Mark 1
1
John Prepares the Way
(Matthew 3:1–12; Luke 3:1–18)
1This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2The prophet Isaiah wrote,
“I am sending my messenger ahead of you
to prepare the way for you.”
3“A voice cries out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord!
Make his paths straight!’ ”
4John the Baptizer was in the desert telling people about a baptism of repentance #1:4 “Repentance” is turning to God with a complete change in the way a person thinks and acts. for the forgiveness of sins. 5All Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
6John was dressed in clothes made from camel’s hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
7He announced, “The one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John Baptizes Jesus
(Matthew 3:13–17; Luke 3:21–22)
9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10As Jesus came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit coming down to him as a dove. 11A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”
Satan Tempts Jesus
(Matthew 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13)
12At once the Spirit brought him into the desert, 13where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. He was there with the wild animals, and the angels took care of him.
Calling of the First Disciples
(Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11)
14After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and told people the Good News of God. 15He said, “The time has come, and God’s kingdom is near. Change the way you think and act, and believe the Good News.”
16As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 17Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” 18They immediately left their nets and followed him.
19As Jesus went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets ⌞to go fishing⌟. 20He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Jesus.
Jesus Forces an Evil Spirit out of a Man
(Luke 4:31–37)
21Then they went to Capernaum. On the next day of rest—a holy day, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority.
23At that time there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. He shouted, 24“What do you want with us, Jesus from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25Jesus ordered the spirit, “Keep quiet, and come out of him!” 26The evil spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out of him with a loud shriek.
27Everyone was stunned. They said to each other, “What is this? This is a new teaching that has authority behind it! He gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him.”
28The news about him spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus Cures Simon’s Mother-in-Law and Many Others
(Matthew 8:14–18; Luke 4:38–41)
29After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew. James and John went with them. 30Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. The first thing they did was to tell Jesus about her. 31Jesus went to her, took her hand, and helped her get up. The fever went away, and she prepared a meal for them.
32In the evening, when the sun had set, people brought to him everyone who was sick and those possessed by demons. 33The whole city had gathered at his door. 34He cured many who were sick with various diseases and forced many demons out of people. However, he would not allow the demons to speak. After all, they knew who he was.
Spreading the Good News in Galilee
(Matthew 4:23–25; Luke 4:42–44)
35In the morning, long before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where he could be alone to pray. 36Simon and his friends searched for him. 37When they found him, they told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38Jesus said to them, “Let’s go somewhere else, to the small towns that are nearby. I have to spread ⌞the Good News⌟ in them also. This is why I have come.”
39So he went to spread ⌞the Good News⌟ in the synagogues all over Galilee, and he forced demons out of people.
Jesus Cures a Man with a Skin Disease
(Matthew 8:1–4; Luke 5:12–14)
40Then a man with a serious skin disease came to him. The man fell to his knees and begged Jesus, “If you’re willing, you can make me clean.” #1:40 “Clean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God.
41Jesus felt sorry for him, reached out, touched him, and said, “I’m willing. So be clean!”
42Immediately, his skin disease went away, and he was clean.
43Jesus sent him away at once and warned him, 44“Don’t tell anyone about this! Instead, show yourself to the priest. Then offer the sacrifices which Moses commanded as proof to people that you are clean.”
45When the man left, he began to talk freely. He spread his story so widely that Jesus could no longer enter any city openly. Instead, he stayed in places where he could be alone. But people still kept coming to him from everywhere.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Mark 1
1
John the Baptizer
1-3The good news of Jesus Christ—the Message!—begins here, following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
Watch closely: I’m sending my preacher ahead of you;
He’ll make the road smooth for you.
Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!
4-6John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.
7-8As he preached he said, “The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.”
9-11At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”
God’s Kingdom Is Here
12-13At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by Satan. Wild animals were his companions, and angels took care of him.
14-15After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: “Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.”
16-18Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.
19-20A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee’s sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets. Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed.
Confident Teaching
21-22Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching—so forthright, so confident—not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars.
23-24Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!”
25-26Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out.
27-28Everyone there was spellbound, buzzing with curiosity. “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and tells them to get lost!” News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee.
29-31Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew’s house, accompanied by James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.
32-34That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn’t let them say a word.
The Leper
35-37While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody’s looking for you.”
38-39Jesus said, “Let’s go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I’ve come.” He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons.
40A leper came to him, begging on his knees, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”
41-45Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy. Jesus dismissed him with strict orders: “Say nothing to anyone. Take the offering for cleansing that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest. This will validate your healing to the people.” But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he told everyone he met what had happened, spreading the news all over town. So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places, no longer able to move freely in and out of the city. But people found him, and came from all over.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.