³⁵ Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. ³⁶ Simon and those who were with him searched for him. ³⁷ They found him and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

³⁸ He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” ³⁹ He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

⁴⁰ A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” ⁴² When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was made clean. ⁴³ He strictly warned him and immediately sent him out, ⁴⁴ and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

⁴⁵ But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.

2 When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was at home. ² Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. ³ Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. ⁴ When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. ⁵ Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

⁶ But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸ Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”

¹² He arose, and immediately took up the mat and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

3 He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered. ² They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. ³ He said to the man who had his hand withered, “Stand up.” ⁴ He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm? To save a life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵ When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other. ⁶ The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

⁷ Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea, ⁸ from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him. ⁹ He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him. ¹¹ The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried, “You are the Son of God!” ¹² He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.