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Mark 1-7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

1 The beginning of the good news[a] of Jesus Christ.[b](A)

2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,[c]

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,[d]
    who will prepare your way,(B)
3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight,’ ”(C)

4 so John the baptizer appeared[e] in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.(D) 5 And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.(E) 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.(F) 8 I have baptized you with[f] water, but he will baptize you with[g] the Holy Spirit.”(G)

The Baptism of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.(H) 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him.(I) 11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved;[h] with you I am well pleased.”(J)

The Testing of Jesus

12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news[i] of[j] God(K) 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;[k] repent, and believe in the good news.”[l](L)

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.(M) 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.(N) 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.(O) 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”(P) 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!”(Q) 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He[m] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”(R) 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House

29 As soon as they[n] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.(S) 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons.(T) 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons, and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.(U)

A Preaching Tour in Galilee

35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.(V) 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came out to do.”(W) 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.(X)

Jesus Cleanses a Man with a Skin Disease

40 A man with a skin disease came to him begging him, and kneeling[o] he said to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”(Y) 41 Moved with pity,[p] Jesus[q] stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I am willing. Be made clean!” 42 Immediately the skin disease left him, and he was made clean. 43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as a testimony to them.”(Z) 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the word, so that Jesus[r] could no longer go into a town openly but stayed out in the country, and people came to him from every quarter.(AA)

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2 When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door, and he was speaking the word to them.(AB) 3 Then some people[s] came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.(AC) 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(AD) 8 At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves, and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? 10 But 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, stand up, take your mat, and go to your home.” 12 And he stood up and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”(AE)

Jesus Calls Levi

13 Jesus[t] went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them.(AF) 14 As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.(AG)

15 And as he sat at dinner[u] in Levi’s[v] house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting[w] with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the scribes of[x] the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat[y] with tax collectors and sinners?”(AH) 17 When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”(AI)

The Question about Fasting

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and people[z] came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 Jesus said to them, “The wedding attendants cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.(AJ)

21 “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 Similarly, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins, but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”[aa]

Pronouncement about the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.(AK) 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food, 26 how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions?”(AL) 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath,(AM) 28 so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Man with a Withered Hand

3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand.(AN) 2 They were watching him to see whether he would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.(AO) 3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.(AP)

A Multitude at the Seaside

7 Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him;(AQ) 8 hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon.(AR) 9 He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him, 10 for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him.(AS) 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!”(AT) 12 But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.(AU)

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

13 He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him.(AV) 14 And he appointed twelve[ab] to be with him and to be sent out to preach 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 So he appointed the twelve:[ac] Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),(AW) 17 James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder), 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who handed him over.

Jesus and Beelzebul

20 Then he went home, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.(AX) 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”(AY) 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”(AZ) 23 And he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?(BA) 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.(BB)

28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter,(BC) 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The True Kindred of Jesus

31 Then his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.(BD) 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers[ad] are outside asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.(BE) 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:(BF) 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”(BG) 9 And he said, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”(BH)

The Purpose of the Parables

10 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret[ae] of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything comes in parables,(BI) 12 in order that

‘they may indeed look but not perceive,
    and may indeed hear but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’ ”(BJ)

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.(BK) 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.[af] 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the age and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

A Lamp under a Bushel Basket

21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket or under the bed and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.(BL) 23 If you have ears to hear, then hear!”(BM) 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and it will be added to you.(BN) 25 For to those who have, more will be given, and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”(BO)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground(BP) 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”(BQ)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?(BR) 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

The Use of Parables

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it;(BS) 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.(BT)

Jesus Stills a Storm

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.(BU) 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”(BV) 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals a Man Possessed by Demons

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.[ag] 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.(BW) 3 He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain, 4 for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces, and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him,(BX) 7 and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”(BY) 8 For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 Then Jesus[ah] asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding, 12 and the unclean spirits[ai] begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, stampeded down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea.

14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man possessed by demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion, and they became frightened.(BZ) 16 Those who had seen what had happened to the man possessed by demons and to the swine reported it. 17 Then they began to beg Jesus[aj] to leave their neighborhood.(CA) 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 But Jesus[ak] refused and said to him, “Go home to your own people, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.(CB)

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat[al] to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea.(CC) 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue, named Jairus, came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet(CD) 23 and pleaded with him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”(CE) 24 So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years.(CF) 26 She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and she was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his cloak, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her flow of blood stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my cloak?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing[am] what they said, Jesus said to the synagogue leader, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the synagogue leader’s house, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl stood up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this and told them to give her something to eat.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

6 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!(CG) 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary[an] and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense[ao] at him.(CH) 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown and among their own kin and in their own house.”(CI) 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.(CJ) 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

The Mission of the Twelve

Then he went about among the villages teaching.(CK) 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.(CL) 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.(CM) 13 They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.(CN)

The Death of John the Baptist

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’s[ap] name had become known. Some were[aq] saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”(CO) 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”(CP)

17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod[ar] had married her. 18 For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(CQ) 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed,[as] and yet he liked to listen to him.(CR) 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee.(CS) 22 When his daughter Herodias[at] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23 And he swore[au] to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”(CT) 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 The king was deeply grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s[av] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Feeding the Five Thousand

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.(CU) 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.(CV) 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.(CW) 35 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”(CX) 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”(CY) 39 Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.(CZ) 42 And all ate and were filled, 43 and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.(DA) 46 After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came toward them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by.(DB) 49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”(DC) 51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,(DD) 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.(DE)

Healing the Sick in Gennesaret

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat.(DF) 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.(DG)

The Tradition of the Elders

7 Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands,[aw] thus observing the tradition of the elders,(DH) 4 and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash,[ax] and there are also many other traditions that they observe: the washing of cups and pots and bronze kettles and beds.[ay])(DI) 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands?”(DJ) 6 He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;(DK)
7 in vain do they worship me,
    teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

8 “You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”(DL)

9 Then he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!(DM) 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’(DN) 11 But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban’ (that is, an offering to God[az]),(DO) 12 then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, 13 thus nullifying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.”

14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.”[ba]

17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “So, are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and goes out into the sewer?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21 For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre.[bb] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir,[bc] even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she went home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.(DP) 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.(DQ) 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”(DR) 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.(DS) 36 Then Jesus[bd] ordered them to tell no one, but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.(DT) 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Footnotes

  1. 1.1 Or gospel
  2. 1.1 Other ancient authorities add Son of God
  3. 1.2 Other ancient authorities read in the prophets
  4. 1.2 Gk before your face
  5. 1.4 Other ancient authorities read John was baptizing
  6. 1.8 Or in
  7. 1.8 Or in
  8. 1.11 Or my beloved Son
  9. 1.14 Or gospel
  10. 1.14 Other ancient authorities add of the kingdom of
  11. 1.15 Or is at hand
  12. 1.15 Or gospel
  13. 1.27 Or A new teaching! With authority he
  14. 1.29 Other ancient authorities read he
  15. 1.40 Other ancient authorities lack kneeling
  16. 1.41 Other ancient authorities read anger
  17. 1.41 Gk he
  18. 1.45 Gk he
  19. 2.3 Gk they
  20. 2.13 Gk He
  21. 2.15 Gk reclined
  22. 2.15 Gk his
  23. 2.15 Gk reclining
  24. 2.16 Other ancient authorities read and
  25. 2.16 Other ancient authorities add and drink
  26. 2.18 Gk they
  27. 2.22 Other ancient authorities lack but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins
  28. 3.14 Other ancient authorities add whom he also named apostles
  29. 3.16 Other ancient authorities lack So he appointed the twelve
  30. 3.32 Other ancient authorities add and sisters
  31. 4.11 Or mystery
  32. 4.17 Or stumble
  33. 5.1 Other ancient authorities read Gergesenes or Gadarenes
  34. 5.9 Gk he
  35. 5.12 Gk they
  36. 5.17 Gk him
  37. 5.19 Gk he
  38. 5.21 Other ancient authorities lack in the boat
  39. 5.36 Or ignoring; other ancient authorities read hearing
  40. 6.3 Other ancient authorities read son of the carpenter and of Mary
  41. 6.3 Or stumbled
  42. 6.14 Gk his
  43. 6.14 Other ancient authorities read He was
  44. 6.17 Gk he
  45. 6.20 Other ancient authorities read he did many things
  46. 6.22 Other ancient authorities read the daughter of Herodias herself
  47. 6.23 Other ancient authorities add solemnly
  48. 6.27 Gk his
  49. 7.3 Meaning of Gk uncertain
  50. 7.4 Other ancient authorities read and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they purify themselves
  51. 7.4 Other ancient authorities lack and beds
  52. 7.11 Gk lacks to God
  53. 7.15 Other ancient authorities add 7.16: “If you have ears to hear, then hear”
  54. 7.24 Other ancient authorities add and Sidon
  55. 7.28 Or Lord; other ancient authorities prefix Yes
  56. 7.36 Gk he
Listen to Mark 1-7
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Mark 1-7
New International Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b](B) 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”[c](C)—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[d](D)

4 And so John the Baptist(E) appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance(F) for the forgiveness of sins.(G) 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist,(H) and he ate locusts(I) and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.(J) 8 I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with[f] the Holy Spirit.”(K)

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus(L)(M)

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth(N) in Galilee and was baptized by John(O) in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.(P) 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,(Q) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”(R)

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days,(S) being tempted[g] by Satan.(T) He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Announces the Good News(U)

14 After John(V) was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,(W) proclaiming the good news of God.(X) 15 “The time has come,”(Y) he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe(Z) the good news!”(AA)

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.(AB)

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit(AC)

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.(AD) 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.(AE) 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us,(AF) Jesus of Nazareth?(AG) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”(AH)

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”(AI) 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.(AJ)

27 The people were all so amazed(AK) that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region(AL) of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many(AM)(AN)

29 As soon as they left the synagogue,(AO) they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.(AP) The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.(AQ) 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.(AR) He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.(AS)

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place(AT)

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.(AU) 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”(AV) 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues(AW) and driving out demons.(AX)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy(AY)

40 A man with leprosy[h] came to him and begged him on his knees,(AZ) “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41 Jesus was indignant.[i] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone.(BA) But go, show yourself to the priest(BB) and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing,(BC) as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.(BD) Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.(BE)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man(BF)

2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers(BG) that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man,(BH) carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”(BI)

6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(BJ)

8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man(BK) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God,(BL) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”(BM)

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners(BN)

13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him,(BO) and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”(BP) Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees(BQ) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(BR)

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(BS)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(BT)

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.(BU) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them,(BV) and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(BW)(BX)

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.(BY) 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”(BZ)

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest,(CA) he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.(CB) And he also gave some to his companions.”(CC)

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man,(CD) not man for the Sabbath.(CE) 28 So the Son of Man(CF) is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue,(CG) and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely(CH) to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.(CI) 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians(CJ) how they might kill Jesus.(CK)

Crowds Follow Jesus(CL)

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.(CM) 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.(CN) 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many,(CO) so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.(CP) 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”(CQ) 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.(CR)

Jesus Appoints the Twelve(CS)

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.(CT) 14 He appointed twelve[j](CU) that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.(CV) 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),(CW) 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law(CX)(CY)

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered,(CZ) so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.(DA) 21 When his family[k] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”(DB)

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem(DC) said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!(DD) By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”(DE)

23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables:(DF) “How can Satan(DG) drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.(DH) 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”(DI)

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived.(DJ) Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower(DK)(DL)

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.(DM) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables,(DN) and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(DO) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(DP)

9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(DQ)

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(DR) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(DS) everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
    and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[l]”(DT)

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(DU) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(DV) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(DW) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

A Lamp on a Stand

21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?(DX) 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.(DY) 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”(DZ)

24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.(EA) 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”(EB)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.(EC) A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”(ED)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed(EE)

30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,(EF) or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.(EG) 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable.(EH) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm(EI)

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(EJ) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(EK)

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man(EL)(EM)

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[m] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat,(EN) a man with an impure spirit(EO) came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,(EP) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?(EQ) In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,”(ER) he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion(ES) of demons,(ET) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them(EU) how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[n](EV) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman(EW)

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,(EX) a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.(EY) 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders,(EZ) named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on(FA) her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding(FB) for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,(FC) I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.(FD)

30 At once Jesus realized that power(FE) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.(FF) Go in peace(FG) and be freed from your suffering.”

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.(FH) “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

36 Overhearing[o] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.(FI) 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader,(FJ) Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”(FK) 40 But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand(FL) and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).(FM) 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,(FN) and told them to give her something to eat.

A Prophet Without Honor(FO)

6 Jesus left there and went to his hometown,(FP) accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came,(FQ) he began to teach in the synagogue,(FR) and many who heard him were amazed.(FS)

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,[p] Judas and Simon?(FT) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.(FU)

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”(FV) 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on(FW) a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(FX)

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.(FY) 7 Calling the Twelve to him,(FZ) he began to send them out two by two(GA) and gave them authority over impure spirits.(GB)

8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet(GC) as a testimony against them.”

12 They went out and preached that people should repent.(GD) 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil(GE) and healed them.

John the Baptist Beheaded(GF)(GG)

14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[q] “John the Baptist(GH) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”(GI)

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,(GJ) like one of the prophets of long ago.”(GK)

16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.(GL) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(GM) 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.(GN) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[r]; yet he liked to listen to him.

21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet(GO) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.(GP) 22 When the daughter of[s] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”(GQ)

24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand(GR)(GS)

30 The apostles(GT) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.(GU) 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,(GV) he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat(GW) to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.(GX) So he began teaching them many things.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”(GY)

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[t]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”(GZ)

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.(HA) Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Jesus Walks on the Water(HB)(HC)

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat(HD) and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,(HE) while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.(HF)

47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.(HG) They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(HH) 51 Then he climbed into the boat(HI) with them, and the wind died down.(HJ) They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.(HK)

53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.(HL) 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak,(HM) and all who touched it were healed.

That Which Defiles(HN)

7 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled,(HO) that is, unwashed.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One.
  2. Mark 1:1 Some manuscripts do not have the Son of God.
  3. Mark 1:2 Mal. 3:1
  4. Mark 1:3 Isaiah 40:3
  5. Mark 1:8 Or in
  6. Mark 1:8 Or in
  7. Mark 1:13 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
  8. Mark 1:40 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  9. Mark 1:41 Many manuscripts Jesus was filled with compassion
  10. Mark 3:14 Some manuscripts twelve—designating them apostles—
  11. Mark 3:21 Or his associates
  12. Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10
  13. Mark 5:1 Some manuscripts Gadarenes; other manuscripts Gergesenes
  14. Mark 5:20 That is, the Ten Cities
  15. Mark 5:36 Or Ignoring
  16. Mark 6:3 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph
  17. Mark 6:14 Some early manuscripts He was saying
  18. Mark 6:20 Some early manuscripts he did many things
  19. Mark 6:22 Some early manuscripts When his daughter
  20. Mark 6:37 Greek take two hundred denarii
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