Mark 1

¹The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

²Just as it has been written in Isaiah the prophet: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way— ³a voice of one shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight!’”

⁴John the Immerser appeared in the wilderness, preaching an immersion of heart-turning for the release of sins. ⁵The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were being immersed by him in the Jordan River as they openly acknowledged their sins. ⁶John was dressed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He preached, saying, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not fit to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. ⁸I immersed you with water, but he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.”

⁹In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was immersed into the Jordan by John. ¹⁰And immediately, as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove. ¹¹And a voice came from the heavens: “You are my Son, the Beloved; in you I have found my delight.”

¹²At once the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tested by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to him.

¹⁴After John was handed over, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of God ¹⁵and saying, “The appointed time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; turn your hearts and trust in the good news.”

¹⁶As he was passing along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of people.” ¹⁸And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹Going on a little further, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in the boat mending the nets. ²⁰Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired hands and went after him.

²¹They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and began to teach. ²²The people were astounded at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scholars of the law. ²³Right then, there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ²⁴“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ²⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silenced and come out of him!” ²⁶The unclean spirit threw the man into a convulsion, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him. ²⁷Everyone was so amazed that they began to debate with one another, saying, “What is this? A new kind of teaching—with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸And the news about him spread immediately everywhere throughout the whole surrounding region of Galilee.

²⁹As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. ³⁰Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. ³¹He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.

³²When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him everyone who was sick or possessed by demons. ³³The whole city was gathered at the door. ³⁴He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons; but he would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

³⁵Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out to a deserted place, and was praying there. ³⁶Simon and those with him hunted for him, ³⁷and when they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” ³⁸He said to them, “Let us go elsewhere, into the neighboring small towns, so that I can preach there too; for this is why I came out.” ³⁹And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

⁴⁰A man with a serious skin disease came to him, pleading with him and falling on his knees, saying to him, “If you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” ⁴¹Moved with anger, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying to him, “I am willing. Be cleansed.” ⁴²Immediately the disease left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³Warning him sternly, Jesus sent him away at once, ⁴⁴saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer enter a city openly but stayed out in deserted places. And people kept coming to him from everywhere.