Mark 3
Expanded Bible
Jesus Heals a Man’s Hand(A)
3 Another time when Jesus went into a synagogue, a man with a ·crippled [paralyzed; deformed; shriveled] hand was there. 2 ·Some people [L They; C probably the Pharisees; see 2:24, 27] watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day so they could accuse him.
3 Jesus said to the man with the crippled hand, “Stand up here in ·the middle [front] of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked ·the people [L them; C probably the Pharisees], “Which is lawful [C according to the law of Moses] on the Sabbath day: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” But they ·said nothing to answer him [remained silent].
5 Jesus was angry as he looked at them, and he felt very ·sad [distressed; grieved] because ·they were stubborn [of their hard hearts]. Then he said to the man, “·Hold out [stretch out] your hand.” The man ·held out [stretched out] his hand and it was ·healed [restored]. 6 Then the Pharisees left and [immediately] began ·making plans [plotting] with the Herodians [C a political group that supported king Herod and his family] about a way to ·kill [destroy] Jesus.
Many People Follow Jesus(B)
7 Jesus left with his ·followers [disciples] for the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed him. 8 Also many people came from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Idumea [C located to the south], from the lands across the Jordan River, and from the area of Tyre and Sidon [C located to the north]. When they heard what Jesus was doing, many people came to him. 9 When Jesus saw the crowds, he told his ·followers [disciples] to get a boat ready for him to keep people from ·crowding against [crushing] him. 10 He had healed many people, so all the sick were pushing toward him to touch him. 11 When ·evil [defiling; L unclean; see 1:23] spirits [within people] saw Jesus, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus strongly ·warned [rebuked; ordered] them not to tell who he was.
Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles(C)
13 Then Jesus went up ·on a mountain [to the hills] and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 Jesus ·chose [appointed] twelve [C paralleling the twelve tribes of Israel] and called them apostles[a] [C “apostle” means a messenger, or someone sent with a commission]. He wanted them to be with him, and he wanted to send them out to preach 15 and to have the authority to ·force [drive; cast] demons out of people. 16 These are the twelve he ·chose [appointed]: Simon (Jesus named him Peter), 17 James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Jesus named them Boanerges, which [C in Aramaic] means “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot [C either religiously zealous, or a (former) member of the revolutionary movement known as Zealots], 19 and Judas Iscariot [C Iscariot probably means “man of Kerioth”], who later ·turned against [betrayed] Jesus.
Some People Say Jesus Is Possessed by an Evil Spirit(D)
20 Then Jesus went ·home [into a house], but again a crowd gathered. There were so many people that Jesus and his followers could not eat. 21 When his ·family [own people] heard this, they went to ·get [seize; take charge of] him because they thought he was out of his mind. 22 But the ·teachers of the law [scribes] from Jerusalem were saying, “·Beelzebul [C another name for Satan] is ·living inside [possessing] him! He uses power from the ·ruler [prince] of demons to ·force [drive; cast] demons out of people.”
23 So Jesus called the people together and ·taught them with stories [L spoke to them in parables; C Greek parabolē, which can mean stories and analogies of various kinds]. He said, ·“Satan will not force himself out of people. [L “How can Satan drive out Satan?] 24 A kingdom that is ·divided [at war with itself] cannot ·continue [stand], 25 and a ·family [household; L house] that is divided cannot ·continue [stand]. 26 And if Satan ·is [rises; rebels] against himself and ·fights against his own people [is divided], he cannot ·continue [stand]; that is the end of Satan. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and ·steal [seize; plunder] his things unless he first ·ties up [binds] the strong man [Is. 49:24–25]. Then he can ·steal [seize; plunder] things from the house. [C Satan is the strong man and his possessions are the people Jesus is freeing from Satan’s power.] 28 I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all ·the things people say against God [blasphemies] can be forgiven. 29 But anyone who ·speaks against [blasphemes] the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of ·a sin that continues forever [a sin with eternal consequences; L an eternal sin].”
30 Jesus said this because the teachers of the law said that he had an ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit inside him.
Jesus’ True Family(E)
31 Then Jesus’ mother and ·brothers [or brothers and sisters; C the Greek word can mean “siblings”; cf. 6:3] arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to tell him to come out. 32 Many people were sitting around Jesus, and they said to him, “Your mother and brothers[b] are ·waiting [looking; asking] for you outside.”
33 Jesus asked, “Who are my mother and my brothers [and sisters]?” 34 Then he looked at those sitting around him and said, “·Here are [Look; T Behold,] my mother and my brothers [and sisters]! 35 My true brother and sister and mother are those who do ·what God wants [the will of God].”
Mark 3
Revised Standard Version
The Man with a Withered Hand
3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Hero′di-ans against him, how to destroy him.
A Multitude at the Seaside
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed; also from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idume′a and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon a great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him; 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
Jesus Appoints the Twelve
13 And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve,[a] to be with him, and to be sent out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons: 16 Simon[b] whom he surnamed Peter; 17 James the son of Zeb′edee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Bo-aner′ges, that is, sons of thunder; 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus and Beelzebul
Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, “He is beside himself.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Be-el′zebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him, 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 will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
The True Kindred of Jesus
31 And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers[c] are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.