Mark 1

1The beginning of Jesus Christ's gospel.

2As it has been written in Isaiah the prophet: "See, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way."

3The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; straighten his paths."

4John arose baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

5And the whole region of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6John wore camel hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

7And he proclaimed, saying, "One mightier than I comes after me, whose sandals' strap I am not fit to bend down and untie."

8I baptized you with water, but he himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

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

10And immediately, coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

11And a voice came from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased."

12And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.

13He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild animals, and the angels served him.

14After John was handed over, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God.

15and saying, “The time has been fulfilled, and God's kingdom has drawn near—repent and believe in the gospel.”

16As he passed beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting nets into the sea—for they were fishermen.

17And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

18And immediately they left the nets and followed him.

19And going a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and John his brother in the boat mending the nets.

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

21And they entered Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he was teaching in the synagogue.

22And his teaching astonished them, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

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

24saying, "What is there between us and you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you, who you are, the Holy One of God."

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

26And tearing him and crying with a loud voice, the unclean spirit came out of him.

27And they were all astounded, so that they questioned one another, saying, "What is this? New teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

28And his fame spread immediately everywhere throughout the whole region surrounding Galilee.

29And immediately, coming out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.

30Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

31He approached her, took hold of her hand, and raised her. The fever left her, and she served them.

32That evening, when the sun had set, they brought all the sick to him along with those possessed by demons.

33And the whole city was gathered at the door.

34He healed many suffering from various diseases, drove out many demons, and did not allow the demons to speak because they knew him.

35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and went away to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

36And Simon and those with him pursued him.

37They found him and said to him, "All are seeking you."

38And he said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the neighboring villages, so that I may proclaim there also, for I came out for this.”

39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

40And a leper came to him, begging him and kneeling before him, saying, "If you want to, you can cleanse me."

41And indignant, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I will. Be clean."

42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

43And sternly warning him, he immediately cast him out.

44And he said to him, "See that you tell nobody anything, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

45But he went out and began to proclaim it widely and spread the word abroad, so that Jesus could no longer enter openly into a city, but was outside in desolate places, and they kept coming to him from every side.