“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;

As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

And Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear with ought to listen [to this] carefully."

"To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;

This is so that even though they see, they will see and yet not perceive. And even though they hear, they will hear and yet not understand. For if they did, they would turn [back to God] again and receive forgiveness."

And he said to them, If you are not clear about this story, how will you be clear about the others?

And the cares of this life, and the deceits of wealth, and the desire for other things coming in, put a stop to the growth of the word, and it gives no fruit.

If anyone has ears to hear with, he ought to listen to this carefully."

And he said, "The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground.

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?

By what can we illustrate it? Perhaps by the growth of a mustard-seed. This seed, when sown in the ground, though it is smaller than all other seeds,

In many a parable like this he spoke the word to them, so far as they could listen to it;

And leaving the crowd, the disciples took Him in their boat just the way He was [i.e., this probably means without His making provision for the trip]. They were accompanied by other boats also.

And he said to them, Why are ye cowardly this way? How have ye no faith?

And their fear was great, and they said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea do his orders?

This man lived among the tombs, and no one could any longer subdue him even with a chain,

For Jesus was saying to [the evil spirit in] him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit."

Then He asked [the evil spirit], "What is your name?" And he answered Him, "My name is 'Legion,' [Note: This word means a number consisting of between 5,000 and 6,000], for there are many of us [i.e., evil spirits]."

So he let them do this. The unclean spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down a steep slope into the sea and drowned there.

On this the men who tended them ran away, and carried the news to the town, and to the country round; and the people went to see what had happened.

Those who saw this told the people what had happened to the man dominated by the evil spirits and about the [wild] hogs.

And on his looking round to see her who had done this thing,

Even while He was saying this, people came from the house of the leader of the synagogue and said, "Your daughter is dead; why trouble the Teacher any longer?"

And they came to the house of the ruler of the Synagogue; and he saw people running this way and that, and weeping and crying loudly.

And he went in and said unto them, "Why make ye this ado and weep? The maiden is not dead, but sleepeth."

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.

Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was 12 years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.

And he gave them special orders that they were not to say anything of this; and he said that some food was to be given to her.

And when the Sabbath day had come, he was teaching in the Synagogue; and a number of people hearing him were surprised, saying, From where did this man get these things? and, What is the wisdom given to this man, and what are these works of power done by his hands?

Is not this the woodworker, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were bitter against him.

And the people from whatever place that does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off from under your shoes as evidence against them." [Note: This was a Jewish custom showing disdain and intended to suggest their unworthiness].

And king Herod had news of him, because his name was on the lips of all; and he said, John the Baptist has come back from the dead, and for this reason these powers are working in him.

But [when] Herod heard [it], he said, "John whom I beheaded--this one has been raised!"

For this very Herod had sent and seized John and bound him and put him in prison, just to please Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

Now [because of this] Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but had not been able to.

when the daughter of this very Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those reclining together, and, the king, said unto the damsel - Ask me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee;

Then she rushed at once before the king, and made this request, "I want you this very minute to give me John the Baptist's head on a platter."

at this the king was exceedingly concern'd; however, in regard to his oath, and to those who were at table with him, he would not refuse her;

And [when] his disciples heard [this], they came and took away his corpse and placed it in a tomb.

And at the end of the day, his disciples came to him and said, This place is waste land, and it is late:

The number eating the loaves of bread was five thousand men. [Note: This was besides women and children. See Matt. 14:21].

And about then Jesus compelled His disciples to get into a boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side [i.e., to the west side of Lake Galilee] to Bethsaida [Note: This was apparently a different "Bethsaida" from the one mentioned in Luke 9:10, which was on the east side of Lake Galilee], while He Himself sent the crowd away.

Then He got up into the boat with them and the wind [immediately] stopped. And His disciples were greatly amazed [at this],

(For the Pharisees, and indeed all strict Jews, will not eat without first scrupulously washing their hands, holding in this to the traditions of their ancestors.

And when they returned from the open shopping markets they refused to eat [anything] until they washed themselves [or "it," that is, the food, thoroughly]. There were also many other traditions which they [strictly] observed, like washing cups, pots and copper kettles [thoroughly].) [Note: The most accurate Greek manuscripts do not add "and beds" in this verse].

So the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law asked Jesus this question--"How is it that your disciples do not follow the traditions of our ancestors, but eat their food with defiled hands?"

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.

but your doctrine is this, if any one shall tell his father or his mother, that what he could bestow for their relief, is corban, that is, to be given to the temple;

[thus] making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar [things] such as this."

He called the people to him again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand this.

This verse ommitted from translation

Now when He had left the crowd and gone home, His disciples were asking Him the meaning of this story.

Because it goes not into the heart but into the stomach, and goes out with the waste? He said this, making all food clean.

But he said, that which comes out of the man, this defiles him;

Now the woman was a Greek [i.e., a Gentile], a Syrophoenician by nationality. [Note: This was a region just north of Galilee and consisted of Syria and Phoenicia]. She begged Him to drive out the evil spirit from her daughter.

And he said to her, For this saying go your way; the evil spirit has gone out of your daughter.

Soon after this Jesus left the region of Tyre, and passed through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis [the ten Hellenistic cities].

And he gave them orders not to give news of it to anyone; but the more he made this request, so much the more they made it public.

"I have compassion on this people, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:

But His disciples answered Him, "Where can anyone get bread enough here in this destitute place, to give these people plenty?"

And he was very sad in spirit, and said, Why is this generation looking for a sign? truly, I say to you, No sign will be given to this generation.

So Jesus gave them this warning. "Take care," he said, "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."

they said to one another, this is because we did not take bread: which Jesus perceiving,

And knowing [this], he said to them, "Why are you discussing that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Have your hearts been hardened?

At this he laid his hands on his eyes once more, and the man stared in front of him; he was quite restored and saw everything distinctly.

Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the villages [in the vicinity] of Caesarea Philippi [Note: This was a city about

"But you," he asked, "who do you say that I am?" To this Peter replied: "You are the Christ."

And he put them under orders not to say this of him to anyone.

And he said this openly. And Peter took him, and was protesting.

But He turned and glanced at His disciples and reproved Peter by saying, "Get out of my way, Satan, for this view of yours is not from God but from men!"

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life because of me and the good-news, this man will save it.

Whoever has a feeling of shame because of me and my words in this false and evil generation, the Son of man will have a feeling of shame because of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Six days after this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him, and led them up on a high mountain, alone by themselves. And in their presence His appearance was changed,

And a cloud came over them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, give ear to him.

And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead {meant}.

At length they started this question, why do the Scribes say, that Elias must first come?

He said to them, "Elijah does come first, to restore all things; but what is written about the Son of man as well? This, that he is to endure great suffering and be rejected.

And Jesus questioning the father said, How long has he been like this? And he said, From a child.

And, Jesus, said unto him - As for this, If it be possible to thee, all things, are possible, to him who hath faith.

When Jesus saw a crowd running together [toward Him], He spoke sternly to the evil spirit [in the boy], saying to it, "You deaf-mute spirit, I order you to come out of this boy and to never return to him again."

now when Jesus was retired to his own house, his disciples asked him in private, why could not we cast this spirit out?

And he said to them, Nothing will make this sort come out but prayer.

in the mean time he gave his disciples this intimation, "the son of man is going to be delivered up into the hands of men, who will put him to death, and three days after he is put to death he shall rise again."

But they did not understand what this statement meant, and they were afraid to ask Him.

Then Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum [Note: This city on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee had become sort of a headquarters for Jesus when He was in this region]. When He [and His disciples] entered a house He asked them, "What were you discussing on the way here?"

"Whoever, as a disciple of mine, welcomes one little child like this, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not merely me but Him who sent me."

Upon this occasion John address'd himself to Jesus, saying, master, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, tho' he did not belong to us, for which reason we opposed him.

For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink on this account, because you are Christ s, verily I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

And whoever causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord. See Matt. 18:6] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and thrown into the ocean [Note: This was a heavy, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it, and moved by an animal walking in a circle].

For everyone will be salted with fire. [Note: This meant either the suffering "salt" of fiery trials (the sacrifices of verses 43-47 or the punishing "salt" of being thrown into a fiery hell (verse 45-48)].

then the Pharisees came and propos'd to him this insnaring question, is it lawful for a man to repudiate his wife?

But Jesus said to them, Because of your hard hearts he gave you this law.

For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother, and be joined to his wife;

And in the house the disciples put questions to him again about this thing.

Then some [parents] were bringing [their] little children to Jesus so He could touch them [i.e., to bestow a blessing on them], but His disciples spoke harshly to these parents [for doing this].

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

but he was troubled at this answer, and went away very sorrowful, for he had a great estate.

His disciples were startled at this statement. But Jesus again said to them as He continued the topic, "My children, how hard it is to get into the kingdom of God!

at this they were more amazed than before, and said to one another, how then can such a man be saved?

But Jesus looked at them and said, "This is impossible for men, but everything is possible for God."