Mark 1:16–39

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

¹⁶As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. ¹⁷And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” ¹⁸And immediately they left their nets and followed him.^{* 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. ²⁰Immediately 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

²¹They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.^{* 22}They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.^{* 23}Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴and 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.”^{* 25}But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!”^{* 26}And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷They 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.”^{* 28}At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House

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

³²That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons.^{* 33}And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴And 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.^*

A Preaching Tour in Galilee

³⁵In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.^{* 36}And Simon and his companions hunted for him. ³⁷When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” ³⁸He 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.”^{* 39}And he went throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.^*