Old/New Testament

1 This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God's Son.

² The men of God, called prophets, long ago wrote about it this way: God said, `See, I send my man ahead of you to tell about you. He will make the way ready for you.

³ A man is calling out in the desert, "Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for him." '

⁴ John baptised people in the desert. He told them to stop doing wrong things and be baptised, and God would forgive them for the wrong things they did.

⁵ People from all the land of Judea and all the city of Jerusalem went out to John. He baptised them in the Jordan River when they told about the wrong things they did.

⁶ John wore clothes made of camel's hair and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷ He told the people, `Another person is coming. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough to bend down and untie his shoe strings.

⁸ I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.'

⁹ At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in the country of Galilee. John baptised him in the Jordan River.

¹⁰ As soon as he came up out of the water, Jesus saw the sky open. He saw God's Holy Spirit come down on him like a bird called a dove.

¹¹ A voice from the sky said, `You are my dear Son. I am very pleased with you.'

¹² Right away, the Spirit made Jesus go into the desert.

¹³ Jesus was in the desert for forty days. All that time Satan tried to make Jesus do wrong. Jesus was with wild animals. Angels came and took care of him.

¹⁴ John was put in prison. Then Jesus went to Galilee. He told people the good news of God's kingdom.

¹⁵ `The time has come,' he said. `The kingdom of God is here. Stop your wrong ways, turn back to God and believe the good news.'

¹⁶ Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. There he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a fishing net into the water. Their work was to catch fish.

¹⁷ Jesus said to them, `Come with me. The work I give you will be to catch people.'

¹⁸ Right away they left their nets and went with him.

¹⁹ Jesus went on from there and saw James and his brother John. Their father's name was Zebedee. They were in a boat mending their nets.

²⁰ Jesus called them. Right away they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the workmen and went with Jesus.

²¹ They went to the town of Capernaum. As soon as it was the Sabbath day, Jesus went into their meeting house and taught the people.

²² They were very much surprised at his teaching because he taught them as if he had the right to teach them. He did not teach them like their teachers called scribes.