He replied, "Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do."

So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

He told him, "See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still they kept coming to him from everywhere.

So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk'?

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," -- he said to the paralytic --

Jesus went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them.

As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," he said to him. And he got up and followed him.

As Jesus was having a meal in Levi's home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

When the experts in the law and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. So they came to Jesus and said, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

So the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?"

They watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they could accuse him.

So he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Stand up among all these people."

So the Pharisees went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians, as to how they could assassinate him.

Then Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him. And from Judea,

Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd would not press toward him.

For he had healed many, so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order to touch him.

And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."

He appointed twelve (whom he named apostles), so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach

Now Jesus went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat.

So he called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan?

But no one is able to enter a strong man's house and steal his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

"Listen! A sower went out to sow.

so that although they look they may look but not see, and although they hear they may hear but not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven."

when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade."

So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear.

On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake."

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

Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.

So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Be quiet! Calm down!" Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.

They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!"

So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him.

Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.

Now the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind -- the one who had the "Legion" -- and they were afraid.

But Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, "Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you."

So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.

When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea.

Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came up, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.

He asked him urgently, "My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed and live."

His disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, 'Who touched me?'"

But he looked around to see who had done it.

While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler's house saying, "Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?"

They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where he saw noisy confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly.

And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child's father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was.

Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up."

Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren't his sisters here with us?" And so they took offense at him.

So they went out and preached that all should repent.

For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

For John had repeatedly told Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not

So she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother said, "The head of John the baptizer."

So the king sent an executioner at once to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded John in prison.

When John's disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

So they went away by themselves in a boat to some remote place.

But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of them.

As Jesus came ashore he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something for themselves to eat."

He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five -- and two fish."

So they reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties.

When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land.

He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, he came to them walking on the sea, for he wanted to pass by them.

When they saw him walking on the water they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,

for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: "Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."

And they saw that some of Jesus' disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed.

But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, 'Whatever help you would have received from me is corban' (that is, a gift for God),

He said to them, "Are you so foolish? Don't you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him?

He said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and to throw it to the dogs."

She answered, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

Then Jesus went out again from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis.

After Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man's ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue.

Then he looked up to heaven and said with a sigh, "Ephphatha" (that is, "Be opened").

And immediately the man's ears were opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke plainly.

In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples and said to them,

Then he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples to serve. So they served the crowd.

So they began to discuss with one another about having no bread.

When he learned of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened?

Though you have eyes, don't you see? And though you have ears, can't you hear? Don't you remember?

He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, "Do you see anything?"

Regaining his sight he said, "I see people, but they look like trees walking."

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again. And he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

They said, "John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets."

He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."

He spoke openly about this. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God's interests, but on man's."

And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

and his clothes became radiantly white, more so than any launderer in the world could bleach them.

So Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters -- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

(For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.)

Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more except Jesus.

Then they asked him, "Why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?"

When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law arguing with them.

When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran at once and greeted him.

Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able to do so."

So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.