¹ The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ.

² It is said in the prophet Isaiah — ‘I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.

³ The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: “Prepare the road for the Lord, make a straight path for him.”’

⁴ John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism on repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

⁵ The whole of Judea, as well as all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, went out to him; and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

⁶ John wore clothes made of camels’ hair, with a leather strap around his waist, and lived on locusts and wild honey;

⁷ and he proclaimed — “After me is coming someone more powerful than I am, and I am not fit even to stoop down and unfasten his sandals.

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

⁹ Now about that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁰ Just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Spirit coming down to him like a dove,

¹¹ and from the heavens came a voice — “You are my dearly loved son; you bring me great joy.”

¹² Immediately afterwards the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness;

¹³ and he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and among the wild beasts, while the angels helped him.

The Work in Galilee

¹⁴ After John had been arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God —

¹⁵ “The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the good news.”

¹⁶ As Jesus was going along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the Sea, for they were fishermen.

¹⁷ “Come and follow me,”Jesus said, “and I will teach you to fish for people.”

¹⁸ They left their nets at once, and followed him.

¹⁹ Going on a little further, he saw James, Zebedee’s son, and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.

²⁰ Jesus called them at once, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the crew, and went after him.

²¹ They walked to Capernaum. On the next Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

²² The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the teachers of the law.

²³ Now there was in their synagogue at the time a man under the power of a foul spirit, who called out:

²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ But Jesus rebuked the spirit: “Be silent! Come out from him.”

²⁶ The foul spirit threw the man into a fit, and with a loud cry came out from him.

²⁷ They were all so amazed that they kept asking each other: “What is this? What is this strange teaching? He gives his commands with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!”

²⁸ His fame spread at once in all directions, through the whole neighborhood of Galilee.

²⁹ As soon as they had left the synagogue, they went, with James and John, into the house of Simon and Andrew.

³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying ill with a fever, and they at once told Jesus about her.

³¹ Jesus went up to her and, grasping her hand, raised her up; the fever left her, and she began to take care of them.

³² In the evening, after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who were ill or possessed by demons;

³³ and the whole city was gathered around the door.

³⁴ Jesus cured many who were ill with various diseases, and drove out many demons, and would not permit them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ.

³⁵ In the morning, long before daylight, Jesus rose and went out, and, going to a lonely spot, there began to pray.

³⁶ But Simon and his companions went out searching for him;

³⁷ and, when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

³⁸ But Jesus said to them: “Let us go somewhere else, into the country towns nearby so that I can make my proclamation in them also; for that was why I came.”

³⁹ And he went about making his proclamation in their Synagogues all through Galilee, and driving out the demons.

⁴⁰ One day a leper came to Jesus and, falling on his knees, begged him for help. “If only you are willing,” he said, “you are able to make me clean.”

⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying as he did so: “I am willing; become clean.”

⁴² Instantly the leprosy left the man, and he became clean;

⁴³ and then Jesus, after sternly warning him, immediately sent him away, and said to him:

⁴⁴ “Be careful not to say anything to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure.”

⁴⁵ The man, however, went away, and began to speak about it publicly, and to spread the story so widely, that Jesus could no longer go openly into a town, but stayed outside in lonely places; and people came to him from every direction.