Mark 1 (World English Bible)

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in the prophets, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, Who will prepare your way before you.

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

5 There went out to him all the country of Judea, and all those of Jerusalem. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

6 John was clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt around his loins. He ate locusts and wild honey.

7 He preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.

8 I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

9 It happened in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10 Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

11 A voice came out of the sky, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.

13 He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels ministered to him.

14 Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the gospel."

16 Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen.

17 Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men."

18 Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.

19 Going on a little further from there, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who also were in the boat mending the nets.

20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

21 They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught.

22 They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

23 Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,

24 saying, "Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God."

25 Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"

26 The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.

27 They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

28 The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

29 Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

30 Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

31 He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.

32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons.

33 All the city was gathered together at the door.

34 He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn't allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 Early in the night, he rose up and went out, and departed into a desert place, and there prayed.

36 Simon and those who were with him followed after him;

37 and they found him, and told him, "All are seeking you."

38 He said to them, "Let's go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for to this end I came forth."

39 He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

40 There came to him a leper, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."

41 Being moved with compassion, he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, and said to him, "I want to. Be made clean."

42 When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.

43 He strictly charged him, and immediately sent him out,

44 and said to him, "See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."

45 But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.

Mark 2

1 When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house.

2 Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.

3 Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him.

4 When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on.

5 Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

6 But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 "Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts?

9 Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say, 'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?'

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

11 "I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house."

12 He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

13 He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them.

14 As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the place of toll, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him.

15 It happened, that he was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him.

16 The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

17 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

18 John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

19 Jesus said to them, "Can the sons of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can't fast.

20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day.

21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.

22 No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins."

23 It happened that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.

24 The Pharisees said to him, "Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

25 He said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry -- he, and they who were with him?

26 How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the show bread, which it is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?"

27 He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

28 Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."