invalids in the marketplace, begging him to let them touch even the tassel of his robe ??and all who touched him recovered.

Now the Pharisees gathered to meet him, with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem.

Thus, Moses said, Honour your father and mother, and, He who curses his father or mother is to suffer death.

And a deaf man who stammered was brought to him, with the request that he would lay his hand on him.

Then Jesus and his disciples set off for the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road he inquired of his disciples, "Who do people say I am?"

So he inquired of them, "And who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Christ."

I tell you truly," he said, to them, "there are some of those standing here who will not taste death till they see the coming of God's Reign with power."

Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! Anything can be done for one who believes."

"Whoever receives one of these little ones in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not me but him who sent me."

Jesus said, "Do not stop him; no one who performs any miracle in my name will be ready to speak evil of me.

He who is not against us is for us.

And whoever is a hindrance to one of these little ones who believe, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung round his neck and be thrown into the sea.

Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, "How difficult it is for those who have money to get into the Realm of God!"

The disciples were amazed at what he said; so he repeated, "My sons, how difficult it is [for those who rely on money] to get into the Realm of God!

They were more astounded than ever; they said to themselves, "Then who ever can be saved?"

who does not get a hundred times as much ??in this present world homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands, together with persecutions, and in the world to come life eternal.

Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

They were on the way up to Jerusalem, Jesus walking in front of them: the disciples were in dismay and the company who followed were afraid. So once again he took the twelve aside and proceeded to tell them what was going to happen to himself.

who will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him; then after three days he will rise again."

but it is not for me to grant seats at my right or my left hand ??these belong to the men for whom they have been destined."

Then they reached Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a considerable crowd, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who sat beside the road,

and both those in front and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name!

Then they came to Jerusalem, and entering the temple he proceeded to drive out those who were buying and selling inside the temple; he upset the tables of the money-changers and the stalls of those who sold doves,

and asked him, "What authority have you for acting in this way? Who gave you authority to act in this way?"

Sadducees, men who hold there is no resurrection, also came up and put a question to him.

Then a scribe came up, who had listened to the discussion. Knowing Jesus had given them an apt answer, he put this question to him, "What is the chief of all the commands?"

And he called his disciples and said to them, "I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than all who have put their money into the treasury;

Now when they carry you off to trial, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; say whatever comes to your lips at the moment, for he who speaks is not you but the holy Spirit.

and you will be hated by all men on account of my name; but he will be saved who holds out to the very end.

But whenever you see the appalling Horror standing where he has no right to stand (let the reader note this), then let those who are in Judaea fly to the hills;

Woe to women with child and to women who give suck in those days!

Had not the Lord cut short those days, not a soul would be saved alive; but he has cut them short for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen.

As they were at table eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me."

"One of the twelve," he told them, "one who is dipping into the same dish as I am.

The Son of man goes the road that the scripture has described for him, but woe to the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better that man had never been born!"

At that very moment, while he was still speaking, Judas [Iscariot] one of the twelve came up accompanied by a mob with swords and cudgels who had come from the high priests and scribes and elders.

Again the maidservant who had noticed him began to tell the bystanders, "That fellow is one of them."

Now at festival time he used to release for them some prisoner whom they begged from him.

(There was a man called Bar-Abbas in prison, among the rioters who had committed murder during the insurrection.)

They forced Simon a Cyrenian who was passing on his way from the country (the father of Alexander and Rufus) to carry his cross,

Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision and calling, "Ha! You were to destroy the temple and build it in three days!

Let 'the Christ,' 'the king of Israel' come down now from the cross! Let us see that and we will believe!" Those who were crucified with him also denounced him.

Now when the army-captain who stood facing him saw that he expired in this way, he said, "This man was certainly a son of God."

women who had followed him when he was in Galilee and waited on him, besides a number of other women who had accompanied him to Jerusalem.

Joseph of Arimathaea, a councillor of good position who himself was on the outlook for the Reign of God, ventured to go to Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus.

They said to themselves, "Who will roll away the boulder for us at the opening of the tomb?" (for it was a very large boulder).

but he said to them, "Do not be bewildered. You are looking for Jesus of Nazaret, who was crucified? He has risen, he is not here. That is the place where he was laid.

(a) Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala out of whom he had cast seven daemons.

She went and reported it to those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept;

Afterwards he appeared at table to the eleven themselves and reproached them for their unbelief and dulness of mind, because they had not believed those who saw him risen from the dead. [But they excused themselves, saying, "This age of lawlessness and unbelief lies under the sway of Satan, who will not allow what lies under the unclean spirits to understand the truth and power of God; therefore," they said to Christ, "reveal your righteousness now." Christ answered them, "The term of years for Satan's power has now expired, but other terrors are at hand. I was delivered to death on behalf of sinners, that they might return to the truth and sin no more, that they might inherit that glory of righteousness which is spiritual and imperishable in heaven."]

he who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who will not believe shall be condemned.

And for those who believe, these miracles will follow: they will cast out daemons in my name, they will talk in foreign tongues,