1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. |
1:2 As Isaiah the prophet wrote: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; |
1:3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'" |
1:4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. |
1:5 And all the country of Judea went out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they received baptism by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. |
1:6 John clothed himself with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. |
1:7 And he preached, and said, "After me One will come who has more might than I, and I do not consider myself fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. |
1:8 "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." |
1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and received baptism by John in the Jordan. |
1:10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; |
1:11 and a voice came out of the heavens: "I acknowledge You as My beloved Son, in You I feel well-pleased." |
1:12 Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. |
1:13 And He dwelled in the wilderness forty days having subjected Himself to temptation by Satan; and He dwelled with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him. |
1:14 Now after the authorities took John into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, |
1:15 and saying, "The time has come, and the kingdom of God has drawn near; repent and believe in the gospel." |
1:16 As He went along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they worked as fishermen. |
1:17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." |
1:18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. |
1:19 Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who worked also in the boat mending the nets. |
1:20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. |
1:21 They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. |
1:22 They felt amazed at His teaching; for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. |
1:23 Just then a man came in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, |
1:24 saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I acknowledge You as the Holy One of God!" |
1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Quiet, and come out of him!" |
1:26 Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. |
1:27 They all felt amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What do we find here? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." |
1:28 Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee. |
1:29 And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. |
1:30 Now Simon's mother-in-law had become sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. |
1:31 And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them. |
1:32 When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who became ill and those who suffered demon-possession. |
1:33 And the whole city had gathered at the door. |
1:34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not permit the demons to speak, because they knew His identity. |
1:35 In the early morning, while it still remained dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there. |
1:36 Simon and his companions searched for Him; |
1:37 they found Him, and said to Him, "Everyone looks for You." |
1:38 He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that reason I came." |
1:39 And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons. |
1:40 And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You will, You can make me clean." |
1:41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; become cleansed." |
1:42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he became cleansed. |
1:43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, |
1:44 and He said 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." |
1:45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they came to Him from everywhere. |