The Gospel of

MARK

Chapter 1

John the Baptizer Prepares the Way

¹The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

²As it is written in the prophets:

"Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,

     who will prepare your way,"

³"a voice of one calling

     in the wilderness,

'Prepare the way for the Lord,

     make the paths straight for him,'"

⁴so John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  ⁵And the whole region of Judea was going out to him, even all the Jerusalemites, and were getting baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  ⁶And John was dressed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and eating locusts and wild honey.

⁷And he would preach, saying, "After me is coming someone more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  ⁸I have baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

⁹And it came about in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  ¹⁰And going up out of the water he immediately saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit as a dove coming down to him.  ¹¹And a voice from heaven said, "You are my beloved Son; in you I have taken good pleasure."

¹²And immediately the Spirit thrusts him forth into the wilderness.  ¹³And he was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts.  And the angels were attending him.

The Calling of Simon, Andrew, James, and John

¹⁴And after John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news."

¹⁶And passing along beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a net in the sea, for they were fishers.  ¹⁷And Jesus said to them, "Come, you two.  Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people."  ¹⁸And they followed him right away, leaving the nets.

¹⁹And when he had gone a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.  They also were on board a boat, mending the nets.  ²⁰At once he called them, and they went off after him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired hands.

Jesus' Teaching Has Authority

²¹And they enter into Capernaum, and having gone straight into the synagogue on the Sabbath, he began to teach.  ²²And they were amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them as one having authority, and not like the Torah scholars.

²³And right then there was a man in their synagogue who was in an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, ²⁴saying, "What business do you have with us, Jesus, you Nazarene?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are— the Holy One of God!"

²⁵And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!"  ²⁶And the unclean spirit shook him violently back and forth and came out of him, shouting very loudly.

²⁷And all were astonished, such that they were discussing it, saying, "What is this?  A new teaching, with authority.  He even commands the unclean spirits, and they obey him."  ²⁸And immediately the report went out about him everywhere, in the whole region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals All in Capernaum

²⁹And as soon as they came out of the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew, accompanied by James and John.  ³⁰And Simon's mother-in-law was bedridden, burning a high fever, and right away they are telling him about her.  ³¹And after approaching her and grasping her by the hand, he lifted her, and the fever left her, and she began to wait on them.

³²And when evening had come, when the sun had set, they were bringing to him all who had an illness, and those being tormented by demons.  ³³Indeed the entire town was gathered at the door.  ³⁴And he healed many who were ill with various diseases, and many demons he expelled; and he would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Jesus Keeps Moving

³⁵And rising up very early, in the darkness, Jesus went outside and went off to a solitary place, and he was praying there.  ³⁶And Simon and those with him hunted him down, ³⁷and found him, and they are saying to him, "Everyone is looking for you!"

³⁸And he says to them, "Let us go somewhere else, to the nearby villages, so I may preach there also.  For that is why I have come."

³⁹And he went preaching in their synagogues in all of Galilee, and driving out the demons.

A Leper Healed Spreads the Word

⁴⁰And a leper comes to him, falling on his knees, and saying to him, "If you are willing, you can cleanse me."

⁴¹And filled with compassion, he reached out his hand and touched him, and says to him, "I am willing.  Be cleansed."  ⁴²And immediately the leprosy went away from him and he was cleansed.

⁴³And he immediately thrust him outside, sternly admonishing him, ⁴⁴and saying to him, "See that you don't tell a thing to anyone.  Only go show yourself to the priest, and offer the things Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

⁴⁵But when he left he proceeded to speak out freely, and to spread the word around, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in deserted places.  Yet people were still coming toward him from all directions.

Chapter 2

The Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof

¹And some days later, he entered again into Capernaum, and it was heard that he was home.  ²And many gathered, so many that there was no room left, not even at the door; and he was speaking the word to them.

³Then some arrive, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four.  ⁴And not being able to get to him because of the crowd, they removed the roof where he was, and when they had dug through, they lowered the pallet bed on which the paralytic is lying.

⁵And when Jesus saw their faith, he says to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

⁶And some of the Torah scholars were sitting there, and debating in their hearts, ⁷"Why does this fellow talk like this?  He is blaspheming!  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

⁸And Jesus, knowing immediately in his spirit that they were debating like this inside themselves, says to them, "Why are you debating these things in your hearts?  ⁹Which is easier to say to the paralytic:  'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take up your bed and walk'?  ¹⁰But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..."  He said to the paralytic, ¹¹"I say to you, get up, take up your bed, and go to your house."  ¹²And he stood up, and immediately took up his bed and went out in front of them all, with the result that they were all astonished, and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

A Tax Collector Joins Jesus

¹³And he went out, along beside the lake again.  And the entire crowd came with him, and he was teaching them.  ¹⁴And as he went along, he saw Levi son of Halphaeus sitting at the taxes post.  And he says to him, "Follow me."  And rising up, he followed him.

¹⁵And it comes about that Jesus is reclining at Levi's house, and many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.  ¹⁶And when the Torah scholars of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they were saying to his disciples, "He eats with tax collectors and sinners!"

¹⁷And hearing, Jesus says to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

¹⁸And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting.  And they come and say to him, "How is it that the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

¹⁹And Jesus said to them, "Are the members of the bridegroom's party able to fast while the bridegroom is with them?  So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they are not able to fast.  ²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then, in that day, fast they will.

²¹"No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment.  For then, what filled it up pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear occurs.  ²²And no one puts new wine into old wineskins.  For then, the wine will burst the wineskins, and the wine is ruined, along with the wineskins.  Rather, new wine is put into new wineskins."

Man Over the Sabbath

²³And it came about during a Sabbath that he was passing through the grainfields, and his disciples began to practice a custom, plucking the heads.  ²⁴And the Pharisees said to him, "Look!  Why are your disciples doing what on the Sabbath is not permissible?"

²⁵And he says to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he and those with him were in need and hungry?  ²⁶In the account about Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which was not permissible to eat, except for the priests, and he gave also to those who were with him."

²⁷Then he said to them, "The Sabbath came about because of humankind, and not humankind because of the Sabbath.  ²⁸Therefore, the Son of Man also is lord of the Sabbath."

Chapter 3

¹And again he went into a synagogue.  And a man was there who had a shriveled hand.  ²And they were watching him carefully whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

³And he says to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up into view."

⁴And he says to them, "Is it permissible on the Sabbath to do good or do evil, to save life or destroy it?"  But they were not speaking.

⁵And after looking around at them with anger, deeply distressed at the hardness of their hearts, he says to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.  ⁶And the Pharisees went out and immediately began to conspire against him with the Herodians, how they might kill him.

The Thronging Crowds Endanger Jesus

⁷And Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed.  ⁸And from Judea and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon also, a great multitude, hearing what things he was doing, came to him.  ⁹And he told his disciples that a boat should be kept handy for him, because of the crowd, in case they should crush him.  ¹⁰For he had healed many, with the result that everyone who had a disease would charge upon him, in order to touch him.  ¹¹And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down before him and cry out, saying, "You are the Son of God!"  ¹²And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.

The Twelve Apostles

¹³And he goes up into the mountain, and calls to him those he wanted, and they came to him.  ¹⁴And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, ¹⁵and to have authority to drive out the demons.

¹⁶And to Simon, he added the name Peter; ¹⁷and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and to them he added a name: Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder; ¹⁸and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Halphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon from Cana, ¹⁹and Judas of Kerioth, the very one who betrayed him.

Jesus Thought to be Out of His Mind

²⁰And he goes into a house, and once again a crowd gathered, such that they were not even able to eat bread.  ²¹And when they heard, his relatives set out to go and take custody of him; for they were saying, "He is out of his mind."  ²²And the Torah scholars who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zibbul," and, "By the prince of demons he drives out the demons."

²³And calling them to him, he spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan?  ²⁴And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand; ²⁵and if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.  ²⁶And if Satan has stood up against himself and was divided, he cannot stand; he has met his end.  ²⁷But in fact, no one can enter the house of a strong man to steal his stuff unless he first ties up the strong man, and then, he may plunder his house.

²⁸"Truly I tell you, there will be children of humankind being forgiven of all sin, and of all blasphemy, no matter how they blaspheme, ²⁹except that whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will have no forgiveness ever, but is guilty of an eternal sin."  ³⁰(He said this because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit.")

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

³¹And his mother and brothers arrive, and standing outside, they sent word to him, summoning him.  ³²And the crowd was sitting around him, and they say to him, "Behold, your mother and brothers are wanting you outside."

³³And answering them he says, "Who are my mother and brothers?"  ³⁴And looking around at the ones sitting around him in a circle, he says, "Behold my mother and my brothers.  ³⁵For whoever does the will of God, that one is my brother and sister and mother."

Chapter 4

The Parable of the Sower

¹And he began to teach beside the lake again, and a very large crowd collects around him, such that he boards a boat to sit on the lake, and all the crowd was on the land up to the water's edge.

²And he taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said to them: ³"Listen!  Behold, the sower went out to sow.  ⁴And it came about in the process of sowing that some seed fell beside the way, and the birds came and ate it up.  ⁵And other seed fell on the rocky place, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up immediately, because it had no depth of soil.  ⁶And when the sun arose, it was scorched, and it dried up, because it had no taproot.  ⁷And other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.  ⁸And others fell into good soil, and came up, grew, and produced, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold."

⁹And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, hear."

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁰And when he was alone, those around him together with the Twelve were asking him about the parables.

¹¹And he told them, "To you the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given, but to those outside, all things are in parables, ¹²so that:

'Though seeing, they will look,

     and not perceive,

and though hearing, they will listen,

     and not understand;

lest they turn, and be forgiven.' "

¹³And he says to them, "You don't understand this parable?  How then will you understand any parable?  ¹⁴The sower is sowing the word.  ¹⁵And the ones beside the way where the word is sown, these are those who when they hear, immediately comes Satan and takes away the word that was sown in them.  ¹⁶And likewise, the ones sown on the rocky places, these are those who when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷Yet they do not have a root in themselves, but are short-lived.  When difficulty or persecution come because of the word, they quickly fall away.  ¹⁸And others sown among thorns, these are those hearing the word, ¹⁹and the worries of this age, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desires concerning other things, come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  ²⁰And the ones sown on the good soil, these are those who hear the word and embrace it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold."

You Determine How Much You Receive

²¹And he said to them, "Does the lamp exist to be put under a bucket or under a bed?  Is it not meant to be put on a stand?  ²²For there is nothing hidden that is not meant to be made manifest, nor covered up but to come into view.  ²³If anyone has ears to hear, hear."

²⁴And he said to them, "Consider carefully what you hear.  In what size container you measure, it will be measured to you, and increased for you.  ²⁵For whoever has, to him it will be given, and whoever has not, even what he has will be taken away from him."

The Parable of the Automatic Earth

²⁶And he said, "It is with God's kingdom the same way a human might scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷then may sleep and get up, night and day, and still the seed sprouts and lengthens; how, he does not know.  ²⁸Automatically the earth bears fruit, first the grass, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.  ²⁹And when the grain is ready, he immediately sends out the sickle, because the harvest has come."

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰And he said, "How may we compare the kingdom of God?  Or in what parable shall we set it forth?  ³¹It is like a mustard seed, which when sown in the soil is smaller than all the seeds in the soil, ³²yet when it is sown, it grows, and becomes larger than all the vegetables, and makes branches big enough that the birds of the sky can dwell under its shadow."

³³And with many such parables he was speaking the word to them, as long as they were able to listen.  ³⁴To the crowds, he would not say anything without a parable; but in private with his disciples, he would explain everything.

Jesus Commands the Elements

³⁵That same day, when evening had come, he says to them, "Let's cross over to the other side."

³⁶And leaving the crowd behind, they take him along, just as he was, in the boat.  Other boats also were with him.

³⁷And a great storm of wind is coming up, and the waves crashed into the boat, such that the boat is now filling up.

³⁸And he was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion.  And they rouse him and say to him, "Teacher, doesn't it matter to you that we are perishing?"

³⁹And when he was awake, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Hush.  Be still."  And the wind died down, and there came a total calm.

⁴⁰And he said to them, "Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?"  ⁴¹And they were very much afraid, and saying to one another, "Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Chapter 5

The Legion of Demons Near Gadara

¹And they went to the other side of the lake into the territory of the Gadarenes.  ²And as he gets out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man in an evil spirit, ³whose abode was in the tombs, and no longer was anyone able to bind him with a chain, ⁴because he had often been bound hand and foot, only to have the chains burst apart and the leg irons broken, and no one had the strength to subdue him.  ⁵And through all, night and day, among the tombs and in the hills, he was crying out and cutting himself with stones.

⁶And seeing Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him, ⁷and shouting with a loud voice, he says: "What business between you and me, O Jesus, you son of the Most High God?  In the name of God, I beg you, do not torture me."  ⁸For Jesus was saying to him, "Come out of the human, unclean spirit!"

⁹And Jesus questioned him: "What is your name?"

   And he says to him, "Legion is my name, for we are many."  ¹⁰And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the area.

¹¹And on a hillside near there, a large herd of pigs was feeding, ¹²and they pled with him, saying, "Send us into the pigs, so that we may enter into them."

¹³And he allowed them.  And coming out, the unclean spirits went into the pigs, and the herd, about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.

¹⁴And those feeding them fled, and reported to the town and to the farms, and people came to see what it is that took place.  ¹⁵And they come near to Jesus, and they see the demon-possessed man sitting, dressed and in his right mind, he who had had the legion, and they were afraid.  ¹⁶And the ones who had seen how it happened to the demon-possessed man rehearsed it to them, also about the pigs.  ¹⁷And they began to beg him to go away from their territory.

¹⁸And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was begging him that he might always be with Jesus.  ¹⁹And he did not allow him, but says to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what things the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you."  ²⁰And he left and began to proclaim in the Ten Cities what things Jesus had done for him.  And all were amazed.

A Dead Damsel and a Sick Woman

²¹And when Jesus crossed back over to the other side, a large crowd had assembled for him, and he was beside the lake.  ²²And one of the synagogue rulers comes, Jairus by name, and when he sees him he falls at his feet, ²³and pleads with him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death.  Oh, that you might come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be healed and live."  ²⁴And he went with him.

   And a large crowd was following with him, and compressing around him.  ²⁵And a woman was there with a flow of blood of twelve years, ²⁶and had suffered many things under many doctors and spent everything she had, and not been helped, but rather had moved toward the worse.  ²⁷And she had heard the things about Jesus, and coming up behind in the crowd, she touched his garment, ²⁸for she was saying, "If I can touch even his clothes, I will be healed."  ²⁹And immediately the source of her blood dried up and she knew by her body that she was healed of the scourge.

³⁰And Jesus, noticing immediately in himself that power was going out from him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

³¹And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in together around you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"  ³²Yet he was still looking around to see the one who had done this.

³³The woman then, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, fearing and trembling, and told him all the truth.  ³⁴And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go with peace, and be free from your scourge."

³⁵While he was still speaking, they come from the synagogue ruler's, saying, "Your daughter has died.  Why inconvenience the teacher any farther?"

³⁶But Jesus, having overheard the message being spoken, says to the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; only believe."

³⁷And he did not allow anyone to come along with him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  ³⁸And they are coming into the house of the synagogue ruler, and he sees an uproar, and weeping and much loud wailing.  ³⁹And when he had come in he says to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping?  The child is not dead but sleeping."  ⁴⁰And they laughed him to scorn.

   Then, having put them all out, he takes the father of the child, and the mother, and the ones who were with him, and he goes in where the child was.  ⁴¹And taking hold of the child's hand, he says to her, "Talitha, koum."  (which when translated is, "O little damsel, I say to you, stand up.")  ⁴²And the damsel stood up immediately, and was walking  (for she was twelve years of age).  And they were stunned with amazement.  ⁴³And he was ordering them sternly that no one know this.  And he said to give her something to eat.

Chapter 6

Jesus Rejected by his Home Town

¹And he moved on from there, and comes into his home town, and his disciples are accompanying him.  ²And when the Sabbath came, he proceeded to teach in the synagogue, and the many hearing were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things?  Namely, what is this wisdom given to him?  And these miracles happening by his hands?  ³Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?  Aren't also his sisters here with us?"  And they were offended by him.

⁴And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his home town and among his relatives, and in his house."

⁵And he was never able to do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people; he did heal them.  ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

   And he went around the villages in a circuit teaching.  ⁷And calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits, ⁸and gave orders to them: that they should take nothing for the trip except a staff only; no bread, no bag, nothing in the money belt, ⁹but only the sandals already tied on; also not to put on two tunics.

¹⁰And he further said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, there stay up until when you leave that place.  ¹¹And whatever place does not receive you nor will they listen to you, leaving there, shake off the dust under your feet, as a testimony to them."

¹²And going forth, they proclaimed that people should repent.  ¹³And many demons they expelled, and many sick ones they anointed with oil and healed.

John the Baptizer Beheaded

¹⁴And Herod the king heard, for his name had become well known, that some were saying, "John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."

¹⁵But others were saying, "He is Elijah."

   And still others were saying, "He is a prophet, as though one of The Prophets."

¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he kept saying, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!"

¹⁷For Herod himself, sending orders, had seized John and bound him in prison, because of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.  ¹⁸For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not permissible for you to have your brother's wife."  ¹⁹And Herodias had been maintaining a grudge against him, and was wanting to kill him, and could not, ²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he listened to him, he had much difficulty, yet heard him gladly.

²¹And a suitable day came, when Herod in his birthday celebration made a supper for his courtiers, and the chiliarchs, and the prominent of Galilee.  ²²And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those reclining with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me anything you want, and I will give it to you."  ²³And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask for, I will give it to you, up to half my kingdom."

²⁴And going out, she said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"

   And she said, "The head of John the Baptizer."

²⁵And she went in at once to the king with speed, saying this request: "I wish that you would give to me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter."

²⁶And the king became greatly distressed.  He did not want to refuse her, because of the words of oath and those reclining.  ²⁷And the king immediately gave orders to bring his head, sending an executioner.  And he went, and beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl.  And the girl gave it to her mother.  ²⁹And when his disciples heard, they came and took his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

³⁰And the apostles are collecting around Jesus, and they reported everything to him, what they had done, and what they had taught.  ³¹And he says to them, "Come by yourselves to a remote place and rest a little."  For those coming and going were many, and they did not even have opportunity to eat.

³²And they went away in a boat by themselves to a remote place.  ³³And many saw them leaving and knew, and ran together there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.

³⁴And getting out he saw the large crowd, and felt compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

³⁵And now as an advanced hour comes, his disciples approached him and said, "The place is remote, and it's now an advanced hour.  ³⁶Dismiss them so they may go into the surrounding farms and villages and buy for themselves something to eat."

³⁷But he in answer said to them, "You give them something to eat."

   And they say to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii of loaves of bread and give it to them to eat?"

³⁸And he says to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go see."

   And finding out, they say, "Five, and two fish."

³⁹And he instructed them to get all to recline in dining fellowships on the green grass.  ⁴⁰And they reclined, in groups of a hundred and in groups of fifty.  ⁴¹And taking the five loaves of bread and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves of bread and gave to the disciples to set before the people.  The two fish also he divided for all.

⁴²And they all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³and they picked up twelve large baskets full of fragments from the loaves of bread, and from the fish.  ⁴⁴And there were five thousand men eating the loaves.

⁴⁵And he immediately told his disciples to get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side to Bethsaida, while he would dismiss the crowd.  ⁴⁶And after saying farewell to them, he went away into the hills to pray.

Jesus Walks on the Water

⁴⁷And after evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on the land.  ⁴⁸And about the fourth watch of the night, when he saw them being sorely taxed in the process of rowing, because the wind was against them, he goes toward them, walking on the lake, and was intending to pass them.  ⁴⁹But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out.  ⁵⁰For they all saw him, and were disturbed by it.

   But he immediately talked with them, and he is saying to them: "Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."

⁵¹And he went up into the boat with them, and the wind stopped.  And they were very much, extremely stunned within themselves.  ⁵²For they had not learned from the incident of the loaves of bread; their hearts were hardened.

⁵³And crossing over, they came ashore at Gennesaret and anchored.  ⁵⁴And as soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized him and ⁵⁵ran around that whole region, and those who had invalids began to carry them around on pallets to where they heard that he was.  ⁵⁶And wherever he would go, into villages, or into towns, or into countryside, they would place the invalids in the plazas, and the invalids would implore him that they could just touch even the tassel of his cloak.  And they were being healed, as many as touched him.

Chapter 7

Clean and Unclean

¹And the Pharisees and some of the Torah scholars are coming from Jerusalem and gathering toward him, ²and they see that some of his disciples are eating bread with unclean— that is, unwashed— hands.  ³For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding to the tradition of the elders.  ⁴And they do not eat from the marketplaces unless they wash.  And there are many others which they have received instruction to keep, the baptizing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.

⁵And the Pharisees and Torah scholars are questioning him: "Why are your disciples not walking according to the tradition of the elders, but eating bread with unclean hands?"

⁶And he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written:

          " 'This people honor me with the lips,

               but their heart is far from me.

⁷They worship me in vain,

their instruction is the drilling of

          the rules of human beings.'

⁸"Dropping the commandment of God, you are holding on to the tradition of humans."

⁹And he said to them, "You have a fine way of setting aside the commandment of God in order to set up your own tradition.  ¹⁰For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'The person cursing father or mother must be put to death.'  ¹¹But you say that if someone says to father or mother, 'Whatever financial help you would receive from me is now korban' (that is, a gift vowed to God), ¹²you relieve him of doing anything more for father or mother, ¹³annulling the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down.  And many similar such things you do."

¹⁴And calling the crowd to him again, he said, "Listen to me everyone, and understand: ¹⁵There is nothing outside a human being which by entering him is able to make him unclean.  Rather, the things coming out of a human being are the things making the human being unclean.  ¹⁶If anyone has ears to hear, hear."

¹⁷And when he had entered a house, away from the crowd, the disciples asked him the meaning of the parable.

¹⁸And he says to them, "Are you also this obtuse?  Do you not understand that everything entering a human being from the outside is unable to make him unclean, ¹⁹since it is not entering his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer?"  (He is declaring all foods clean.)

²⁰He went on: "What comes out of a human being, that is what makes the human being unclean.  ²¹For from within, out of the heart of human beings, come evil reasoning, fornication, theft, murder, ²²adultery, covetousness, malice, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, slander, haughtiness, and folly.  ²³All these evil things come forth from within and make the human being unclean."

The Faith of the Gentile Dog

²⁴And getting up, he departed from there into the vicinity of Tyre.  And entering a house, he wanted no one to know, yet he could not escape notice.  ²⁵In fact immediately upon hearing about him, a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit came, and fell at his feet.  ²⁶And the woman was a Gentile, a Syro-Phoenician by race.  And she kept begging him that he drive the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷And he was saying to her, "Allow the children first to eat their fill, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."

²⁸But in answer she says to him, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."

²⁹And he said to her, "Because of this reply, go your way; the demon has left your daughter."  ³⁰And going away to her house, she found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Jesus Does All Things Well

³¹And going back out of the district of Tyre, he went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee, into the midst of the region of the Ten Cities.  ³²And they bring a man to him, deaf and speaking with difficulty, and they are begging him to place his hand on him.

³³And taking him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers into his ears.  And after spitting on his fingers, he touched the man's tongue.  ³⁴And looking up to heaven he sighed, and he says to him, "Eppatach!"  (which means, "Be opened!").  ³⁵And immediately his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was released, and he began to speak normally.

³⁶And he was ordering them that they tell no one.  But as much as he ordered them, all the more they were talking about it.  ³⁷And they were being overwhelmed with admiration, saying, "He has done everything well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Chapter 8

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

¹During those days when there was again a great crowd and also having nothing to eat, he calls the disciples to him and says to them, ²"I feel compassion for this crowd, because they have stayed with me three days now, and have nothing to eat.  ³And if I dismiss them to their homes, without eating they will collapse in the journey, and some of them are from a long distance."

⁴And his disciples answered him, "Where here in the desert will anyone be able to get enough loaves of bread to fill these people?"

⁵And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"

   And they said, "Seven."

⁶And he directs the crowd to recline on the ground.  And taking the seven loaves of bread, giving thanks he broke them, and gave to his disciples, for them to serve.  And they served the crowd.  ⁷They also had a few fish, and blessing them, he ordered them to be served as well.  ⁸And they ate and were filled, and they picked up the fragments left over, seven basketfuls.  ⁹And they were about four thousand; and he dismissed them.  ¹⁰And immediately boarding the boat with his disciples, he went to the area of Dalmanutha.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

¹¹And the Pharisees came forward and began to debate with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, testing him.

¹²And sighing deeply in his spirit, he says, "Why does this generation ask for a sign?  Truly I say to you, a sign will certainly not be given this generation!"  ¹³And leaving them, he got back into the boat and went away to the other side.

¹⁴And they had forgotten to take bread; and except for one loaf, they had none with them in the boat.  ¹⁵And he started warning them, saying, "Take heed, be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, and the yeast of Herod."

¹⁶And they were discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread loaves.

¹⁷And knowing, he says to them, "Why are you discussing with one another the fact that you have no bread loaves?  Are you still not understanding, nor putting it together?  Have you completely hardened hearts?  ¹⁸You have eyes; can't you see?  And you have ears; can't you hear?  And don't you remember?  ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves of bread to the five thousand, how many basketfuls of fragments did you pick up?"

   They say to him, "Twelve."

²⁰"When I broke the seven to the four thousand, how many basketfuls of fragments did you pick up?"

   And they say, "Seven."

²¹And he said to them, "How do you still not understand?"

The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida

²²And they come to Bethsaida.  And they bring a blind man to him, and they are begging Jesus to touch him.  ²³And taking hold of the blind man's hand, he led him outside the village.  And after spitting in his eyes and placing his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"

²⁴And looking up he said, "I see people, that I am perceiving as trees walking around."

²⁵Then he put his hands on the man's eyes again.  And he looked for a while, and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly again.  ²⁶And he sent him home, saying, "Do not go into the village."

Peter's Confession of Messiah

²⁷And Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages of Caesarea of Philip, and on the way, he was inquiring of his disciples, saying to them, "Who do the people say I am?"

²⁸And they informed him, saying, "John the Baptizer; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the Prophets."

²⁹And he asked them, "And you, who do you say I am?"

   Peter in answer says to him, "You are the Messiah."

³⁰And Jesus warned them that they should tell no one about him.

Peter Opposes Jesus' Death

³¹And he began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the Torah scholars, and must be killed, and after three days, rise again.  ³²And he was stating the matter plainly.  And Peter, taking him aside, started correcting him.

³³But he, turning around and seeing his disciples, corrected Peter.  And he says, "Get behind me, Satan!  For you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of human beings."

³⁴And calling the crowd to him, together with his disciples, he said to them, "If someone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  ³⁵For whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, and of the good news, will save it.  ³⁶For what good will it do a human being to gain the whole world, only to be penalized his soul?  ³⁷And what could a human being tender in trade for his soul?  ³⁸For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful age, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Chapter 9

¹Then he was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will certainly not taste death before they see the kingdom of God having come with power."

The Transfiguration

²And after six days Jesus takes Peter and James and John, and he is leading them up into a high mountain, alone in private.  And he was transfigured in front of them, ³and his clothes became an exceedingly brilliant white, such as no launderer on earth is able to whiten.  ⁴And Elijah appeared to them, together with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.

⁵And Peter is responding and saying to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here, and we should make three shelters, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  ⁶(For he had not known what to say, because they were so frightened.)

⁷And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my beloved Son.  Listen to him."

⁸And suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one else anymore, but only Jesus, along with themselves.

⁹And as they were coming down out of the mountain, he admonished them not to report the things they had seen to anyone, except until such time the Son of Man should rise from the dead.  ¹⁰And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what the words "rise from the dead" meant.

¹¹And they queried him, saying, "Why do the Torah scholars say that Elijah has to come first?"

¹²And he said to them, "Elijah indeed having come first will restore all things.  And why is it written about the Son of Man, that he would 'suffer much and be rejected?'  ¹³But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him."

Disciples Accused of Impotence to Heal

¹⁴And as they were coming near the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and the Torah scholars debating with them.  ¹⁵And all the crowd were overcome with awe as soon as they saw him, and they were running up to him, greeting him.

¹⁶And he asked them, "What are you debating with them?"

¹⁷And one from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, who has a spirit of speechlessness.  ¹⁸And wherever it seizes him, it convulses him.  And he foams at the mouth, and gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.  I asked your disciples to drive it out, and they did not have the power."

¹⁹And in answer to them, he says, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you?  How long shall I put up with you?  Bring him to me."

²⁰And they brought him to him.  And seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately convulsed him violently, and falling onto the ground, he was rolling over, foaming at the mouth.

²¹And he asked his father, "Over what period of time has this happened to him?"

   And he said, "From childhood.  ²²And it has often thrown him into both fire or water, trying to kill him.  But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

²³Jesus said to him, "If I can?  All things are possible to one who believes."

²⁴Immediately the boy's father cried out saying, "I do believe!  Help my unbelief!"

²⁵Then Jesus, seeing that a crowd is running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him.  And you may no longer go into him."

²⁶And it shrieked, and convulsed him greatly, anc came out.  And he appeared as dead, so as to cause many to say, "He's dead."  ²⁷But Jesus, taking him by the hand, lifted him, and he stood up.

²⁸And after he went into a house, his disciples asked him in private: "Why weren't we able to drive it out?"

²⁹And he told them, "This kind cannot be made to go out by anything except prayer."

³⁰And moving on from there, they were passing through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know, ³¹because he was teaching his disciples.  And he told them, "The Son of Man is being transferred into the hands of human beings.  And they will kill him.  And three days after being killed, he will rise again."  ³²But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to query him.

Who is the Greatest?

³³And they came to Capernaum.  And when he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"  ³⁴But they were keeping quiet, because on the way they had argued over who was greater.

³⁵And sitting down, he called the Twelve and says to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all."

³⁶And taking a child he set him in the midst of them.  And wrapping him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷"Whoever welcomes one child like this on the basis of my name, is welcoming me; and whoever welcomes me is welcoming not me but the one who sent me."

Do Not Hinder Other Camps of God's Little Ones

³⁸John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone who is not following with us driving out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following with us."

³⁹But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for there is no one who shall do a miracle on the basis of my name, who can then be quick to speak evil of me; ⁴⁰for someone who is not against us is for us.  ⁴¹For whoever gives you a cup of water because you are of Christ, truly I tell you: he will by no means lose his reward.  ⁴²And whoever causes one of these believing little ones to fall, it would be better for him to wear a millstone around his neck and be thrown into the depths of the sea.

⁴³"And if your hand causes you to fall, cut it off.  It is better for you to go into life maimed, than with both hands to go away into Gehenna, into the fire unquenchable, 

^[44where

   " 'their worm never dies,

          and the fire is never quenched.']

.  ⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to fall, cut it off.  It is better for you to go into life crippled, than with both feet to be thrown into Gehenna, 

^[46where

   " 'their worm never dies,

          and the fire is never quenched.']

.  ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to fall, yank it out.  It is better for you to go into the kingdom of God one-eyed, than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, ⁴⁸where

   " 'their worm never dies,

          and the fire is never quenched.'

⁴⁹For everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰"Salt is good, but if the salt becomes bland, what will you spice it with?  Have salt in yourselves, and cultivate peace among each other."

Chapter 10

Jesus Tested on Divorce

¹And getting up to leave from there, he goes into the territory of Judea that is beyond the Jordan.  And once again, crowds are going along with him, and as was his custom he again was teaching them.  ²And some Pharisees came and, testing him, asked him, "Is it permissible for a husband to release a wife?"

³In answer he said to them, "What did Moses command you?"

⁴They said, "Moses permitted one to write a release of interest form and to release."

⁵And Jesus said to them, "It was in view of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this instruction.  ⁶But from the beginning of creation he 'made them male and female.'  ⁷For this reason, a human being shall leave his father and mother,   ⁸and the two shall become one flesh.  As a result, they are no longer two, but one flesh.  ⁹What therefore God has joined together, a human being must not separate."

¹⁰And when back in the house, the disciples were questioning him about this.  ¹¹And he says to them, "Whoever releases his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹²and if she after releasing her husband marries another, she commits adultery."

Little Children Come to Jesus

¹³And people were bringing little children to him to have him touch them, but the disciples scolded them.

¹⁴Seeing this, Jesus was indignant, and said to them, "Let the little children come to me.  Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God is made of such as these.  ¹⁵Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will certainly not enter it."  ¹⁶And wrapping them in his arms, he is blessing them, placing his hands on them.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁷And as he was going forth onto the road, someone ran up to him and fell on his knees before him, asking him, "Good teacher, what should I do so that I will inherit eternal life?"

¹⁸And Jesus said to him, "Why are you calling me good?  No one is good except one, God.  ¹⁹The commandments you know: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

²⁰And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept since my youth."

²¹And as Jesus is looking at him, he loved him and said to him, "One thing you are lacking.  Go sell what things you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come follow me."

²²But he with face aghast because of this word, went away regretting, for he was owner of much property.

²³And looking around, Jesus says to his disciples, "How hard it will be for the ones who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God."

²⁴The disciples were astonished at his words.  But in response Jesus says to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God.  ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God."

²⁶And they became even more astonished, saying to each other, "Who, then, can be saved?"

²⁷Jesus looking at them says, "With human beings it is impossible, but not with God.  For all things are possible with God."

²⁸Peter began to tell him, "Behold how we have left everything and followed you."

²⁹Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the cause of the good news, ³⁰who will not receive a hundred times as much in this present time, of houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions, and, in the coming age, eternal life.  ³¹But many first ones will be last, and the last ones first."

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

³²And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going on ahead of them; and they were stunned, and followed behind fearing.  And taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things about to happen to him.  ³³"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the Torah scholars.  And they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles.  ³⁴And they will mock him, and spit on him, and flog him, and execute him.  And after three days he will rise again."

The Ambition of James and John

³⁵And James and John the sons of Zebedee come up to him, saying to him, "Teacher, we wish that you would do for us whatever we will ask you."

³⁶And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

³⁷And they said to him, "Grant to us that in your glory, we may sit one on your right, and one on your left."

³⁸And Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking.  Are you able, to drink the cup I am drinking, or to be baptized the baptism I am being baptized?"

³⁹And they said to him, "We are able."

   And Jesus said to them, "The cup which I drink you will drink, and the baptism I am baptized you will be baptized.  ⁴⁰But to sit on my right or on my left is not for me to grant; they belong rather to those for whom they have already been prepared."

⁴¹And when the ten heard, they began to be angry about James and John.  ⁴²And Jesus calling them together says to them, "You know that the ones considered to be rulers among the nations, lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  ⁴³But it shall not be so among you.  Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wants to be first among you shall be slave of all.  ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

An Obnoxious Beggar Gets His Wish

⁴⁶And they come into Jericho.  And as he was going away from Jericho, plus his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the Son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road.  ⁴⁷And hearing that it is Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁸And many were telling him to be quiet.  But he kept shouting much more: "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."

   So they call the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart!  Get up!  He's calling you!"  ⁵⁰So throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus.

⁵¹In answer to him, Jesus said, "What do you want me to do for you?"

   The blind man said to him, "Rabboni, that I could see."

⁵²And Jesus said to him, "Go.  Your faith has healed you."  And immediately he saw, and was following him in the way.

Chapter 11

The Triumphal Entry

¹And when they had come close to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sends two of his disciples, ²and tells them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it you will find a colt tied, upon which no one has ever yet sat.  Untie it and bring it.  ³And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing that?' say, 'The Lord needs it and is sending it back here shortly.' "

⁴And they went, and found a colt tied at a doorway, outside in the street.  And they are untying it.  ⁵And some people standing there said to them, "What are you doing untying the colt?"

⁶And they said to them as Jesus said, and they allowed them.  ⁷And they bring the colt to Jesus, and throw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

⁸And many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others, fronds cut from the fields.  ⁹And those proceeding ahead of him, and those following after, were shouting:

          "Hosha na!’

          "Blessed is he who comes in the

               name of the Lord!’

¹⁰"Blessed is the coming kingdom

               of our father David!"

          "Hosha na in the highest!"

¹¹And he went into Jerusalem to the temple, and after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve, since the hour was now late.

Jesus Clears the Temple

¹²And the next day as they were on their way from Bethany, he was hungry.  ¹³And seeing from afar a fig tree that had leaves, he went, if perchance he would find something on it.  And coming upon it he found nothing but leaves.  (For it was not the season of figs.)  ¹⁴And in response he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again."  And his disciples heard.

¹⁵And they come into Jerusalem.  And when he had entered the temple, he proceeded to drive out the ones selling and the ones buying in the temple, and the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of the ones selling doves he overturned, ¹⁶and he did not allow anyone to carry stuff through the temple courts.

¹⁷And he started teaching, and said to them, "Is it not written:

          " 'My house will be called

          a house of prayer for all nations'?

But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

¹⁸And the chief priests and the Torah scholars heard, and they were looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the entire crowd was being held enrapt during his teaching.

The Withered Fig Tree

¹⁹And when it got late, they would go outside the city.

²⁰And early, as they were traveling along, they saw the fig tree, withered from the roots.  ²¹And reminded, Peter says to him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree you cursed has withered."

²²And in response Jesus says to them, "Have faith in God.  ²³Truly I tell you, whoever can say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it is not being questioned in his heart, but he is believing that what he is saying is happening, it will happen for him.

²⁴"Therefore I tell you, whatever you are asking for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will happen for you.  ²⁵Also, when you stand praying, forgive, if you are holding anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

The Authorities Question Jesus' Authority

²⁷And they arrive again in Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the Torah scholars come up to him, along with the elders, ²⁸and they were saying to him, "By what authority are you doing these things?  Or, who gave you this authority, that you may do these things?"

²⁹And Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question.  You answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  ³⁰John's baptism— was it from heaven, or from human beings?  Answer me."

³¹And they were discussing it among themselves, as follows: "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'  ³²On the other hand, dare we say, 'From human beings'?"  (They were fearing the people, for the people all held that John really was a prophet.)

³³And in answer they say to Jesus, "We do not know."

   And Jesus says to them, "Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things."

Chapter 12

The Parable of the Tenants

¹And he began to speak to them in parables.  "A man planted a vineyard, and put a hedge around it, and dug a winepress, and built a watchtower, and leased it out to tenant-farmers, and journeyed away.  ²And in the time of harvest he sent a servant to the tenants, that he might be paid by the tenants out of the fruit of the vineyard.  ³And seizing him they beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.  ⁴And again he sent a servant to them, a different one.  That one they wounded in the head and insulted.  ⁵Yet another he sent, and that one they killed.  And he sent many others; some they beat, some they killed.

⁶One alone he still had, a beloved son.  Finally, him he sent to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

⁷"But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  ⁸And taking him, they killed him, and cast him outside the vineyard.

⁹"What then will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and kill the tenants, and he will give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰"Have you not read this scripture:

          ' A stone which the builders rejected,

               this one has become the chief cornerstone;

¹¹from the Lord this came about,

               and it is marvelous

                        in our eyes'?"

¹²And they were looking for a way to arrest him, for they knew he had told the parable in reference to them.  Yet they were afraid of the crowd.  And they went away, leaving him alone.

Paying the Tribute Tax to Caesar

¹³And they send some of the Pharisees and Herodians, in order to trap him in a saying.  ¹⁴And coming, they say to him, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and it matters not to you about anyone, in that you pay no attention to the personage of people, but rather on the basis of truth you teach the way of God.  Is it permissible to pay the tribute to Caesar, or not?  Should we pay, or should we not pay?"

¹⁵But he, perceiving their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you testing me?  Bring me a denarius, so that I may look at it."  ¹⁶And they brought one.  And he says to them, "Whose image is this, and inscription?"

   They say to him, "Caesar's."

¹⁷And Jesus said to them, "Caesar's things give back to Caesar, and God's things to God."

   And they were amazed at him.

Marriage and the Resurrection

¹⁸Then some Sadducees come up to him (Sadducees say there is no resurrection), and they questioned him as follows: ¹⁹"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife and does not leave behind a child, that the brother of the deceased should take the woman and raise up descendants for his brother.

²⁰"There were seven brothers.  And the first one took a wife, and dying, he left no descendant.  ²¹And the second one took her, and he died, leaving no descendant.  It was the same with the third.  ²²In fact, all seven left no descendant.  Last of all, the woman also died.

²³"In the resurrection, when they rise again, of which of them will she be wife?  For all seven had her as wife."

²⁴Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?  ²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.  ²⁶Now about the dead, that they do rise, have you not read in the scroll of Moses, at the part about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  ²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  You are badly mistaken!"

The Weightiest Commandment

²⁸And one of the Torah scholars who had approached, after listening to them debating, recognized that Jesus had answered them well.  He asked Jesus, "Teacher, out of all of them, which commandment is primary?"

²⁹Jesus answered, "Primary is this: 'Hear, O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone."  ³⁰And you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  ³¹Secondmost is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."

³²And the Torah scholar said to him, "Well done, Teacher.  It is on true basis you have said, that there is one, and there is no other but him; ³³and to love him with all your heart, all your intelligence, and all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴And Jesus, having observed that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

³⁵And continuing to teach in the temple, Jesus said, "How do the Torah scholars say that the Messiah is the Son of David?  ³⁶David himself said, by the Holy Spirit,

   " 'Yahweh said to my Lord:

          "Sit at my right hand

      until such time I put your enemies

          under your feet." '

³⁷David himself calls him 'Lord,' so how is he his son?"

   And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Jesus Denounces the Torah Scholars

³⁸Also in his teaching he was saying, "Look warily at the Torah scholars, those loving to walk around in robes, greetings in the marketplaces, ³⁹and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets; ⁴⁰who eat up the houses of widows, and for a front, make lengthy prayers.  These will receive extra damnation."

The Widow's Offering

⁴¹And while sitting opposite the temple treasury, he was watching how the crowd was dropping copper into the donation chest.  And many rich people put in much.  ⁴²And when one poor widow came, she put in two lepta (which is equivalent to one quarter of a penny).

⁴³And calling his disciples to him, he said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others putting into the treasury.  ⁴⁴For they all put in out of the extra they had.  But she out of her lack put in everything, all she had to live on."

Chapter 13

Signs of the Times

¹And as he is going forth out of the temple, one of his disciples says to him, "Teacher, look!  What large stones.  What great buildings."

²And Jesus said to him, "See all these great buildings?  By no means will there be left here a stone upon a stone that will not be thrown down."

³And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴"Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign that they are all about to be accomplished?"

⁵And Jesus proceeded to tell them, "See that no one misleads you.  ⁶Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am He,' and they will deceive many.  ⁷But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.  These things must happen, but the end is not yet.  ⁸Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines.  These are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹"But you, you watch yourselves.  They will deliver you over to courts, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will be stood before governors and kings, for my sake, to be a witness to them.  ¹⁰Indeed the gospel must first be preached to all nations.

¹¹"So when they are taking you delivering you to trial, do not concern yourself beforehand what you will speak.  Rather, whatever is given you in that hour, that you are to speak.  For you are not the ones speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹²"And a sibling will betray a sibling to death, and a parent a child, and children will rise up against parents and put them to death.  ¹³And you will be hated by all because of me.  But the person remaining to the end, that one will be rescued.

¹⁴"But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not, (Reader, understand), then the ones in Judea should flee to the mountains, ¹⁵and the one on the rooftop should not come down into the house nor go inside to get something from his house, ¹⁶and the one in the field should not turn back to get his coat.  ¹⁷And alas for the ones who are pregnant, and the ones giving milk during those days!  ¹⁸And pray that it not happen in winter.  ¹⁹For those will be days of suffering, such as has not happened from the beginning of creation when God created until now, nor ever will again.  ²⁰And if the Lord had not made those days short, no flesh would survive.  But, because of the elect, those whom he has chosen, he has made the days short.  ²¹And at that time, if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'Look, there!' do not believe it.  ²²For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear, and they will do signs and miracles, trying to deceive, if possible, the elect.  ²³But you, you be watchful; I have told you everything ahead of time.

²⁴"But in those days, after that suffering,

   " 'the sun will be darkened,

          and the moon will not give its light,

²⁵and the stars will be falling from the sky,

          and the forces in space

               will be shaken.'

²⁶"And at that time they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds, with great power and glory.  ²⁷And at that time he will send forth the angels, and they will gather together his elect out of the four winds, from the farthest points of the earth to the farthest points of the horizon.

²⁸"Now learn the parable from the fig tree.  When its twig has already become tender and it puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  ²⁹And likewise you, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.  ³⁰Truly I tell you: by no means will this age pass away before all these things have happened.  ³¹Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

³²"But as to that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not even the Son, but only the Father.  ³³Watch, be alert, for you do not know when the time is.  ³⁴It is like a man going away on a journey, leaving his house and giving the authority of it to his servants, each his task, and the doorman he admonished to keep watch.  ³⁵Thus you must keep watch, for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶No good if he comes suddenly, and finds you sleeping.  ³⁷And what I am saying to you, I am saying to all: 'Keep watch!'"

Chapter 14

Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany

¹And the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away.  And the chief priests and the Torah scholars were seeking how they might kill him after arresting him in stealth.  ²For they were saying, "Not in the festival, or there will be a riot of the people."

³And when he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper, and reclining, a woman came holding an alabaster bottle of very expensive perfumed ointment, pure oil of nardroot.  Breaking the alabaster, she poured it out onto his head.

⁴But there were some who were saying indignantly to themselves, "Why has this waste of perfume occurred?  ⁵For this perfume could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they were scolding her.

⁶But Jesus said, "Leave her alone.  Why are you causing her hardship?  She has performed a good work with me.  ⁷For the poor you always have with you, and you can do well with them whenever you want, but me you do not always have.  ⁸She did what was available to her.  She was early to anoint my body in preparation for its burial.  ⁹Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told, as an honorable remembrance of her."

¹⁰And Judas of Kerioth, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them.  ¹¹And hearing this delighted them, and they promised to give him silver.  Then he was planning how he might betray him the best time.

The Passover Supper

¹²And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they would sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples say to him, "Where are you wanting us to go to make preparations so you may eat the Passover?"

¹³And he sends two of his disciples and tells them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.  Follow him.  ¹⁴And wherever he enters say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says: Where is my guestroom, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?'  ¹⁵And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.  And there you shall make preparations for us."

¹⁶And the disciples left and went into the city, and found things just as he had told them.  And they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷And as evening is coming on, he arrives with the Twelve.  ¹⁸And as they are reclining and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you: one of you will betray me.  One who is eating with me."

¹⁹They began to be very sad and to say to him one by one, "Surely not I?"

²⁰And he said to them, "It is one of the Twelve, the one dipping into the bowl with me.  ²¹Therefore indeed the Son of Man is going just as it is written about him.  But woe to that one through whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would be better for that man if he had not been born!"

²²And when they were eating, Jesus, after taking a loaf of bread and blessing God, he broke it and distributed to them, and said, "Take ye.  This is my body."

²³And taking a cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

²⁴And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, being shed on behalf of many.  ²⁵Truly I tell you: By no means will I drink of the fruit of the vine any more, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

²⁶And when they had sung a hymn, they went out toward the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denials

²⁷And Jesus is saying to them, "You will all be scandalized, for it is written: 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  ²⁸But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

²⁹But Peter said to him, "Even if everyone else will be scandalized, not I."

³⁰And Jesus says to him, "Truly I tell you: today, this very night, before the rooster crows two times, you yourself will disown me three times."

³¹But he kept saying vehemently, "Even if I have to die with you, no way will I disown you."  And the rest of them were saying things similar.

Gethsemane

³²And they come to an orchard the name of which was Gethsemane, and he says to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  ³³And he takes Peter, and also James and John with him.  And he began to be overwhelmed with dread and heaviness.  ³⁴And he says to them, "My soul is too sad, to the point of death.  Remain here and stay awake."  ³⁵And going forward a little, he dropped to the ground, and prayed that if it is possible, the hour might pass aside from him.  ³⁶And he was saying, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.  Remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will."

³⁷And he comes back, and finds them sleeping, and he says to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?  Had you not the self-control to keep awake one hour?  ³⁸Keep awake and pray, that you not come into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

³⁹And going away again, he prayed, saying the same thing.  ⁴⁰And when he returned, he again found them sleeping, for their eyelids were weighing down; and they did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹And he comes the third time and says to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Enough!  The hour has come.  Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  ⁴²Get up, let us go.  Behold, the one betraying me has come near."

The Arrest of Jesus

⁴³And right then while he was still speaking, Judas comes, the one of the Twelve, along with a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the Torah scholars and the elders.

⁴⁴And the one betraying him had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss is he; him you arrest and lead away under guard."  ⁴⁵And coming straight up to him, he says, "Rabbi," and fervently kissed him.  ⁴⁶And they put their hands on him and arrested him.  ⁴⁷Then a certain one of those standing near drew a sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸And Jesus said to them in response, "As though after a bandit, you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?  ⁴⁹Day after day I was right next to you in the temple, teaching, and you never arrested me.  But, may the scriptures be fulfilled."  ⁵⁰Then everyone fled, abandoning him.

⁵¹And a certain young man had accompanied him, a linen wrap thrown over his bare body.  And they are seizing him, ⁵²but he escaped naked, leaving the linen behind.

Jesus' Trial by the Sanhedrin

⁵³And they led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the Torah scholars are gathering together.  ⁵⁴And Peter followed him at a distance, right up to within the courtyard of the high priest, and remained, sitting with the guards and warming himself by the fire.

⁵⁵And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find evidence against Jesus in order to put him to death, and they were not finding it.  ⁵⁶For many were bearing false witness against him, yet their statements were not consistent.

⁵⁷Then some appeared and bore false witness against him as follows: ⁵⁸"We heard him saying, 'I will destroy this handmade temple, and by three days I will build another, not handmade.'" ⁵⁹Yet not even their testimony was so consistent.

⁶⁰And after standing up in front of them all, the high priest examined Jesus, saying, "You are not making any answer?  What about this testimony these are bearing against you?"  ⁶¹But he was keeping silent, and making no answer at all.

   Again, the high priest was examining him, and saying to him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"

⁶²And Jesus said, "I am, and you will all see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

⁶³Then the high priest tearing his robes says, "What more need do we have for witnesses?  ⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy.  What does it look like to you?"  And they all condemned him as deserving to be put to death.

⁶⁵And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face and punch him, and say to him, "Prophesy!"  The guards also took him with slaps.

Peter Disowns Jesus

⁶⁶And with Peter still below in the courtyard, one of the maidservants of the high priest comes, ⁶⁷and having seen Peter warming himself, and having peered at him, she says, "You were also with that Nazarene, Jesus."

⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And he moved away, outside into the forecourt.

⁶⁹And the maidservant who had seen him began again to say to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them."  ⁷⁰Again, he was denying it.

   And after a little while, again, those standing around were saying to Peter, "You surely are one of them, because you are also Galilean."

⁷¹Then he began to curse and to swear: "I do not know this man of whom you are speaking."  ⁷²And immediately a rooster crowed a second time.  And Peter remembered the statement as Jesus had said it to him: "Before a rooster crows two times, you will disown me three times."  And when he thought upon it, he wept.

Chapter 15

Jesus' Examination by Pilate

¹And as soon as it was early morning, the chief priests, having made a consultation with the elders and Torah scholars and the whole Sanhedrin, after first restraining Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

²And Pilate examined him: "Are you the king of the Jews?"

   And he in answer to him says, "You are the one saying that."

³And the chief priests were charging him with many things.  ⁴So Pilate again examined him, as follows: "You are not answering anything?  Look how many things they are charging you with!"

⁵But Jesus made no further answer, causing Pilate to be astonished.

⁶Now every Festival he would release for them one prisoner, whomever they would make plea for.  ⁷And there was one named Barabbas, bound with the rebels who had committed murder during the uprising.  ⁸And when the crowd came up, they began to ask that Pilate do for them just as he usually did.

⁹And Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you wish that I release to you the king of the Jews?"  ¹⁰For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.

¹¹But the chief priests had stirred up the crowd to ask that he release Barabbas to them instead.

¹²And Pilate when he answered again, said to them, "What then should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?"

¹³And they shouted back, "Crucify him."

¹⁴And Pilate said to them, "Why?  What crime has he committed?"

   But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him!"

¹⁵So Pilate, wanting to make the crowd contented, released Barabbas to them, and Jesus, after scourging him, he handed over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

¹⁶And the soldiers led him away, inside the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and they are calling together the whole cohort.  ¹⁷And they are draping on him a purple robe, and setting around him a crown of interweaving thorns.  ¹⁸And they began to salute him: "Hail, King of the Jews!"  ¹⁹And they were striking his head with a cane, and spitting on him.  And dropping their knees, they were doing homage to him.  ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his own garments on him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

   And they are leading him out to crucify him.  ²¹And a certain Simon passing by, a Cyrenian coming from the country, the father of Rufus, they conscript to carry his cross.  ²²And they bring him to the place Gulgolta, which when translated is "skull" place.  ²³And they were holding out to him wine mixed with myrrh.  He, however, did not take it.  ²⁴And they crucify him.  And they divide his garments, casting a lot for them, who would take what.

²⁵And it was 9:00 A.M. when they crucified him.  ²⁶And the notice of the charge against him was written above him: THE KING OF THE JEWS.  ²⁷And with him they crucify two bandits, one to the right and one to the left of him.  ²⁹And those passing by were defaming him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha, the one destroying the temple and building in three days!  ³⁰Save yourself by coming down from the cross."

³¹Likewise also the chief priests, making fun with one another along with the Torah scholars, were saying, "Others he saved.  Himself he cannot save.  ³²Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe."

   Even the ones crucified with him were shaming him.

The Death of Jesus

³³And when it was twelve o'clock noon, darkness came over the whole land, until 3:00 o'clock P.M.  ³⁴And at 3:00 P.M. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Elohi, Elohi, lema shevaqtani?"— which when translated is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

³⁵And some of the bystanders hearing were saying, "Behold, he is calling Elijah."  ³⁶And one ran, and after filling a sponge with sour wine, stuck it on a reed and was helping him to drink, saying, "Back off.  Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."

³⁷But Jesus expired, letting out a loud cry.

³⁸And the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom.  ³⁹And the centurion, standing across from and facing him, seeing the way that he died, said, "This man truly was the Son of God."

⁴⁰And there were also women watching from a distance, among whom were both Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses; and Salome, ⁴¹they who when he was in Galilee used to follow him and provide for him, plus many others who had come up to Jerusalem with him.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴²And evening had now come, and since it was Preparation Day, that is, before the Sabbath, ⁴³Joseph of Arimathea came, a respected council member, himself also looking forward to the kingdom of God, who, taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  ⁴⁴But Pilate doubted that he was already dead, and calling the centurion to him, asked him if he had already died.  ⁴⁵And knowing from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph.

⁴⁶And having bought linen, he took him down and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a tomb which was hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone up against the entrance of the tomb.  ⁴⁷And Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.

Chapter 16

The Empty Tomb

¹And when the Sabbath had passed, Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.  ²And very early on the first day of the week, they are coming upon the tomb, as the sun broke.  ³And they were saying to each other, "Who will roll away for us the stone from the entrance of the tomb?"  ⁴And when they look up, they behold: the stone has been rolled away!  For it was very large.  ⁵And entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe.  And they were greatly alarmed.

⁶But he says to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  Behold the place where they laid him.  ⁷But go tell his disciples and Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he told you."

⁸And going out, they fled from the tomb.  For trembling shock was holding them; and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

The Longer Ending of Mark:

   9    And having risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary the Magdalene, from whom he had expelled seven demons.

   10  She went and reported to the ones mourning and weeping, who had been with him.

   11  And they, hearing that he is living and was seen by her, disbelieved.

   12  And after these things he was manifested in a different form to two of them as they were walking along in the country.

   13  And those went and reported to the rest; neither did they believe those.

   14  And finally, once when they had reclined, he was manifested to the Eleven themselves, and he denounced their disbelief and hardness of heart, in that they had not believed the ones who had seen him risen.

   15  And he said to them, "After you have gone into all the world, proclaim the good news to the whole creation.

   16  The person who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the person who does not believe will be condemned.

   17  And these signs will accompany the ones who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new tongues,

   18  they will pick up serpents, and should they drink something deadly it would in no wise hurt them; they will lay their hands on sick ones, and they will have health again."

   19  And so the Lord after speaking to them was taken up to heaven, and sat at the right hand of God.

   20  And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord co-working and confirming the word by the signs accompanying.

To download the gospel of Mark with footnotes, click here.       You can order a printed edition of Mark with the Greek text and textual variant footnotes on Amazon here.  

This was a new translation from the Greek, by David Robert Palmer.  It is not copyrighted.  Feel free to cut and paste it, and quote it.  You can put this after your quotation: (DRP).   God bless you.

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