Mark 1-7
New American Standard Bible
Preaching of John the Baptist
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, (A)the Son of God,
2 (B)just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“(C)Behold, I am sending My messenger [a]before You,
Who will prepare Your way;
3 (D)The voice of one calling [b]out in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’”
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, [c](E)preaching a baptism of repentance for the (F)forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore (G)a leather belt around his waist, and [d]his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was [e]preaching, saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to bend down and untie the straps of His sandals. 8 I baptized you [f]with water; but He will baptize you [g]with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
9 (H)In those days Jesus (I)came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens [h]opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came from the heavens: “(J)You are My beloved Son; in You I [i]am well pleased.”
12 (K)And immediately the Spirit *brought Him out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by (L)Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
14 (M)Now after John was [j]taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, [k](N)preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “(O)The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God [l]is at hand; (P)repent and [m]believe in the gospel.”
16 (Q)As He was going along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.” 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 And going on a little farther, He saw [n]James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, [o]who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and went away [p]to follow Him.
21 (R)They *went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus (S)entered the synagogue and began to teach. 22 And (T)they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, “(U)What [q]business do you have with us, Jesus [r]of (V)Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are: (W)the Holy One of God!” 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 After throwing him into convulsions and crying out with a loud voice, the unclean spirit came out of him. 27 And they were all (X)amazed, so they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Crowds Healed
29 (Y)And immediately after they left (Z)the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with [s]James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and they immediately *spoke to [t]Jesus about her. 31 And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she served them.
32 Now (AA)when evening came, (AB)after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were (AC)demon-possessed. 33 And the whole (AD)city had gathered at the door. 34 And He (AE)healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew [u]who He was.
35 (AF)And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and (AG)prayed there for a time. 36 Simon and his companions eagerly searched for Him; 37 and they found Him and *said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 He *said to them, “Let’s go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may also [v]preach there; for this is why I came.” 39 (AH)And He went into their synagogues [w]preaching throughout Galilee, and casting out the demons.
40 (AI)And a man with [x]leprosy *came to [y]Jesus, imploring Him and (AJ)kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44 and He *said to him, “(AK)See that you say nothing to anyone; but (AL)go, show yourself to the priest and (AM)offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to (AN)proclaim it [z]freely and to (AO)spread the news around, to such an extent that [aa]Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but [ab]stayed out in unpopulated areas; and (AP)they were coming to Him from everywhere.
The Paralyzed Man Healed
2 When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And (AQ)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 (AR)And some people *came, bringing to Him a man who was (AS)paralyzed, carried by four men. 4 And when they were unable to [ac]get to Him because of the crowd, they (AT)removed the roof [ad]above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the (AU)paralyzed man was lying. 5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, (AV)your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! (AW)Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware [ae]in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the (AX)paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and (AY)were glorifying God, saying, “(AZ)We have never seen anything like this!”
13 And He went out again by the seashore; and (BA)all the [af]people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.
Levi (Matthew) Called
14 (BB)As He passed by, He saw [ag](BC)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, “(BD)Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
15 And it *happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [ah]sinners were [ai]dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When (BE)the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the [aj]sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “(BF)Why is He eating with tax collectors and [ak]sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “(BG)It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
18 (BH)John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “While the groom is with them, [al]the attendants of the groom cannot fast, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the (BI)days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast, on that day.
21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, [am]the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
Question of the Sabbath
23 (BJ)And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while (BK)picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, (BL)why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the [an]time of (BM)Abiathar the high priest, and ate the [ao]consecrated bread, which (BN)is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, “(BO)The Sabbath [ap]was made [aq]for man, and (BP)not man [ar]for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
3 (BQ)He (BR)entered a synagogue again; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 And (BS)they were watching Him [as]closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, (BT)so that they might accuse Him. 3 He *said to the man with the withered hand, “[at]Get up and come forward!” 4 And He *said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 After (BU)looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began [au]conspiring with the (BV)Herodians against Him, as to how they might put Him to death.
7 (BW)Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and (BX)a large multitude from Galilee followed, and also from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from (BY)Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of (BZ)Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard about everything that He was doing and came to Him. 9 (CA)And He told His disciples to see that a boat would be ready for Him because of the [av]masses, so that they would not crowd Him; 10 for He had (CB)healed many, with the result that all those who had (CC)diseases pushed in around Him in order to (CD)touch Him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are (CE)the Son of God!” 12 And He (CF)strongly warned them not to [aw]reveal who He was.
The Twelve Are Chosen
13 And He *went up on (CG)the mountain and *(CH)summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16 And He appointed the twelve: (CI)Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17 [ax]James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of [ay]James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); 18 and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, [az]James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the [ba]Zealot; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
20 And He *came [bb](CJ)home, and the (CK)crowd *gathered again, (CL)to such an extent that they could not even eat [bc]a meal. 21 And when (CM)His own [bd]people heard about this, they came out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “(CN)He has lost His senses.” 22 The scribes who came down (CO)from Jerusalem were saying, “He [be]is possessed by [bf](CP)Beelzebul,” and “(CQ)He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 (CR)And so He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in (CS)parables: “How can (CT)Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if (CU)Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but [bg]he is finished! 27 (CV)But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.
28 “(CW)Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons and daughters of men, and whatever blasphemies they commit; 29 but (CX)whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31 (CY)Then His mother and His brothers *came, and while standing outside they sent word to Him, calling for Him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” 33 Answering them, He *said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 And looking around at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, “(CZ)Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever (DA)does the will of God, this is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Parable of the Sower and Soils
4 Again (DB)He began to teach (DC)by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that (DD)He got into a boat on the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in (DE)parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.” 9 And He was saying, “(DF)He who has ears to hear, [bh]let him hear.”
10 As soon as He was alone, [bi]His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for (DG)those who are outside, everything comes (DH)in parables, 12 so that (DI)while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”
Explanation of the Parable
13 (DJ)And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately (DK)Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they [bj]fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of (DL)the [bk]world, and the (DM)deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it [bl]becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and (DN)bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.”
21 And He was saying to them, “(DO)A lamp is not brought to be put under a [bm]basket, or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22 (DP)For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23 (DQ)If anyone has ears to hear, [bn]let him hear.” 24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. [bo](DR)By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 (DS)For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Parable of the Seed
26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up daily, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the stalk, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 Now when the crop permits, he immediately [bp](DT)puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 (DU)And He was saying, “How shall we [bq](DV)picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is the smallest of all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants, and forms large branches, with the result that (DW)the birds of the sky can nest under its shade.”
33 And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to [br]understand it; 34 and He did not speak to them (DX)without a parable; but He was (DY)explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Jesus Stills the Sea
35 (DZ)On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36 After dismissing the crowd, they *took Him along with them (EA)in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And a fierce gale of wind *developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water. 38 And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and (EB)rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [bs]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you [bt]afraid? (EC)Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
The Demon-possessed Man Cured
5 (ED)They came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of (EE)the boat, immediately a man from the tombs (EF)with an unclean spirit met Him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and cutting himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “[bu](EG)What business do You have with me, Jesus, (EH)Son of (EI)the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had already been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is (EJ)Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region. 11 Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding [bv]nearby on the mountain. 12 And the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And then they *came to Jesus and *saw the man who had been (EK)demon-possessed sitting down, (EL)clothed and (EM)in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the “(EN)legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the (EO)demon-possessed man, and all about the pigs. 17 And they began to (EP)beg Him to leave their region. 18 (EQ)And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been (ER)demon-possessed was begging Him that he might [bw]accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “(ES)Go home to your people and report to them [bx]what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to (ET)proclaim in (EU)Decapolis [by]what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Miracles and Healing
21 (EV)When Jesus had crossed over again in (EW)the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and He [bz]stayed (EX)by the seashore. 22 (EY)And one of (EZ)the synagogue [ca]officials, named Jairus, *came, and upon seeing Him, *fell at His feet 23 and *pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and (FA)lay Your hands on her, so that she will [cb]get well and live.” 24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.
25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but instead had become worse— 27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His [cc]cloak. 28 For she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch His garments, I will [cd]get well.” 29 And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her (FB)disease. 30 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that (FC)power from Him had gone out, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, (FD)your faith has [ce]made you well; (FE)go in peace and be cured of your (FF)disease.”
35 While He was still speaking, people *came from the house of the (FG)synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further?” 36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the (FH)synagogue official, “(FI)Do not be afraid, only [cf]believe.” 37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him except (FJ)Peter, [cg]James, and John the brother of [ch]James. 38 They *came to the house of the (FK)synagogue official, and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 39 And after entering, He *said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is asleep.” 40 And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all outside, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was in bed. 41 And taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha, kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, (FL)I say to you, get up!”). 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astonished. 43 And He (FM)gave them strict orders that no one was to know about this, and He told them to have something given her to eat.
Teaching at Nazareth
6 (FN)Jesus went out from there and *came into [ci](FO)His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath came, He began (FP)to teach in the synagogue; and [cj]the (FQ)many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man learn these things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and such [ck]miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 Is this not (FR)the carpenter, (FS)the son of Mary and brother of [cl]James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are (FT)His sisters not here with us?” And they took (FU)offense at Him. 4 Jesus said to them, “(FV)A prophet is not dishonored except in [cm](FW)his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.” 5 And He could not do any [cn]miracle there except that He (FX)laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief.
(FY)And He was going around the villages, teaching.
The Twelve Sent Out
7 (FZ)And (GA)He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out (GB)in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8 (GC)and He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no [co]bag, no money in their belt— 9 but [cp]to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not wear two [cq]tunics.” 10 And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you [cr]leave town. 11 Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, (GD)shake the dust [cs]off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 (GE)And they went out and [ct]preached that people are to repent. 13 And they were casting out many demons and (GF)were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
John’s Fate Recalled
14 (GG)And King Herod heard about it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “(GH)John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15 But others were saying, “He is (GI)Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is (GJ)a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard about it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”
17 For Herod himself had sent men and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of (GK)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “(GL)It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And (GM)Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death, and could not do so; 20 for (GN)Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he had been protecting him. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; and yet he [cu]used to enjoy listening to him. 21 An opportune day came when Herod, on his birthday, (GO)held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders, and the leading people (GP)of Galilee; 22 and when the daughter of (GQ)Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and [cv]his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, up to (GR)half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And although the king was very sorry, because of his oaths and [cw]his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about this, they came and carried away his body, and laid it in a tomb.
30 (GS)The (GT)apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and (GU)they did not even have time to eat.) 32 (GV)And they went away in (GW)the boat to a secluded place by themselves.
Five Thousand Men Fed
33 The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus went [cx]ashore, He (GX)saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because (GY)they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. 35 And when it was already late, His disciples came up to Him and said, “[cy]This place is secluded and it is already late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves [cz]something to eat.” 37 But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” (GZ)And they *said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred [da](HA)denarii on bread, and give it to them to eat?” 38 But He *said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they *said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 And He ordered them all to recline by groups on the green grass. 40 They reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He (HB)blessed the food and broke the loaves and He gave them to the disciples again and again to set before them; and He divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied; 43 and they picked up twelve full (HC)baskets of the broken pieces of bread, and of the fish. 44 There were (HD)five thousand [db]men who ate the loaves.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45 (HE)And immediately Jesus had His disciples get into (HF)the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to (HG)Bethsaida, while He Himself *dismissed the crowd. 46 And after (HH)saying goodbye to them, He left (HI)for the mountain to pray.
47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 Seeing them [dc]straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the [dd](HJ)fourth watch of the night, He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were [de]terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, “(HK)Take courage; it is I, (HL)do not be afraid.” 51 Then He got into (HM)the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for (HN)they [df]had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but [dg]their hearts (HO)were hardened.
Healing at Gennesaret
53 (HP)When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored at the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that entire country and began carrying here and there on their pallets those who were sick, [dh]to wherever they heard He was. 56 And wherever He entered villages, or cities, or a countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces and imploring Him that they might just (HQ)touch (HR)the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were being [di]healed.
Followers of Tradition
7 (HS)The Pharisees and some of the scribes *gathered to Him after they came (HT)from Jerusalem, 2 and saw that some of His disciples were eating their bread with [dj](HU)unholy hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the other Jews do not eat unless they [dk]carefully wash their hands, thereby holding firmly to the (HV)tradition of the elders; 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they [dl]completely cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received as traditions to firmly hold, such as the [dm]washing of (HW)cups, pitchers, and copper pots.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk in accordance with the (HX)tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with (HY)[dn]unholy hands?” 6 But He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘(HZ)This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
7 (IA)And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the (IB)tradition of men.”
9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your (IC)tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘(ID)Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘(IE)The one who speaks evil of father or mother, is [do]certainly to be put to death’; 11 but you say, ‘If a person says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is (IF)Corban (that is, [dp]given to God),’ 12 you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13 thereby invalidating the word of God by your (IG)tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”
The Heart of Man
14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person[dq].”
17 And when He later entered a house, away from the crowd, (IH)His disciples asked Him about the parable. 18 And He *said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and [dr]is eliminated?” (Thereby He declared (II)all foods (IJ)clean.) 20 And He was saying, “(IK)That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. 21 For from within, out of the [ds]hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, 22 deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, [dt](IL)envy, slander, [du]pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile the person.”
The Syrophoenician Woman
24 (IM)Now Jesus got up and went from there to the region of (IN)Tyre[dv]. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know about it; and yet He could not escape notice. 25 But after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a [dw]Gentile, of Syrophoenician descent. And she repeatedly asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not [dx]good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the [dy]dogs.” 28 But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29 And He said to her, “Because of this [dz]answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And after going back to her home, she found the child [ea]lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31 (IO)Again He left the region of (IP)Tyre and came through Sidon to (IQ)the Sea of Galilee, within the region of (IR)Decapolis. 32 And they *brought to Him one who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they *begged Him to (IS)lay His hand on him. 33 And Jesus (IT)took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers in his ears, and after (IU)spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 34 and looking up to heaven with a deep (IV)sigh, He *said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” 35 And his ears were opened, and the [eb]impediment of his tongue was [ec]removed, and he began speaking plainly. 36 And (IW)He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they (IX)continued to proclaim it. 37 And they were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.”
Footnotes
- Mark 1:2 Lit before your face
- Mark 1:3 Or out, Prepare in the wilderness the way
- Mark 1:4 Or proclaiming
- Mark 1:6 Lit was eating
- Mark 1:7 Or proclaiming
- Mark 1:8 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by
- Mark 1:8 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by
- Mark 1:10 Or being parted
- Mark 1:11 Or delight
- Mark 1:14 Lit handed over
- Mark 1:14 Or proclaiming
- Mark 1:15 Lit has come near
- Mark 1:15 Or put your trust in
- Mark 1:19 Or Jacob
- Mark 1:19 Lit also them in
- Mark 1:20 Lit after Him
- Mark 1:24 Lit What to us and to You (an ancient idiom)
- Mark 1:24 Or the Nazarene
- Mark 1:29 Or Jacob
- Mark 1:30 Lit Him
- Mark 1:34 Lit Him
- Mark 1:38 Or proclaim
- Mark 1:39 Or proclaiming
- Mark 1:40 I.e., leprosy or a serious, unspecified disease, and so throughout the ch; see Lev 13
- Mark 1:40 Lit Him
- Mark 1:45 Lit much
- Mark 1:45 Lit He
- Mark 1:45 Lit was
- Mark 2:4 Lit bring to
- Mark 2:4 Lit where He was
- Mark 2:8 Lit by
- Mark 2:13 Lit crowd
- Mark 2:14 Also called Matthew
- Mark 2:15 I.e., irreligious Jews
- Mark 2:15 Lit reclining with
- Mark 2:16 I.e., irreligious Jews
- Mark 2:16 I.e., irreligious Jews
- Mark 2:19 Lit sons of the bridal chamber
- Mark 2:21 Lit that which fills up
- Mark 2:26 Or passage about
- Mark 2:26 Lit loaves of presentation
- Mark 2:27 Or came into being
- Mark 2:27 Lit because of; or for the sake of
- Mark 2:27 Lit because of; or for the sake of
- Mark 3:2 Or maliciously
- Mark 3:3 Lit Arise into the midst
- Mark 3:6 Lit giving counsel
- Mark 3:9 Lit crowd
- Mark 3:12 Lit make Him known
- Mark 3:17 Or Jacob
- Mark 3:17 Or Jacob
- Mark 3:18 Or Jacob
- Mark 3:18 Or Cananaean
- Mark 3:20 Lit into a house
- Mark 3:20 Lit bread
- Mark 3:21 Or family
- Mark 3:22 Lit has Beelzebul
- Mark 3:22 One early ms Beezebul; some early ancient versions Beelzebub
- Mark 3:26 Lit he has an end
- Mark 4:9 Or hear! or listen!
- Mark 4:10 Lit those about Him
- Mark 4:17 I.e., from the faith
- Mark 4:19 Or age
- Mark 4:19 Or proves to be unfruitful
- Mark 4:21 Lit peck-measure
- Mark 4:23 Or hear! or listen!
- Mark 4:24 Lit By what measure you measure
- Mark 4:29 Lit sends forth
- Mark 4:30 Lit compare
- Mark 4:33 Lit hear
- Mark 4:39 Lit a great calm occurred
- Mark 4:40 Lit cowardly
- Mark 5:7 Lit What to me and to you (an ancient idiom)
- Mark 5:11 Lit there
- Mark 5:18 Lit be with Him
- Mark 5:19 Or everything that
- Mark 5:20 Or everything that
- Mark 5:21 Lit was by the sea
- Mark 5:22 Or rulers
- Mark 5:23 Lit be saved
- Mark 5:27 Or outer garment
- Mark 5:28 Lit be saved
- Mark 5:34 Lit saved you
- Mark 5:36 Or keep on believing
- Mark 5:37 Or Jacob
- Mark 5:37 Or Jacob
- Mark 6:1 Or His own part of the country
- Mark 6:2 One early ms many listeners
- Mark 6:2 Or works of power
- Mark 6:3 Or Jacob
- Mark 6:4 Or his own part of the country
- Mark 6:5 Or work of power
- Mark 6:8 Or knapsack; or beggar’s bag
- Mark 6:9 Lit having tied on
- Mark 6:9 A long shirt worn next to the skin
- Mark 6:10 Lit go out from there
- Mark 6:11 Lit under your feet
- Mark 6:12 Or proclaimed as heralds
- Mark 6:20 Lit was hearing him gladly
- Mark 6:22 Lit those who reclined at the table with him
- Mark 6:26 Lit those reclining at the table
- Mark 6:34 Lit out
- Mark 6:35 Lit The
- Mark 6:36 Lit what they may eat
- Mark 6:37 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Mark 6:44 I.e., 5,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 14:21
- Mark 6:48 Lit tormented in rowing
- Mark 6:48 I.e., 3-6 a.m.
- Mark 6:50 Or troubled
- Mark 6:52 Lit had not understood on the basis of
- Mark 6:52 Lit heart was hardened; or their mind was closed, made dull; or insensible
- Mark 6:55 Lit where they were hearing that He
- Mark 6:56 Lit saved
- Mark 7:2 Lit common; i.e., ritually unclean
- Mark 7:3 Lit with a fist (following a prescribed ritual)
- Mark 7:4 Lit baptize; i.e., immerse; two early mss purify
- Mark 7:4 Lit baptisms
- Mark 7:5 Lit common; i.e., ritually unclean
- Mark 7:10 Lit to die with death
- Mark 7:11 Lit a gift; i.e., an offering
- Mark 7:15 Late mss add, as v 16: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.
- Mark 7:19 Lit goes out into the latrine
- Mark 7:21 heart
- Mark 7:22 Lit an evil eye
- Mark 7:22 Or arrogance
- Mark 7:24 Two early mss add and Sidon
- Mark 7:26 Lit Greek
- Mark 7:27 Or proper
- Mark 7:27 I.e., pet dogs
- Mark 7:29 Lit word
- Mark 7:30 Lit thrown
- Mark 7:35 Lit bond
- Mark 7:35 Lit undone
Mark 1-7
New King James Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)
1 The (B)beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, (C)the Son of God. 2 As it is written in [a]the Prophets:
(D)“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The(E) voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 (F)John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance [b]for the remission of sins. 5 (G)Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was (H)clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, (I)“There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 (J)I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you (K)with the Holy Spirit.”
John Baptizes Jesus(L)
9 (M)It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 (N)And immediately, coming up [c]from the water, He saw the heavens [d]parting and the Spirit (O)descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, (P)“You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Satan Tempts Jesus(Q)
12 (R)Immediately the Spirit [e]drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; (S)and the angels ministered to Him.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry(T)
14 (U)Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, (V)preaching the gospel [f]of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, (W)“The time is fulfilled, and (X)the kingdom of God [g]is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples(Y)
16 (Z)And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become (AA)fishers of men.” 18 (AB)They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit(AC)
21 (AD)Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the (AE)synagogue and taught. 22 (AF)And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an (AG)unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! (AH)What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I (AI)know who You are—the (AJ)Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus (AK)rebuked him, saying, [h]“Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit (AL)had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, [i]“What is this? What new [j]doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His (AM)fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed(AN)
29 (AO)Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset(AP)
32 (AQ)At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and (AR)cast out many demons; and He (AS)did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
Preaching in Galilee(AT)
35 Now (AU)in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a [k]solitary place; and there He (AV)prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, (AW)“Everyone (AX)is looking for You.”
38 But He said to them, (AY)“Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because (AZ)for this purpose I have come forth.”
39 (BA)And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and (BB)casting out demons.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper(BC)
40 (BD)Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
41 Then Jesus, moved with (BE)compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, (BF)immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things (BG)which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
45 (BH)However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; (BI)and they came to Him from every direction.
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic(BJ)
2 And again (BK)He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 [l]Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a (BL)paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? (BM)Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 (BN)Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has [m]power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and (BO)glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Matthew the Tax Collector(BP)
13 (BQ)Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 (BR)As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, (BS)“Follow Me.” So he arose and (BT)followed Him.
15 (BU)Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes [n]and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, (BV)“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, [o]to repentance.”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting(BW)
18 (BX)The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the [p]friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be (BY)taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(BZ)
23 (CA)Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began (CB)to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is (CC)not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 But He said to them, “Have you never read (CD)what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, (CE)which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”
27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the (CF)Sabbath. 28 Therefore (CG)the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Healing on the Sabbath(CH)
3 And (CI)He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they (CJ)watched Him closely, whether He would (CK)heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might [q]accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, [r]“Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the (CL)hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored [s]as whole as the other. 6 (CM)Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with (CN)the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
A Great Multitude Follows Jesus(CO)
7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, (CP)and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how (CQ)many things He was doing, came to Him. 9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10 For He healed (CR)many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to (CS)touch Him. 11 (CT)And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, (CU)“You are the Son of God.” 12 But (CV)He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.
The Twelve Apostles(CW)
13 (CX)And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, [t]that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have [u]power [v]to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 [w]Simon, (CY)to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
A House Divided Cannot Stand(CZ)
20 Then the multitude came together again, (DA)so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 But when His (DB)own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, (DC)for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, (DD)“He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the (DE)ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 (DF)So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 (DG)No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
The Unpardonable Sin(DH)
28 (DI)“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they (DJ)said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him(DK)
31 (DL)Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers [x]are outside seeking You.”
33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the (DM)will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
The Parable of the Sower(DN)
4 And (DO)again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, (DP)and said to them in His teaching:
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds [y]of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no [z]crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9 And He said [aa]to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables(DQ)
10 (DR)But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to (DS)know the [ab]mystery of the kingdom of God; but to (DT)those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that
(DU)‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”
The Parable of the Sower Explained(DV)
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 (DW)The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the (DX)cares of this world, (DY)the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, [ac]accept it, and bear (DZ)fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Light Under a Basket(EA)
21 (EB)Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 (EC)For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 (ED)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. (EE)With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 (EF)For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 And He said, (EG)“The kingdom of God is as if a man should [ad]scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and (EH)grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth (EI)yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately (EJ)he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(EK)
30 Then He said, (EL)“To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Jesus’ Use of Parables
33 (EM)And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, (EN)He explained all things to His disciples.
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus(EO)
35 (EP)On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, (EQ)“Teacher, (ER)do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and (ES)rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, (ET)“Peace,[ae] be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? (EU)How[af] is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
A Demon-Possessed Man Healed(EV)
5 Then (EW)they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the [ag]Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an (EX)unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind [ah]him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I (EY)implore[ai] You by God that You do not torment me.”
8 For He said to him, (EZ)“Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”
And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
11 Now a large herd of (FA)swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And [aj]at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.
14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been (FB)demon-possessed and had the legion, (FC)sitting and (FD)clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then (FE)they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
18 And when He got into the boat, (FF)he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to (FG)proclaim in [ak]Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all (FH)marveled.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed(FI)
21 (FJ)Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 (FK)And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and (FL)lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
25 Now a certain woman (FM)had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and (FN)touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the [al]affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that (FO)power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, (FP)fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, (FQ)your faith has made you well. (FR)Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
35 (FS)While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only (FT)believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw [am]a tumult and those who (FU)wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but (FV)sleeping.”
40 And they ridiculed Him. (FW)But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were (FX)overcome with great amazement. 43 But (FY)He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth(FZ)
6 Then (GA)He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were (GB)astonished, saying, (GC)“Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and (GD)brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they (GE)were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, (GF)“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 (GG)Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And (GH)He marveled because of their unbelief. (GI)Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
Sending Out the Twelve(GJ)
7 (GK)And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out (GL)two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— 9 but (GM)to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
10 (GN)Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 11 (GO)And [an]whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, (GP)shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. [ao]Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, (GQ)and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
John the Baptist Beheaded(GR)
14 (GS)Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore (GT)these powers are at work in him.”
15 (GU)Others said, “It is Elijah.”
And others said, “It is [ap]the Prophet, (GV)or like one of the prophets.”
16 (GW)But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, (GX)“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19 Therefore Herodias [aq]held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod (GY)feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he [ar]did many things, and heard him gladly.
21 (GZ)Then an opportune day came when Herod (HA)on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22 And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 He also swore to her, (HB)“Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”
25 Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 (HC)And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and (HD)took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
Feeding the Five Thousand(HE)
30 (HF)Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 (HG)And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For (HH)there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 (HI)So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
33 But [as]the multitudes saw them departing, and many (HJ)knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 (HK)And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like (HL)sheep not having a shepherd. So (HM)He began to teach them many things. 35 (HN)When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves [at]bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, (HO)“Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”
38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they found out they said, (HP)“Five, and two fish.”
39 Then He (HQ)commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He (HR)looked up to heaven, (HS)blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were [au]about five thousand men.
Jesus Walks on the Sea(HT)
45 (HU)Immediately He [av]made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He (HV)departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and (HW)would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a (HX)ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, (HY)“Be[aw] of good cheer! It is I; do not be (HZ)afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind (IA)ceased. And they were greatly (IB)amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For (IC)they had not understood about the loaves, because their (ID)heart was hardened.
Many Touch Him and Are Made Well(IE)
53 (IF)When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately [ax]the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that (IG)they might just touch the (IH)hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
Defilement Comes from Within(II)
7 Then (IJ)the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now [ay]when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with (IK)unwashed hands, [az]they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands [ba]in a special way, holding the (IL)tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
5 (IM)Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you (IN)hypocrites, as it is written:
(IO)‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—[bb]the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
9 He said to them, “All too well (IP)you [bc]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, (IQ)‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, (IR)‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, (IS)“Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14 (IT)When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and (IU)understand: 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that (IV)defile a man. 16 (IW)If[bd] anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 (IX)When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them, (IY)“Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, [be]thus purifying all foods?” 20 And He said, (IZ)“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 (JA)For from within, out of the heart of men, (JB)proceed evil thoughts, (JC)adulteries, (JD)fornications, murders, 22 thefts, (JE)covetousness, wickedness, (JF)deceit, (JG)lewdness, an evil eye, (JH)blasphemy, (JI)pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
A Gentile Shows Her Faith(JJ)
24 (JK)From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre [bf]and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be (JL)hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and (JM)fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a [bg]Greek, a [bh]Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept [bi]asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute(JN)
31 (JO)Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then (JP)they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and (JQ)He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, (JR)looking up to heaven, (JS)He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35 (JT)Immediately his ears were opened, and the [bj]impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then (JU)He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were (JV)astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He (JW)makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Footnotes
- Mark 1:2 NU Isaiah the prophet
- Mark 1:4 Or because of forgiveness
- Mark 1:10 NU out of
- Mark 1:10 torn open
- Mark 1:12 sent Him out
- Mark 1:14 NU omits of the kingdom
- Mark 1:15 has drawn near
- Mark 1:25 Lit. Be muzzled
- Mark 1:27 NU What is this? A new doctrine with authority! He
- Mark 1:27 teaching
- Mark 1:35 deserted
- Mark 2:2 NU omits Immediately
- Mark 2:10 authority
- Mark 2:16 NU of the
- Mark 2:17 NU omits to repentance
- Mark 2:19 Lit. sons of the bridechamber
- Mark 3:2 bring charges against
- Mark 3:3 Lit. Arise into the midst
- Mark 3:5 NU omits as whole as the other
- Mark 3:14 NU adds whom He also named apostles
- Mark 3:15 authority
- Mark 3:15 NU omits to heal sicknesses and
- Mark 3:16 NU and He appointed the twelve: Simon . . .
- Mark 3:32 NU, M add and Your sisters
- Mark 4:4 NU, M omit of the air
- Mark 4:7 Lit. fruit
- Mark 4:9 NU, M omit to them
- Mark 4:11 secret or hidden truths
- Mark 4:20 receive
- Mark 4:26 sow
- Mark 4:39 Lit. Be quiet
- Mark 4:40 NU Have you still no faith?
- Mark 5:1 NU Gerasenes
- Mark 5:3 NU adds anymore
- Mark 5:7 adjure
- Mark 5:13 NU He gave
- Mark 5:20 Lit. Ten Cities
- Mark 5:29 suffering
- Mark 5:38 an uproar
- Mark 6:11 NU whatever place
- Mark 6:11 NU omits the rest of v. 11.
- Mark 6:15 NU, M a prophet, like one
- Mark 6:19 held a grudge
- Mark 6:20 NU was very perplexed, yet
- Mark 6:33 NU, M they
- Mark 6:36 NU something to eat and omits the rest of v. 36.
- Mark 6:44 NU, M omit about
- Mark 6:45 invited, strongly urged
- Mark 6:50 Take courage
- Mark 6:54 Lit. they
- Mark 7:2 NU omits when
- Mark 7:2 NU omits they found fault
- Mark 7:3 Lit. with the fist
- Mark 7:8 NU omits the rest of v. 8.
- Mark 7:9 set aside
- Mark 7:16 NU omits v. 16.
- Mark 7:19 NU sets off the final phrase as Mark’s comment that Jesus has declared all foods clean.
- Mark 7:24 NU omits and Sidon
- Mark 7:26 Gentile
- Mark 7:26 A Syrian of Phoenicia
- Mark 7:26 begging
- Mark 7:35 Lit. bond
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
