Mark 1-3 (Amplified Bible)

Mark 1

 ¹THE BEGINNING [of the facts] of the good news (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, ^[a]the Son of God.

    ^2[b]Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will make ready Your way--^(A)

    ³A voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord, make His ^[c]beaten tracks straight (level and passable)!^(B)

    ⁴John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness (desert), preaching a baptism [^[d]obligating] repentance (^[e]a change of one's mind for the better, heartily amending one's ways, with abhorrence of his past sins) in order ^[f]to obtain forgiveness of and release from sins.

    ⁵And there kept going out to him [continuously] all the country of Judea and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^[g]as they were confessing their sins.

    ⁶And John wore clothing woven of camel's hair and had a leather girdle around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey.

    ⁷And he preached, saying, After me comes He Who is stronger (more powerful and more valiant) than I, the strap of Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to stoop down and unloose.

    ⁸I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

    ⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

    ¹⁰And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [^[h]to enter] ^[i]into Him.^(C)

    ¹¹And there came a voice ^[j]out from within heaven, You are My Beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.^(D)

    ¹²Immediately the [Holy] Spirit [from within] drove Him out into the wilderness (desert),

    ¹³And He stayed in the wilderness (desert) forty days, being tempted [all the while] by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him [continually].

    ¹⁴Now after John was arrested and put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God,

    ¹⁵And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (^[k]have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel).

    ¹⁶And passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon [Peter] and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net [to and fro] in the sea, for they were fishermen.

    ¹⁷And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and ^[l]be My disciples, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

    ¹⁸And at once they left their nets and [^[m]yielding up all claim to them] followed [with] Him [^[n]joining Him as disciples and siding with His party].

    ¹⁹He went on a little farther and saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were in [their] boat putting their nets in order.

    ²⁰And immediately He called out to them, and [^[o]abandoning all mutual claims] they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after Him [^[p]to be His disciples, side with His party, and follow Him].

    ²¹And they entered into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He went into the synagogue and began to teach.

    ²²And they were completely astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching as One Who possessed authority, and not as the scribes.

    ²³Just at that time there was in their synagogue a man [who was in the power] of an unclean spirit; and now [immediately] he raised a deep and terrible cry from the depths of his throat, saying,

    ²⁴What 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!

    ²⁵And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hush up (be muzzled, gagged), and come out of him!

    ²⁶And the unclean spirit, throwing the man into convulsions and ^[q]screeching with a loud voice, came out of him.

    ²⁷And they were all so amazed and ^[r]almost terrified that they kept questioning and demanding one of another, saying, What is this? What new (fresh) teaching! With authority He gives orders even to the unclean spirits and they obey Him!

    ²⁸And immediately rumors concerning Him spread [everywhere] throughout all the region surrounding Galilee.

    ²⁹And at once He left the synagogue and went into the house of Simon [Peter] and Andrew, accompanied by James and John.

    ³⁰Now Simon's mother-in-law ^[s]had for some time been lying sick with a fever, and at once they told Him about her.

    ³¹And He went up to her and took her by the hand and raised her up; and the fever left her, and she began to wait on them.

    ³²Now when it was evening, after the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those under the power of demons,

    ³³Until the whole town was gathered together about the door.

    ³⁴And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to talk because they knew Him [^[t]intuitively].

    ³⁵And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a ^[u]deserted place, and there He prayed.

    ³⁶And Simon [Peter] and those who were with him followed Him [^[v]pursuing Him eagerly and hunting Him out],

    ³⁷And they found Him and said to Him, Everybody is looking for You.

    ³⁸And He said to them, Let us be going on into the neighboring country towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.

    ³⁹[So] He went throughout the whole of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

    ⁴⁰And a leper came to Him, begging Him on his knees and saying to Him, If You are willing, You are able to make me clean.

    ⁴¹And being moved with pity and sympathy, Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be made clean!

    ⁴²And at once the leprosy [completely] left him and he was made clean [by being healed].

    ⁴³And Jesus charged him sternly (sharply and threateningly, and with earnest admonition) and [acting with deep feeling thrust him forth and] sent him away at once,

    ⁴⁴And said to him, See that you tell nothing [of this] to anyone; but begone, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your purification what Moses commanded, as a proof (an evidence and witness) to the people [that you are really healed].^(E)

    ⁴⁵But he went out and began to talk so freely about it and blaze abroad the news [spreading it everywhere] that [Jesus] could no longer openly go into a town but was outside in [lonely] desert places. But the people kept on coming to Him from ^[w]all sides and every quarter.

   

Mark 2

 ¹AND JESUS having returned to Capernaum, after some days it was rumored about that He was in the house [probably Peter's].

    ²And so many people gathered together there that there was no longer room [for them], not even around the door; and He was discussing the Word.

    ³Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men.

    ⁴And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had ^[x]scooped out an opening, they let down the [^[y]thickly padded] quilt or mat upon which the paralyzed man lay.

    ⁵And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven [you] and put away [that is, the ^[z]penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed, and you are made upright and in right standing with God].

    ⁶Now some of the scribes were sitting there, holding a dialogue with themselves as they questioned in their hearts,

    ⁷Why does this ^[aa]Man talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins [^[ab]remove guilt, remit the penalty, and bestow righteousness instead] except God alone?

    ⁸And at once Jesus, becoming fully aware in His spirit that they thus debated within themselves, said to them, Why do you argue (debate, reason) about all this in your hearts?

    ⁹Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven and ^[ac]put away, or to say, Rise, take up your sleeping pad or mat, and start walking about [and ^[ad]keep on walking]?

    ¹⁰But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins--He said to the paralyzed man,

    ¹¹I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and be going on home.

    ¹²And he arose at once and picked up the sleeping pad or mat and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and ^[ae] recognized and praised and thanked God, saying, We have never seen anything like this before!

    ¹³[Jesus] went out again along the seashore; and all the multitude kept gathering about Him, and He kept teaching them.

    ¹⁴And as He was passing by, He saw Levi (Matthew) son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, Follow Me! [Be ^[af]joined to Me as a disciple, side with My party!] And he arose and joined Him as His disciple and sided with His party and accompanied Him.

    ¹⁵And as Jesus, together with His disciples, sat at table in his [Levi's] house, many tax collectors and persons [^[ag]definitely stained] with sin were dining with Him, for there were many who walked the same road (followed) with Him.

    ¹⁶And the scribes [belonging to the party] of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with [those ^[ah]definitely known to be especially wicked] sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and [notorious] sinners?

    ¹⁷And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are strong and well have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners (the ^[ai]erring ones and ^[aj]all those not free from sin).

    ¹⁸Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were observing a fast; and [some people] came and asked Jesus, Why are John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not doing so?

    ¹⁹Jesus answered them, Can the wedding guests fast (abstain from food and drink) while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

    ²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they will fast in that day.

    ²¹No one sews a patch of unshrunken (new) goods on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and the rent (tear) becomes bigger and worse [than it was before].

    ²²And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the bottles destroyed; but new wine is to be put in new (fresh) wineskins.

    ²³One Sabbath He was going along beside the fields of standing grain, and as they made their way, His disciples began to ^[ak]pick off the grains.^(F)

    ²⁴And the Pharisees said to Him, Look! Why are they doing what is not permitted or lawful on the Sabbath?

    ²⁵And He said to them, Have you never [even] read what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were accompanying him?--

    ²⁶How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was the high priest, and ate the sacred loaves set forth [before God], which it is not permitted or lawful for any but the priests to eat, and [how he] also gave [them] to those who were with him? [I Sam. 21:1-6; II Sam. 8:17.]

    ²⁷And Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made on account and for the sake of man, not man for the Sabbath;^(G)

    ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

   

Mark 3

 ¹AGAIN JESUS went into a synagogue, and a man was there who had one withered hand [^[al]as the result of accident or disease].

    ²And [the Pharisees] kept watching Jesus [closely] to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they might get a charge to bring against Him [^[am]formally].

    ³And He said to the man who had the withered hand, Get up [and stand here] in the midst.

    ⁴And He said to them, Is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to take it? But they kept silence.

    ⁵And He glanced around at them with vexation and anger, grieved at the hardening of their hearts, and said to the man, Hold out your hand. He held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored.

    ⁶Then the Pharisees went out and immediately held a consultation with the Herodians against Him, how they might [devise some means to] put Him to death.

    ⁷And Jesus retired with His disciples to the lake, and a great throng from Galilee followed Him. Also from Judea

    ⁸And from Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon--a vast multitude, hearing all the many things that He was doing, came to Him.

    ⁹And He told His disciples to have a little boat in [constant] readiness for Him because of the crowd, lest they press hard upon Him and crush Him.

    ¹⁰For He had healed so many that all who had distressing bodily diseases kept falling upon Him and pressing upon Him in order that they might touch Him.

    ¹¹And the spirits, the unclean ones, ^[an]as often as they might see Him, fell down before Him and kept screaming out, You are the Son of God!

    ¹²And He charged them strictly and severely under penalty again and again that they should not make Him known.

    ¹³And He went up on the hillside and called to Him [^[ao]for Himself] those whom He wanted and chose, and they came to Him.

    ¹⁴And He appointed twelve to ^[ap]continue to be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach [as apostles or special messengers]

    ¹⁵And to have authority and power to heal the sick and to drive out demons:

    ¹⁶[They were] Simon, and He surnamed [him] Peter;

    ¹⁷James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, and He surnamed them Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder;

    ¹⁸And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew (Nathaniel), and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas, not Iscariot), and Simon the Cananaean [also called Zelotes],

    ¹⁹And Judas Iscariot, he who betrayed Him.

    ²⁰Then He went to a house [probably Peter's], but a throng came together again, so that Jesus and His disciples could not even take food.

    ²¹And when those ^[aq]who belonged to Him (^[ar]His kinsmen) heard it, they went out to take Him by force, for they kept saying, He is out of ^[as]His mind (beside Himself, deranged)!

    ²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He is possessed by Beelzebub, and, By [the help of] the prince of demons He is casting out demons.

    ²³And He summoned them to Him and said to them in parables (illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them), How can Satan drive out Satan?

    ²⁴And if a kingdom is divided and rebelling against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

    ²⁵And if a house is divided (split into factions and rebelling) against itself, that house will not be able to last.

    ²⁶And if Satan has raised an insurrection against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is [surely] coming to an end.

    ²⁷But no one can go into a strong man's house and ransack his household goods right and left and seize them as plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may [thoroughly] plunder his house.^(H)

    ²⁸Truly and solemnly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever abusive and blasphemous things they utter;

    ²⁹But whoever speaks abusively against or maliciously misrepresents the Holy Spirit can never get forgiveness, but is guilty of and is in the grasp of ^[at]an everlasting trespass.

    ³⁰For they ^[au]persisted in saying, ^[av]He has an unclean spirit.

    ³¹Then His mother and His brothers came and, standing outside, they sent word to Him, calling [for] Him.

    ³²And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters are outside asking for You.

    ³³And He replied, Who are My mother and My brothers?

    ³⁴And looking around on those who sat in a circle about Him, He said, See! Here are My mother and My brothers;

    ³⁵For whoever does the things God wills is My brother and sister and mother!