Mark 1

The Messiah’s Herald

1The beginning ^aof the gospel ^bof Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ^c2As it is written in Isaiah ^dthe prophet: ^ef

Look, I am sending My messenger ^gahead of You,

who will prepare Your way. ^h

³A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ⁱ

Prepare the way for the Lord; ^j

make His paths straight! ^kl

⁴John came baptizing ^mnin the wilderness ^oand preaching a baptism of repentance ^pqfor the forgiveness ^rof sins. ^s5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem ^twere flocking to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan ^uRiver as they confessed ^vtheir sins. ^w6John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts ^xand wild honey. ^y7He was preaching: “Someone more powerful ^zthan I will come after me. ^aI am not worthy ^bto stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals. ^c8I have baptized you with ^dwater, ^ebut He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” ^f

The Baptism of Jesus

⁹In ^gthose days Jesus came from Nazareth ^hin Galilee ⁱand was baptized in the Jordan by John. ¹⁰As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens ^jbeing torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove. ¹¹And a voice ^kcame from heaven: ^l

You are My beloved ^mSon; ⁿ

I take delight ^oin You! ^p

The Temptation of Jesus

¹²Immediately ^qthe Spirit ^rdrove ^sHim into the wilderness. ^t13He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted ^uby Satan. ^vHe was with the wild animals, ^wand the angels ^xbegan to serve Him.

Ministry in Galilee

¹⁴After ^yJohn was arrested, ^zJesus went to Galilee, ^apreaching ^bthe good news ^cdeof God: ^fg15“The time ^his fulfilled, and the kingdom of God ⁱhas come ^jnear. ^kRepent ^land believe ^min the good news!”

The First Disciples

¹⁶As ⁿHe was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, ^oHe saw Simon ^pand Andrew, ^qSimon’s brother. They were casting a net into the sea, ^rsince they were fishermen.

¹⁷“Follow Me,” ^sJesus told them, “and I will make you fish for ^tupeople!” ^v18Immediately they left their nets and followed ^wHim. ^x19Going on a little farther, He saw James ^ythe son of Zebedee ^zand his brother John. ^aThey were in their boat mending their nets. ²⁰Immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him. ^b

Driving Out an Unclean Spirit

²¹Then ^cthey went into Capernaum, ^dand right away He entered the synagogue ^eon the Sabbath ^fand began to teach. ^g22They were astonished ^hat His teaching ⁱbecause, unlike the scribes, ^jHe was teaching them as one having authority.

²³Just then a man with an unclean ^kspirit ^lwas in their synagogue. ^mHe cried out, ⁿ²⁴“What do You have to do with us, ^oJesus—Nazarene? ^pHave You come to destroy ^qus? I know who You are—the Holy ^rOne of God!” ^s

²⁵But Jesus rebuked ^thim and said, “Be quiet, ^uvand come out of him!” ²⁶And the unclean spirit convulsed him, ^wshouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.

²⁷Then they were all amazed, ^xso they began to argue ^ywith one another, saying, “What is this? A new teaching ^zwith authority! ^abHe commands even the unclean ^cspirits, ^dand they obey Him.” ²⁸News about Him then spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee. ^e

Healings at Capernaum

²⁹As ^fsoon as they left the synagogue, ^gthey went into Simon ^hand Andrew’s ⁱhouse ^jwith James ^kand John. ^l30Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. ³¹So He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. ^mThe fever ⁿleft her, ^oand she began to serve ^pthem. ^q

³²When ^revening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all those who were sick ^sand those who were demon-possessed. ^t33The whole town was assembled at the door, ³⁴and He healed ^umany who were sick with various diseases ^vand drove out ^wmany demons. ^xBut He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him. ^y

Preaching in Galilee

³⁵Very ^zearly in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. ^aAnd He was praying ^bthere. ³⁶Simon ^cand his companions went searching for Him. ³⁷They found Him and said, “Everyone’s looking for You!”

³⁸And He said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach ^dthere too. This is why I have come.” ³⁹So He went into all of Galilee, ^epreaching in their synagogues ^fand driving out demons.

A Man Cleansed

⁴⁰Then ^ga man with a serious skin disease ^hcame to Him and, on his knees, ^ijbegged Him: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” ^k

⁴¹Moved with compassion, ^lJesus reached out His hand and touched ^mhim. “I am willing,” He told him. “Be made clean.” ⁴²Immediately the disease ⁿleft him, and he was healed. ^o43Then He sternly warned ^phim and sent him away ^qat once, ⁴⁴telling him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; ^rbut go and show ^syourself to the priest, ^tand offer ^uwhat Moses prescribed for your cleansing, ^vas a testimony ^wto them.” ⁴⁵Yet he went out and began to proclaim ^xit widely and to spread the news, ^ywith the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But He was out in deserted places, and they would come to Him from everywhere.