A "Grain Of Wheat" Ministries publication

Translated by David W. Dyer

INDEX

The Good News According to Matthew

The Good News According to Luke

The Good News According to Mark

MARK CHAPTER 1

1:1This is an account of the beginning of the good news of Jesus the Anointed One, the Son of God. 1:2Just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Look, I send my messenger before your face who will carefully prepare your way” (Mal 3:1). 1:3A voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight” (Is 40:3).

1:4John came, the one who baptized {immersed} in the wilderness and proclaimed the baptism of repentance for the release from the bondage of sins. 1:5And all the country of Judea went out to him along with all those of Jerusalem. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the river Jordan.

1:6And John was clothed with camel’s hair, had a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. 1:7And he preached saying, “There is one who is coming after me who is more powerful than I, so much so that I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. 1:8I baptized you in water, but he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.”

1:9And it happened in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan river. 1:10And immediately after coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens parted in two and the Spirit descending upon him in the form of a dove. 1:11And a voice came out of the heavens saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved One in whom I delight!”

1:12And immediately afterward the Spirit sent him away into the wilderness. 1:13He was in the wilderness forty days being tested by Satan, where his only company was the wild beasts. But later, the angels came and ministered to him.

1:14Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news from God 1:15and saying, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news.”

1:16And walking along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. 1:17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.” 1:18And immediately they left the nets and followed him.

1:19Then going on a little further, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who also were in a boat mending the nets. 1:20So he called them, and they immediately left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

1:21And they came to Capernaum. There, on the Sabbath day, without any hesitation, he entered into the synagogue and taught. 1:22And they were astonished at his teaching because he taught them as someone having authority and not as the scribes.

1:23And in their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit who cried out 1:24exclaiming, “Oh no! What have you come to do to us, Jesus you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.” 1:25And Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be quiet and come out of him.” 1:26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.

1:27So everyone was amazed, so much so that they questioned among themselves saying, “What is happening? Whose new teaching is this? He even commands the unclean spirits with authority and they obey him.” 1:28And the news about him spread everywhere in all the regions around Galilee.

1:29And when they had come out of the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John. 1:30Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever and they soon told him about her condition. 1:31Then he came and took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her and she served them. 1:32Then in the evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed with demons. 1:33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 1:34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons but he did not allow the demons to speak because they knew him.

1:35In the morning, long before daylight, he rose up, left the house, and went to a deserted place where he prayed. 1:36Then Simon and those who were with him followed after him. 1:37When they found him they said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 1:38But he replied, “Let us go to the other villages so that I may preach there also, for this is the reason I came forth from the Father.

1:39And he went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons. 1:40And a leper came to him, pleading with him, who kneeling down in front of him said to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

1:41And being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I am willing. Be made clean.” 1:42And immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean. 1:43Then he sent him away.

1:44But first he sternly warned him saying, “Be careful not to say anything about this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the things which Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”

1:45But instead he left and began to tell everyone about it, spreading the news everywhere, so much so that Jesus could not publicly enter into a city, but was outside in the uninhabited places. Even so, people came to him from all directions.

MARK CHAPTER 2

2:1And when he entered into Capernaum again a few days later, the news soon spread that he was in a certain house. 2:2Soon, so many people were gathered together that there was no longer room for them, not even near the door. And he spoke the word to them.

2:3Then some others came to him with someone who was paralyzed, being carried by four men. 2:4But when they couldn’t get near him because of the crowd, they took off part of the roof where he was. And when they had dismantled it, they lowered down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying. 2:5And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

2:6But there were some of the scribes sitting there who reasoned in their hearts thinking: 2:7“Why does this man speak blasphemy? Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 2:8But right away Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they were thinking this way, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 2:9Which is easier: to say to this one who is paralyzed, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your pallet and walk?’

2:10“But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins (he said to the paralyzed man), 2:11I say to you, ‘Get up, pick up your pallet, and go to your house.’” 2:12And he rose up and immediately picked up the pallet and walked out in front of them all. Everyone was amazed and glorified God saying, “We never saw anything like this.”

2:13And he went out again by the seaside. Then all the multitude came to him and he taught them. 2:14As he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collection station and he said to him, “Follow me.” And standing up he followed him. 2:15And it happened, when he was sitting down to eat a meal in his house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat down with Jesus and his disciples because many of such people followed him.

2:16Then some of the scribes and the Pharisees,* when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 2:17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance.”

*The Pharisees were extremely legalistic, religious leaders while the scribes were the Jewish legal scholars.

2:18At that time John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples were fasting, so some came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast but your disciples don’t fast?” 2:19And Jesus said to them, “Can the companions of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 2:20But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then, at that time, they will fast.

2:21“No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old garment or else when it shrinks, the new pulls away from the old and a worse tear is made.

2:22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins or else the wine will burst the skins and the wine is wasted along with the skins. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins.”

2:23And it happened that as he was walking on the Sabbath day, he passed by the fields of grain. And as they went, his disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 2:24Then the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why do they do something which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?”

2:25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, both he and those who were with him? 2:26He entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to be eaten except by the priests. And he also gave it to those who were with him.” 2:27Then he said to them, “The Sabbath exists for man’s benefit and not man for the Sabbath. 2:28Therefore, the Son of man is lord even over the Sabbath.”

MARK CHAPTER 3

3:1And when he went back to the synagogue again, there was a man there who had a withered hand. 3:2So they (the religious leaders) watched him carefully to see whether or not he would heal him on the Sabbath day so that they could have something about which to accuse him.

3:3So he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and come here in the middle of everyone.” 3:4Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day or to do harm: to save a life, or to kill?” But they kept quiet.

3:5So when he had looked around at all of them with anger, being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And when he stretched it out, his withered hand was restored to be like his other one.

3:6Then the Pharisees went out and immediately got together with the Herodians* to plot against him, trying to figure out how they could destroy him.

*Influential Jews aligned with Herod.

3:7Then Jesus withdrew to the seashore with his disciples. But a large crowd of people from Galilee followed them, including some from Judea, 3:8Jerusalem, Idumaea, and even some from beyond the Jordan and the region around Tyre and Sidon – a truly large crowd. These had been hearing about the great things which he did and so they came to see him.

3:9Then he spoke to his disciples to have a little boat available for him because of the crowd, in case they pressed on him too much. 3:10This was because since he had healed so many, those who had infirmities crowded near him so that they could touch him. 3:11And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried out saying, “You are the Son of God!” 3:12And he frequently charged them not to reveal who he was.

3:13Later he went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted to come. And they went with him. 3:14There he appointed twelve of them so that they would be with him and so that he could send them out to preach, 3:15having authority to heal diseases and cast out demons.

3:16He then gave Simon a new name: “Peter,” 3:17and James the son of Zebedee, along with his brother John, he gave the new name “Boanerges,” which means “Sons of thunder.” 3:18He also appointed Andrew, Philip, Bar-Tholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean, 3:19and Judas Iscariot, who is the one who betrayed him.

Sometime later he entered into a house. 3:20And a crowd gathered together again. It became so crowded that they could not even eat. 3:21When some from his family heard about it, they came to take him away forcibly for they said, “He has lost his mind.”

3:22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed with Beelzebub,” and, “He casts out demons by the prince of the demons.” 3:23And so he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 3:24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

3:25“If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to continue. 3:26And if Satan has risen up against himself and, therefore, is divided, he cannot stand, but is brought to an end. 3:27But no one can enter into the house of a strong man and steal his goods unless he first binds up the strong man and then he can steal what is in his house.

3:28“Look here, I tell you the sons of men can be forgiven all kinds of sins, including slanderous things which they might have spoken. 3:29But whoever reviles the Holy Spirit [by attributing His work to Satan] will not be liberated during this age and will be subject to judgment in the age which is coming.”* 3:30He said this because they had said, “He has an unclean spirit” [when it was really the Holy Spirit in operation].

*The age which is coming is not eternity but the Kingdom age or the “Millennium.”

3:31Then his mother and his brothers came there. And standing outside, they sent for him, calling him to come to them. 3:32The crowd was sitting around him, so they said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.”

3:33And he answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 3:34Then looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Look, these are my mother and my brothers! 3:35For whoever does the will of God, that one is my brother, my sister, and my mother.”

MARK CHAPTER 4

4:1Once again he began to teach by the seaside. And a very large crowd gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat and sat in it while all the crowd was beside the sea on the land.

4:2And he taught them many things in parables and said to them in his teaching, 4:3“Listen carefully! Look, the sower went out to sow his seed. 4:4And it happened that as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the hard packed pathway and the birds came and devoured it. 4:5Other seeds fell on the rocky ground, where they did not have much soil. They sprung up very quickly because they had no depth of soil. 4:6But when the sun rose they were scorched, and because they had no root system, they withered away.

4:7“And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them and they produced no fruit. 4:8Still others fell into good soil and produced fruit, growing up, increasing, and bearing fruit, some thirty times more, some sixty times more, and some one hundred times more.” 4:9And he said, “He who has hearing ears, let him hear.”

4:10Later, when he was alone, those who were with him along with the twelve asked him about the parable. 4:11And he said to them, “It has been granted to you to understand the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to the outsiders, all things are kept secret in parables. 4:12This is so that even if they see they won’t perceive and even if they hear they won’t understand so that there is no way for them to turn around and be released from their sins.”

4:13And he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then are you going to understand all the other parables? 4:14The sower sows the word. 4:15And those represented by the hard packed pathway are the ones who, when the word is sown and they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries off the word which was sown in their hearts.

4:16“In a similar way – represented by the word being sown upon the rocky places – are those who, when they have heard the word, right away receive it with joy. 4:17But they have no “root” in themselves. So they continue for a while but when tribulation or persecution arise because of the word, they quickly become offended and fall into sin.

4:18“And others – those that are sown among the thorns – these are those who have heard the word 4:19but the preoccupations of the world, the illusion of riches and the carnal desires for other things enter in, choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. 4:20And those that were sown on the good ground represent those who hear the word, receive it, and bear fruit: thirty times as much, sixty times as much, and one hundred times as much.”

4:21And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought out to be put under a basket or under the bed and not to be put on the lamp stand? 4:22For there is nothing hidden that will not be exposed, neither has anything been made secret which will not be revealed. 4:23If anyone has hearing ears, let him hear.”

4:24And he said to them, “Contemplate carefully what you hear. For in the measure that you receive it, it will be given out to you. And to those who comprehend what has been said, even more will be given. 4:25Furthermore, he who holds securely to what he has received, more will be given to him. But he who does not hold on securely to what he has been given, even what he has will be taken away.”

4:26And he said, “The kingdom of God can be compared to a man who sows seed on prepared soil. 4:27While he sleeps and rises up day after day, the seed sprouts and grows although he really doesn’t understand how this happens.

4:28“In fact, the earth bears fruit by itself [not requiring man’s understanding]. First the new leaf appears, then the head of grain, then the mature grain in the head. 4:29But when the grain is ripe, he immediately sends out the sickle because the time of reaping has come.”

4:30And he said, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God or what kind of parable can we use to explain it? 4:31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is planted in the soil, it is one of the smallest seeds that exists upon the earth. 4:32Yet after it is planted it grows up and becomes larger than all the other herbs and puts out large branches so that it is possible for the birds of the heaven to rest under its shade.”

4:33And using many such parables, he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 4:34He did not speak without using parables, but privately to his own disciples, he explained everything.

4:35And on that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 4:36And leaving the multitude, they took him with them, going quickly into the boat. And there were some other small boats with him.

4:37But there arose a great wind storm and the waves broke over the side and into the boat, so much so that the boat was filling with water. 4:38He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

And they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” 4:39And he awoke, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be calm! Be still!” Then the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 4:40And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Don’t you yet have faith?” 4:41And they were extremely afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

MARK CHAPTER 5

5:1And they came to the other side of the sea into the country of the Gerasenes. 5:2And when he had left the boat, just then a man coming out of the graveyard, who had an unclean spirit, encountered him. 5:3This man lived in the tombs and no one could bind him any more, not even with chains. 5:4For he had often been bound with leg restraints and chains but the chains had been torn apart by him and the leg restraints broken in pieces. And no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5:5He was constantly crying out night and day in the tombs and in the mountains, cutting himself with stones.

5:6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he came running and knelt down before him. 5:7And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you by God, don’t torment me!” 5:8For he said to him, “Come out, you unclean spirit. Leave that man!” 5:9And he asked him, “What is your name?” And he said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 5:10And they begged him profusely that he would not send them away out of that region. 5:11Now there was a large herd of swine feeding near the mountains. 5:12And they pleaded with him saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter into them.”

5:13And he quickly gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits came out and entered into the swine. And the herd (about two thousand of them) rushed over the precipice into the sea and they were drowned in the sea.

5:14Then those who fed them fled and told it in the city and all around the countryside. And so, many people came to find out about what had happened. 5:15When they came to Jesus and saw the man (he who had had the legion), who had been possessed with demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, they were amazed. 5:16And those who had seen it declared to them how it happened to him who had been possessed with demons and about the swine. 5:17Then they began to beg him to leave their region.

5:18As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed with demons pleaded with him, wanting to be with him. 5:19He didn’t permit him to come, but said to him, “Go to your house and to your friends and tell them the great things the Lord has done for you and how he showed mercy to you.” 5:20So he went his way and began to spread the news in Decapolis about how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.

5:21When Jesus had crossed over again to the other side in the boat, a large crowd gathered to him. And he was beside the sea. 5:22Then one of the rulers of the synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came to him. When he saw Jesus, he fell down at his feet 5:23and begged him fervently saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. I beg you to come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”

5:24As he went with him, a large crowd followed him and they crowded closely around him. 5:25And a woman, who had a flow of blood for twelve years 5:26(this woman had suffered through many treatments at the hands of many physicians, had spent all her money, and still had not gotten better but instead grew worse) 5:27having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up in the crowd behind him and touched his garment. 5:28For she said to herself, “If I can just touch his garments, I will be cured.” 5:29And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

5:30At that moment Jesus, perceiving that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 5:31And his disciples said to him, “Look, the crowd is pressing on you from all sides and you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 5:32But he continued looking around to see who had done this thing.

5:33Then the woman being fearful and even trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 5:34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

5:35While he was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house saying, “Your daughter has died. Why do you bother the Teacher anymore?” 5:36But Jesus, when he heard what was spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” 5:37And he allowed no one to come with him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

5:38And when they had come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult and many loudly weeping and wailing. 5:39And when he had come in, he said to them, “Why are you making such a lot of noise and weeping? The child is not truly dead but asleep.” 5:40And they ridiculed him.

But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child and her mother, along with those who were with him, and went into where the child was lying. 5:41And taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which is interpreted, “Young woman, I say to you, arise.”

5:42And immediately the young woman rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. And they were beside themselves with amazement. 5:43Then he commanded them not to tell anyone about this. And he asked them to give her something to eat.

MARK CHAPTER 6

6:1Afterwards, he left there and came back to his own region, and his disciples followed him. 6:2And when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing him were astonished saying, “Where did this man get these things?” And, “Whose wisdom has been given to this man so that such mighty works are done by his hands? 6:3Isn’t this the woodworker, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they were offended with him.

6:4And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown among his own relatives and in his own house.” 6:5And he could not do any mighty works there except he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6:6And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went around to the neighboring villages teaching.

6:7Then he called the twelve to him and began to send them out by two and two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 6:8And he commanded them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, taking no bag of provisions, no bread, or any brass coins in their money belt. 6:9They were to take sandals but not to put on an extra coat.

6:10And he said to them, “Whenever you enter into a house, stay there until you leave that town. 6:11And if any place you go does not receive you and the people there refuse to hear you, as you leave that place, shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.

6:12And having gone out, they proclaimed the message of repentance. 6:13They cast out many demons and anointed many who were sick with oil and they were healed.

6:14Soon king Herod heard about him, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the baptizer has risen from the dead and, therefore, these works of power operate in him.” 6:15But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet or like one of the prophets.”

6:16But Herod, when he heard about it, said, “John, whom I beheaded has resurrected.” 6:17For Herod himself had sent and arrested John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 6:18For John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

6:19This is why Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to 6:20because Herod greatly respected John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and therefore kept him safe. And because he had heard many things about him, he was even willing to listen to him.

6:21But then a day came when Herodias had her opportunity. Herod, on his birthday, made a feast for his nobles, the captains of thousands, and the chief men of Galilee. 6:22And the daughter of Herodias came in and performed a dance. She pleased Herod and those who sat at the feast with him so much that the king said to the young woman, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 6:23He even swore an oath to her saying, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, even if it is half of my kingdom.”

6:24Then she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” And she replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 6:25So she hurried right back to the king and asked saying, “I want you to give me the head of John the baptizer on a platter right now.” 6:26And the king was exceedingly grieved, but because of his oath and because of those who sat at the feast, he was not disposed to disregard her.

6:27And so the king immediately sent a soldier of his guard and commanded him to bring his head. So he went and beheaded him in the prison, 6:28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young woman. And the young woman gave it to her mother. 6:29When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

6:30The ones whom Jesus had sent out gathered together to Jesus and they told him about all the things they had done and what they had taught. 6:31And he said to them, “Come away to an uninhabited place and rest a while.” For there were so many people coming and going that they did not even have enough free time to eat. 6:32And so they went away in the boat to a desolate place. 6:33When the people saw them going, many recognized him and so they ran there on foot from all the neighboring cities to meet him. And so they had gathered together to where he was going before he even got there.

6:34When he arrived there and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep who do not have a shepherd and he began to teach them many things.

6:35And since it was already getting late, his disciples came to him and said, “This place is uninhabited and it is already getting late. 6:36Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and buy themselves something to eat.” 6:37But he answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 6:38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and find out.” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”

6:39So he instructed them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 6:40And they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 6:41He took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. Then he broke the loaves into pieces and he gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. The two fish were also divided among them all. 6:42And they all ate and were filled. 6:43Afterwards they gathered up twelve basketfuls of the leftover pieces, including the fish. 6:44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

6:45And shortly afterward he urged his disciples to enter into the boat and to go ahead of him to the other side to Bethsaida while he himself sent the multitude away. 6:46After he had dismissed them, he went up into the mountain to pray.

6:47When evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. 6:48And he perceived that they were having a hard time rowing because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he came toward them, walking on the sea and he would have passed by them. 6:49But they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was an apparition and cried out 6:50because they all saw him and were upset. But he immediately spoke to them and said, “Be encouraged. I AM he. Don’t be afraid.”

6:51And so he came up to them and got into the boat and the wind stopped blowing. And they were beyond being greatly astounded, and amazed among themselves, 6:52not yet comprehending what had happened with the loaves because their hearts were calloused.

6:53When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 6:54And when they had gotten out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him. 6:55And so they ran round the whole region and began to carry those who were sick, still on their beds, to him wherever they heard that he was.

6:56And wherever he went, into villages or into cities or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them just touch the border of his garment. And as many as touched him were delivered from their ailments.

MARK CHAPTER 7

7:1And the Pharisees and certain of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, gathered together to oppose him. 7:2They had noticed that some of his disciples ate their bread with “defiled,” that is, unwashed, hands and were finding fault with him about it.

7:3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they first wash their hands diligently, adhering to the tradition of their elders. 7:4Furthermore, when they come from the marketplace, they don’t eat unless they bathe themselves first. And there are many other such regulations which they observe concerning the washings of cups, pots, brass vessels, and sleeping furniture.)

7:5And so the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat their bread with ‘defiled’ hands?” 7:6And he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied very accurately about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7:7Their worship of me is futile, teaching men’s rules as their doctrine’ (Is 29:13). 7:8You discard the commandment of God and obsessively hold onto your own tradition.”

7:9And he said to them, “You set aside the commandment of God so that you may keep your own tradition. 7:10For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of his father or mother should be put to death.’

7:11“But you say that if a man says to his father or his mother, “Whatever assistance I might have been to you is ‘Corban,’ that is to say, ‘Given to God,’ 7:12he is discharged from doing anything for his father or his mother. 7:13By teaching this, you invalidate the word of God by your tradition which you have delivered to the people to keep. And you do many other similar things also.”

7:14Then he called the multitude to him again and said to them, “All of you listen to me and understand. 7:15There is nothing from outside of a man which, entering into his mouth, can defile him. But the things which come out of a man’s mouth are the things which defile the man. 7:16If anyone has hearing ears, let him hear.”

7:17And when he had entered into the house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about this parable. 7:18And he said to them, “Are you also so lacking in understanding? Don’t you see that whatever goes into a man from the outside cannot defile him. 7:19This is because it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, through the bowels, and is eliminated, thus ‘cleansing’ all foods.”

7:20And he said, “It is that which comes out of a man which defiles the man. 7:21For from within – out of the heart of men – come: evil thoughts, adultery, sexual relationships outside of marriage, murders, robbery, 7:22greediness, corruption, deceitfulness, sexual impurity, lack of generosity {Gk, evil eye}, slander, arrogance, and unholy living. 7:23All these evil things come out from within and defile the man.”

7:24Having left there, he went to the borders of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered into a house, not wanting anyone to know about it, yet he could not be hidden. 7:25But very soon a woman who had a little daughter with an unclean spirit, heard about him. She came and prostrated herself at his feet. 7:26Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she pleaded with him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

7:27And he said to her, “Let the children first be filled, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 7:28But she answered and said to him, “Yes, Lord, but even the small dogs under the table eat the little morsels which the children drop.”

7:29And he said to her, “Because of this saying, go on your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 7:30And she went back to her house and found the child lying on the bed and the demon had left.

7:31Returning from the borders of Tyre, he came through Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the middle of the region of Decapolis. 7:32And they brought someone who was deaf and had a speech impediment to him and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 7:33And he took him aside privately, away from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears. Then he spat and touched his tongue.

7:34And looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened.” 7:35And his ears were opened and his tongue was loosed and he spoke clearly. 7:36And he ordered them to tell no one. But the more he admonished them, the more they told everyone about it.

7:37And they were totally astonished saying, “He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

MARK CHAPTER 8

8:1In those days, when a large crowd had gathered together and once again they were without anything to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 8:2“I feel compassion for the multitude, because they have been with me three days already and have nothing to eat. 8:3If I send them away hungry to their homes, they might faint on the way and some of them have come from far away.”

8:4And his disciples answered him, “Where can we find any bread here in this uninhabited place?” 8:5And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 8:6Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and having given thanks, he broke them in pieces and gave them to his disciples to give to them. So they set them before the multitude. 8:7They also had a few small fish.

After having blessed them, he told his disciples to set these before them also. 8:8And everyone ate and was satisfied. Afterwards, they gathered up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. 8:9And those who ate were about four thousand in number. Then he sent them away.

8:10Then he entered directly into the boat with his disciples and came to the coast of Dalmanutha. 8:11And the Pharisees came there and began to debate with him, seeking a sign from heaven from him and testing him. 8:12And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 8:13And he left them.

And entering into the boat again, he departed to go to the other side. 8:14But they had forgotten to take bread. They didn’t have more than one loaf with them in the boat.

8:15And he warned them saying, “Look, be perceptive concerning the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” 8:16And they discussed this with one another saying, “He said that because we don’t have any bread.”

8:17And Jesus perceiving it said to them, “Why do you discuss your not having bread? Don’t you yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts still calloused? 8:18Having eyes, you still don’t see and having ears, you still don’t hear? Don’t you remember 8:19when I broke the five loaves among the five thousand? How many baskets full of broken pieces did you gather up?” They said to him, “Twelve.”

8:20“And when I broke the seven loaves among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you gather up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 8:21And he said to them, “How is it that you still don’t understand?”

8:22When they came to Bethsaida, those from that area brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 8:23Then he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. And when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 8:24And he looked up and said, “I see men, but they look like walking trees.”

8:25Then he laid his hands on his eyes again, and he recovered his sight completely, being restored to his former state, and saw everything clearly. 8:26And he sent him away to his home saying, “Don’t go back into the village and don’t tell anyone in the village.”

8:27And Jesus went out with his disciples into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” 8:28And they told him saying, “John the baptizer, and others, Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.” 8:29Then he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to him, “You are the Anointed One.” 8:30And he ordered them not to tell anyone this about him.

8:31And he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of man to suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, be killed, and after three days rise again. 8:32And he said these things very clearly. So Peter took him aside and began forcefully to try to talk him out of this idea. 8:33But he, turning around and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind my back Satan, for you do not understand the things of God but are thinking like a man!”

8:34And he called the multitude to him along with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow after me, let him reject his own ‘self,’ pick up his cross and follow me. 8:35For whoever seeks to preserve his own soul life will have it utterly destroyed and whoever declares that his soul life must be put to death for my sake and the sake of the good news message will be being rescued himself [through transformation].

8:36“For how does it benefit anyone to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul life? 8:37Or what could a man give as a ransom for his soul life? 8:38Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

MARK CHAPTER 9

9:1And he said to them, “Truly I say to you that some of the ones standing here will not experience death until they see a powerful manifestation of the coming kingdom of God.” 9:2Then six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and brought them privately up onto a high mountain, alone. There he was transformed before their eyes. 9:3His garments became radiant, extremely white, more than any bleaching agent on earth could whiten them.

9:4Moses and Elijah also appeared to them. And they were talking with Jesus. 9:5Peter responded to all this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is a good thing that we are here. We should make three shrines here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 9:6For he didn’t know what he was saying because they were frightened out of their wits.

9:7Then a cloud came which cast a shadow over them. And a voice came out of the cloud saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved One. Hear him!” 9:8And at that moment, looking round them, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus there with them.

9:9And as they were coming down from the mountain, he exhorted them to tell no one about the things they had seen until after the Son of man had been raised up from among the dead. 9:10So they kept this word, debating among themselves what “being raised up from among the dead” could mean.

9:11Then they asked him saying, “How is it that the scribes say that it is necessary for Elijah to come first before the Messiah?” 9:12So he said to them, “Elijah truly will come first and will restore all things before the second coming.

“But, (just as is it written about the Son of man that he would suffer many things and be treated with contempt) 9:13I tell you that ‘Elijah’ has already come and they have mistreated him following their own desires, just as it is written concerning him.”

9:14And having returned to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. 9:15And just then, when the crowd saw him, they were startled and came running to greet him. 9:16He asked the scribes, “What are you arguing about with them?”

9:17And someone in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, who has a spirit which causes him to be speechless. 9:18And whenever it takes him over, it convulses him and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and curls up in a ball. I spoke to your disciples asking them to cast it out but nothing came of it.”

9:19And he answered them and said, “Oh unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I have patience with you? Bring him to me.” 9:20And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him and he fell on the ground, rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 9:21And he asked his father, “How long ago did this start happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 9:22And often it has thrown him into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

9:23And Jesus said to him, “If you are able to believe – all things are possible to him who believes.” 9:24Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears and said, “I believe. Oh Lord, help my unbelief!”

9:25And when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and don’t enter into him any more!” 9:26And having cried out and convulsed him severely, he came out. And the boy became as if dead, so much so that many said, “He is dead.”

9:27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he got up. 9:28And when he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, why they couldn’t cast it out. 9:29And he said to them, “No one can cast this kind out except through prayer and fasting.”*

*It is possible that because the demon gained access to this person in early childhood – thus indicating that it was not an act of that person’s will which allowed the demon in – the evil spirit’s hold over that person’s life was harder to remove.

9:30Then they left there and passed through Galilee but he didn’t want anyone to know about it 9:31because he was explaining something to his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of man is going to be delivered up into the hands of men and they will kill him. And after he is killed, the third day he will rise again.” 9:32They didn’t understand what he said but were afraid to ask him to explain it.

9:33When they had come to Capernaum, after he had come into the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 9:34But they kept quiet because they had been arguing with each other about who was the greatest. 9:35So he sat down and called the twelve and he said to them, “If any one wants to be first, he must be last of all and the servant of all.”

9:36Then he took a very young child and set him in the middle of them. And taking him in his arms, he said to them, 9:37“Whoever receives one of these little children in my name, receives me and whoever receives me, does not receive me but the One who sent me.”

9:38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we forbid him because he doesn’t accompany us.” 9:39But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him. For there is no one who does a powerful work in my name who afterwards will be quick to speak evil of me. 9:40He who is not against us is for us.

9:41“For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you are the Anointed One’s, truly I say to you, he will in no way lose his reward. 9:42And whoever causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck and he was thrown into the sea.

9:43“If your hand is holding you back, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into the life of God crippled rather than go into Gehenna – into the unquenchable fire – still having your two hands. 9:45And if your foot is holding you back, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into the life of God lame than to be thrown into Gehenna still having two feet. 9:47“And if your eye is holding you back, throw it out. It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than still have two eyes and be thrown into fiery Gehenna 9:48where the maggots don’t die and the fire is never extinguished.

9:49“But each individual will be ‘seasoned’ with fire, just as every sacrifice is seasoned with salt. 9:50Salt is good. But if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have wisdom {salt} in yourselves and cultivate peace with one another.”

MARK CHAPTER 10

10:1And he arose from there and came into the regions of Judea and beyond the Jordan. There the crowds came together to him again, and as his habit was, he again taught them.

10:2And the Pharisees came forward and asked him, as a way of testing him: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 10:3And he answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 10:4And they said, “Moses allowed them to write a document of divorce and divorce her.”

10:5So Jesus explained to them, “It was because of the hardness of man’s heart that he wrote you this rule. 10:6But from the beginning of the creation, God made them a couple, male and female. 10:7For this reason a man leaves his father and mother, and adheres {to glue or cement, Gk} to his wife,10:8and the two become one flesh so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 10:9Therefore, what God has yoked together, let no one separate.”

10:10And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 10:11And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife in order to marry another commits adultery against her. 10:12And if she divorces her husband in order to marry another, she commits adultery.”

10:13And some people were bringing little children to him, so that he would touch them. And the disciples rebuked them. 10:14But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me and don’t forbid them. For the kingdom of God belongs to ones such as these. 10:15Truly I say to you, unless you receive the kingdom of God as a little child, there is no way for you to enter into it.” 10:16And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

10:17When he had left there and was going along the way, someone ran up to him, kneeled down before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what works must I do to receive the eternal life of God?” 10:18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only One is good, even God. 10:19You know the commandments: Do not kill; Do not commit adultery; Do not steal; Do not testify falsely; Do not take advantage of others; Honor your father and mother.”

10:20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these things I have observed from my youth.” 10:21And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, take up the cross, and follow me.” 10:22But his countenance fell at this saying and he went away distressed, for he had many possessions.

10:23And Jesus looked around him and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is to persuade those who have wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!” 10:24And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus, continuing his remarks said to them, “Children, how difficult it is for those who trust in wealth to find the kingdom of God attractive and so to enter into it! 10:25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

10:26And they were really shocked, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?” 10:27Jesus looking at them said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”

10:28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and have followed you.” 10:29Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake, and for the sake of the good news, 10:30who will not afterwards enjoy at the right time* – up to one hundred times more – houses, brethren, sisters, mothers, children, and lands in the middle of persecutions and during the coming age, the full enjoyment of the eternal life of God.** 10:31But many who seem to be ‘the most important’ now will be the lowest ranking, and the lowest ranking now will be the most important.”

*Since Jesus just finished warning his disciples about the danger of wealth, it is impossible that he suddenly changed his mind and is predicting great prosperity for them all in this world. Therefore, we must understand the “enjoy in proper proportion” as enjoying what others have and have made available to those who do God’s work and not that they will be possessing these things for themselves.

**This verse is a little difficult to understand because it seems to indicate that “eternal life” is something which believers receive “in the age to come.” Yet, from other parts of the Bible, it is clear that this is something we receive when we receive Jesus (Jn 3:36, 1 Jn 5:12 and many more), not something which we get later on. The logical explanation must be that, in the resurrection, when we are free from this earthy, sinful body, we will then have a full, unrestricted enjoyment of God’s eternal life which we already received through Jesus when we believed.

10:32As they were on the way going up to Jerusalem, Jesus was taking the lead in the journey. And they were distraught and afraid as they followed him. So he took the twelve aside again and began to explain the things that were going to happen to him 10:33saying, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of man will be delivered into the custody of the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and will deliver him to the Gentiles 10:34who will mock him, beat him with whips, spit on him, and then kill him. But after three days he will rise again.”

10:35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee came to him saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 10:36And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 10:37And they said to him, “Grant that one of us would sit on your right hand and one on your left hand when you sit on your throne in your glory.”

10:38But Jesus said to them, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?” 10:39And they said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You truly will drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with

which I am to be baptized. 10:40But to sit on my right hand or on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for them for whom it has been prepared.”

10:41And when the other ten heard about it, they became offended with James and John. 10:42So Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are known to rule over the nations dominate them and their leaders exercise authority over them.

10:43“But it must never be this way among you! Instead, whoever would become great among you will be your servant 10:44and whoever desires to be first among you will be the slave of all. 10:45For even the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

10:46They had come to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples together with a large crowd, BarTimaeus (meaning the son of Timaeus), who was a blind man, was sitting by the wayside begging. 10:47And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” 10:48And many rebuked him, telling him to be quiet. But instead he cried out even more, “O son of David, have mercy on me!”

10:49Then Jesus stood still and asked them to call him to come. So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be comforted. Get up for he has called you to come.” 10:50And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

10:51And Jesus spoke to him and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight.” 10:52And Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you whole.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the way.

MARK CHAPTER 11

11:1And when they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany near the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 11:2and said to them, “Go your way into the village that is across from you, and just as you enter into it, you will find a donkey’s colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie him and bring him here. 11:3And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him’ and immediately he will send him here.”

11:4So they went off and found a donkey’s colt tied near a door at a street crossing and they untied him. 11:5And some of those who stood nearby said to them, “What are you doing, untying the donkey’s colt?” 11:6And they repeated to them what Jesus had said and they let them go.

11:7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on him and he sat on him. 11:8And many spread their garments on the road and others spread branches, which they had cut from the trees.

11:9And those who went in front together with those who followed, cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 11:10Blessed is the kingdom that comes, the kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

11:11And he entered into Jerusalem into the temple and when he had looked around at everything, since it was now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

11:12On the next day, when they were leaving Bethany, he became hungry. 11:13And seeing a fig tree in the distance having leaves, he came to it to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. But when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves because it was not the season for figs. 11:14And he responded by saying to it, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

11:15When they had come to Jerusalem, he entered into the temple and began to throw out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the chairs of those who sold the doves. 11:16And he would not allow anyone to carry any goods through the temple.

11:17And he explained and said to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a den of thieves.” 11:18And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they looked for some way that they might destroy him, feeling threatened by him because all the multitude was extremely impressed with his teaching.

11:19And when evening came he went out of the city. 11:20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree was dried up from the roots. 11:21And Peter, remembering Jesus’ words, said to him, “Rabbi look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”

11:22And Jesus responded to them saying: “Have the faith of God. 11:23Truly I say to you, whoever will say to this mountain, ‘Be moved from this place and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt [the guidance of the Holy Spirit] in his heart but believes that what he says [what God is saying through him] will come to pass, whatever he says will happen for him. 11:24Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you ask in prayer, believe that you receive them and you will have them.*

*This passage, standing alone without other “balancing” Bible verses, sounds like a kind of “faith magic” recipe where you pick out something you want, believe real hard, and then you get it. Such a thought makes God into a kind of celestial servant, just waiting anxiously for us to work up enough faith to get Him to do something for us. The truth is that it is only when the Spirit of God is leading us to make such pronouncements that these miraculous events actually occur.

Our faith must be the faith “of God” as in verse 22. He is the author of any and all true “faith.” Another verse which brings an equilibrium to these thoughts is found in 1 John 5:14 which says: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” True faith is never believing “for” or “in” something (such as believing that something we want is going to happen) but in Someone. The genuine message of scriptures is not that we should believe in the power of our own faith but in Him who gives us true faith

11:25“And whenever you want to persevere in prayer, if you have anything against anyone, forgive them so that your Father who is in the heavens will also discharge your sins. 11:26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in the heavens forgive your sins.”

11:27When they had returned again to Jerusalem, as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes and the elders there came to him 11:28and said, “By what authority do you do these things?” And “Who gave you this authority to do these things?”

11:29So Jesus said to them, “I too will ask you one question and, if you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 11:30The baptism of John, was it from heaven or from men? Give me an answer.” 11:31And they reasoned among themselves saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then didn’t you believe him?’ 11:32But we can’t say, ‘From men’ either.” This was because they were afraid of the people, for all believed that John was truly a prophet.

11:33And so they answered Jesus and said, “We don’t know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

MARK CHAPTER 12

12:1And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a guard tower, and rented it out to some who worked the land. He then travelled to another country.

12:2“And at the harvest season he sent a slave to the workers so that he might receive his share of the fruits of the vineyard from the workers. 12:3But they took the slave and beat him and sent him away with nothing. 12:4Again, he sent to them another slave and they wounded him in the head and sent him away in shame. 12:5And he sent yet another and they killed him. Yet he still sent many others, but the workers beat some and killed others.

12:6“But he still had a son, one whom he loved dearly. He finally sent him to them saying, ‘They will show respect for my son.’ 12:7But those workers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours.’ 12:8So they took him, killed him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

12:9“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those workers of the land and will put the vineyard in the hands of others. 12:10Have you not even read this scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the keystone of the arch. 12:11This has been done by the Lord and it is so amazing that we can hardly believe our eyes.’”

12:12Then they sought to seize him because they perceived that he had spoken the parable against them, but they were afraid of the crowd. And so leaving him, they went away. 12:13Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him, planning to catch him saying something wrong.

12:14So when they had come, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and don’t show favoritism to anyone, for you don’t pay any attention to whom someone might be, but truly teach the way of God. Therefore, is it permited by our law to pay the tax to Caesar or not? 12:15Should we pay or should we not pay?”

But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius so that I may see it.” 12:16And they brought it. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to him, “Caesar’s.” 12:17Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were astonished by him.

12:18So then the Sadducees (the ones who say that there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him saying, 12:19“Teacher, Moses wrote to us teaching that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind him and has no child, his brother should take his wife and raise up children for his brother.

12:20“Now there were seven brothers. The first married and died without children. 12:21So the second took her to be his wife and died, also leaving no children. Then the third did likewise. 12:22In the course of time, all seven had married her but none produced children. Last of all the woman also died. 12:23In the resurrection whose wife will she be, for all seven of them had her as a wife?”

12:24Jesus said to them, “This is the reason you err: you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God! 12:25For when the dead are resurrected, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven. 12:26But concerning the dead – that they, in fact, are resurrected – haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ 12:27He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are in very serious error.”

12:28Then one of the scribes came forward, having heard their discussion and realizing that he had answered them well, asked him, “What is the most important commandment?”

12:29Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’ 12:30And, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 12:31The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important than these.”

12:32And the scribe said to him, “You have answered well Teacher. You have said the truth that he is one and that there is no other besides him. 12:33And to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself means much more than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices.”

12:34And when Jesus saw that he answered prudently, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared ask him any more questions.

12:35And as Jesus taught in the temple, he responded to the challenges of the scribes and Pharisees by saying, “How can the scribes say that the Anointed One is the son of David? 12:36David himself said in the Holy Spirit: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet‘ (Ps 110:1). 12:37Since David himself called him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” And the large crowds enjoyed hearing him teach.

12:38And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to wear special clothes identifying their ‘status’ and to be greeted as someone important in public places. 12:39They love to have special seats up front in the synagogues [religious meeting places] and to be honored with the best places at feasts.

12:40“They cheat widows out of their life savings and look for any excuse to make long prayers to attract attention to themselves. These will receive the more severe judgment.”

12:41And he sat down across from the collection box and watched how the crowd put money into the collection box. And many who were rich put in a lot. 12:42Then a poor widow came and she put in two of the smallest brass coins, which total one quadrans.

12:43And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are putting money into the treasury, 12:44for they all contributed from their excess, but she from her poverty put in all that she had, even all of her earnings.”

MARK CHAPTER 13

13:1And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look, at the quality of these stones and this impressive building!” 13:2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see this great building? There will not be one stone left upon another here which will not be torn down.”

13:3And as he sat on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 13:4“Tell us, when will these things occur? And what is the sign that all these things are about to happen?”

13:5Then Jesus began his discourse by saying, “Be discerning so that no one leads you into error. 13:6For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 13:7And when you hear of wars and/or rumors of wars, don’t be frightened. It is unavoidable that these things will happen. But they do not signal the end.

13:8“For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and disturbances. These things are merely the beginnings of the birth pangs.

13:9“But look out for yourselves. For they will hand you over to the legal authorities. You will be beaten in the synagogues and you will be forced to appear before governors and kings for my sake as a testimony to them. 13:10But the good news must first be proclaimed to all the nations.

13:11“And when they take you and hand you over to the authorities for judgment, don’t be anxious ahead of time or meditate about what you will say. But whatever is given you by God at that moment, that is what you should speak, for it is not you who will be speaking but the Holy Spirit.

13:12“And brother will deliver up brother to death and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13:13And you will be hated by everyone for my name’s sake. But he who remains faithful to the end, that one will be preserved.

13:14“But when you see the false god who gives incentive to plunder, about which Daniel the prophet spoke, taking the place which is prohibited (let him who reads understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 13:15And let him who is on the housetop terrace not go down into his house in order to take anything out of his house. 13:16And let him who is in the field not return back to get his coat.

13:17“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days! 13:18And pray that your fleeing to escape does not happen in the winter. 13:19For in those days a persecution* will take place, the like of which has never been since the beginning of the creation which God created until now and never will be again.

*Many versions use the word “tribulation” here. The reader should understand that this word does not refer to the judgments which God will pour out upon mankind at the end of this age but to the violent and widespread persecution which the coming man of sin will promote against both Jews and Christians.

13:20“And except the Lord had cut those days short, no one would survive. But for the elect’s sake whom he chose, he will cut those days short.

13:21”At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, the Anointed One is here,’ or, ‘Look, he is over there,’ don’t believe it! 13:22For false Anointed Ones and false prophets will arise and will show signs and miracles, in order to lead people astray – even the elect if it were possible. 13:23But be discerning. Look, I have described all these things to you beforehand.

13:24“And in those days after that persecution, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shed its light. 13:25The stars of the heaven will be driven from their places which they can’t keep any longer when the powers that are in the heavens are overthrown.*

*The arrival of the “male child” in heaven (Rev 12:5-11) precipitates a heavenly war which results in these “powers” being overthrown and expelled from their “places.”

13:26“And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 13:27Then will he send out angels and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the most remote parts of the earth to the most remote parts of heaven.

13:28“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has become full of sap and its leaves begin to grow, you know that summer is near. 13:29In the same way you also, when you see these things taking place, know that the time is near, even at the doors. 13:30Truly I say to you, the generation which sees these signs will not pass away until all these things will take place. 13:31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will in no way pass away.

13:32“But with regard to the exact day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son,** but only the Father. 13:33Be discerning. Stay spiritually awake and pray, for you do not know when the time will be.

**Some ancient manuscripts do not include the phrase “neither the Son.”

13:34“It will be similar to when a man went to live in another country – having left his house and given jurisdiction to his servants and assigned each one his work, and also commanded the door keeper to be vigilant.

13:35“Keep spiritually awake therefore, for you don’t know when the ‘master of the house’ is coming, whether it will be at evening, or at midnight, or at dawn, or in the morning, 13:36so that if he comes suddenly {without warning} he doesn’t find you sleeping. 13:37And what I say to you, I say to all. Be vigilant!”

MARK CHAPTER 14

14:1Now the feast of the passover, even the time of the unleavened bread, was two days away and the chief priests and the scribes looked for a way that they could seize him through treachery and kill him. 14:2But they said,

“Not during the feast, so that it won’t cause a riot among the people.”

14:3And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he reclined to eat, a woman came having an alabaster flask of fragrant liquid spikenard which was extremely expensive. And she broke the flask and poured it over his head.

14:4But there were some who became indignant among themselves, saying to one another, “What was the purpose for this waste of the fragrant ointment? 14:5For it could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they snorted at her in disgust.

14:6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. 14:7For you always have the poor with you and whenever you want to you can do something good for them. But you will not always have me physically present. 14:8She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 14:9And truly I say to you, wherever the good news is proclaimed throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will be spoken of for a memorial to her.”

14:10Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 14:11And when they heard it, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to deliver him to them.

14:12On the first day of unleavened bread, when the passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the passover?” 14:13So he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and there you will encounter a man carrying an urn of water. Follow him.

14:14“And where he goes in, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, where is the dining room, where I may eat the passover with my disciples?’ 14:15And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Prepare the passover for us there.” 14:16And the disciples went out, came into the city and found things just as he had said to them. And they prepared the passover.

14:17When it was evening he came there with the twelve. 14:18And as they reclined and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me – someone who is eating with me.” 14:19They began to grieve and ask him one by one, “Is it I?”

14:20So he said to them, “It is one of you twelve, someone who shares food from the dish with me. 14:21For the Son of man is going away, fulfilling what is written concerning him. But woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

14:22And as they were eating, he took bread and having blessed it, broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take this and eat. This is my body.” 14:23And he took a cup and having given thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it. 14:24And he said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, the blood which is being poured out for many. 14:25Truly I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the grapevine until that day when I drink new wine in the kingdom of God.”

14:26And when they had sung a hymn of praise, they went out to the mount of Olives. 14:27Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will desert me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered’ (Zech 13:7). 14:28However, after my resurrection, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

14:29But Peter said to him, “Although everyone else might desert you, I will not.” 14:30And Jesus replied to him, “Truly I say to you, that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 14:31But he insisted even more saying, “Even if I must die with you, there is no way I will deny you.” And the others all said the same thing.

14:32When they had come to a place called Gethsemane, he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go pray.” 14:33And he took with him Peter, James, and John and began to be anguished and distressed in his mind. 14:34And he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Wait here and keep watch.”

14:35Then he went on ahead a little and prostrated himself on the ground and prayed, that if it were possible, this time of trial might pass by him. 14:36And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. But don’t do what I want. Instead, may your will be done.”

14:37When he came back and found them sleeping he said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 14:38Be vigilant and pray so that you don’t enter into temptation. On one hand, the spirit is willing, but on the other hand the flesh is weak.”

14:39And he went away again and prayed, saying the same words. 14:40Once again he came back and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy. And they didn’t know how to respond to him. 14:41And he came back the third time and said to them, “Go ahead, sleep what time is left and rest. It is enough. The time has come. Look, the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 14:42Arise, let us be going. See, he who betrays me is coming now.”

14:43And just then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived and with him was a mob armed with swords and wooden clubs, sent by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 14:44Now he who betrayed him had agreed on a signal saying, “Whomever I kiss, that is he. Seize him and take him away safely.” 14:45And when he arrived, immediately he came to him and said, “Rabbi, Rabbi” and kissed him. 14:46Then they laid hands on him and seized him.

14:47But one of those who stood nearby drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 14:48And Jesus responded to them saying, “Have you come here as if I were a robber, armed with swords and wooden clubs to seize me? 14:49I was daily with you in the temple teaching and you didn’t seize me. But this is done so that the scriptures might be fulfilled.” 14:50And they (his disciples) all left him and fled. 14:51And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth wrapped around him over his naked body. Some of the young men tried to grab him 14:52but he left the linen cloth and fled away naked.

14:53And they led Jesus away to the high priest. And there were together with him all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 14:54But Peter had followed him at a distance, even coming into the courtyard of the high priest where he was sitting with the servants and warming himself by the fire.

14:55Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus in order to put him to death, but found none. 14:56Although many gave false testimonies against him, their testimonies didn’t agree with each other. 14:57Then some rose up and testified falsely against him saying, 14:58”We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is of human construction and in three days I will build another not made with human hands.’” 14:59But not even their testimonies were consistent with each other.

14:60Then the high priest stood up among them and asked Jesus saying, “Won’t you answer anything? What about what these witnesses are testifying against you?” 14:61But he kept silent and made no reply. Again the high priest asked him saying, “Are you the Anointed One, the Son of the Blessed?” 14:62And Jesus said, “I AM. And you will see the Son of man sitting in the place of honor and authority of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

14:63Then the high priest tore his clothes,* and said, “Why do we need witnesses now? 14:64You have heard the blasphemy for yourselves. What do you think?” And they all condemned him to be worthy of death. 14:65Then some began to spit on him. And they blindfolded him, hit him with their fists and said to him, “Prophesy.” And the officers struck him with their hands.

*Moses’ law prohibited the High Priest from tearing his garments (Lev 10:6; 21:10). This “tearing” is reminiscent of when king Saul tore Samuel’s robe. Samuel then said, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you” (1 Sam 4:12). It could be that at this moment, the “kingdom” was torn from the priests and given to the Lord Jesus.

14:66And when Peter was downstairs in the courtyard, one of the maids of the high priest came 14:67and, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 14:68But he denied it saying, “I don’t know him or know what you are talking about.” And when he went out to the porch, the rooster crowed.

14:69And the maid saw him again and began to say to those who stood nearby, “This is one of them.” 14:70But he denied it again. And a little while later, yet again some who stood nearby said to Peter, “You certainly must be one of them, for you are a Galilean. We can tell by your accent.”

14:71But he began to curse and to swear saying, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” 14:72And just then the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And when he remembered it, he wept.

MARK CHAPTER 15

15:1The first thing in the morning, the chief priests together with the elders, scribes, and the whole council held a consultation. They then bound Jesus and carried him away, delivering him up to Pilate. 15:2And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And answering he said to him, “You say so.”

15:3And the chief priests accused him of many things. 15:4So Pilate again asked him saying, “Won’t you give me any answer? Look at how many accusations they make against you!” 15:5But Jesus no longer made any response, so much so that Pilate marveled.

15:6Now because it was a feast day, he customarily released one prisoner to them, whoever they asked of him. 15:7And there was one called Bar-Abbas {son of Abbas} lying bound with those who had made an insurrection, men who during the insurrection had killed someone.

15:8And the crowd began yelling, asking Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 15:9And Pilate answered them saying, “Should I release to you the King of the Jews?” 15:10For he perceived that it was because of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.

15:11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, asking him to release Bar-Abbas instead. 15:12And Pilate responded again and said to them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?” 15:13And they shouted again, “Crucify him!” 15:14So Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out even more loudly, “Crucify him!”

15:15And so Pilate, wanting to please the crowd, released Bar-Abbas to them and delivered Jesus, having had him beaten with whips, to be crucified. 15:16And the soldiers led him away inside the courtyard, which is the Praetorium, and they called together the whole band of soldiers. 15:17There they clothed him with purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 15:18Then they began to salute him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 15:19And they struck his head with a reed and spat on him and bowing their knees, “worshipped” him.

15:20And when they had mocked him, they took the purple garment off of him and put his own clothes back on him. And they led him out to crucify him. 15:21And they compelled someone passing by, Simon a Cyrenian, (the father of Alexander and Rufus) who was coming in from the field, to go with them so that he could carry his cross.

15:22Then they brought him to Golgotha, which means, “the place of a skull.” 15:23And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh* to drink, but he did not take it. 15:24And having crucified him, they divided his garments among themselves, gambling with each other by “casting lots” about which item each one would take.

*A narcotic mixture offered to reduce the pain.

15:25And it was the third hour of the day when they crucified him. 15:26The sign upon which his accusation was written stated: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 15:27And they crucified two robbers with him: one on his right side and one on his left. 15:28So the scripture was fulfilled which said, “And he was considered to be among the transgressors.”

15:29And some of those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 15:30save yourself and come down from the cross!”

15:31In the same way also the chief priests, mocking him among themselves along with the scribes, said, “He saved others but he can’t save himself. 15:32Let the Anointed One, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now so that we may see and believe.” And even one of the ones who were crucified with him taunted him also.

15:33And when the sixth hour had come, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 15:34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

15:35And some of those who stood nearby, when they heard it, said, “Look, he is calling for Elijah.” 15:36And someone ran and filling a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink saying, “Hold on a minute. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”

15:37Then Jesus uttered a loud sound and expired. 15:38And the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. 15:39When the centurion who stood near him saw the way in which he cried out and expired, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

15:40There were also women watching from a distance – among whom were both Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (the short one) and of Joses and Salome – 15:41who, when he was in Galilee followed him and served him along with many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

15:42And when evening had come, because it was the day of Preparation (that is the day before the Sabbath) 15:43Joseph of Arimathaea – a respected member of the Sanhedrin and someone who was also looking for the kingdom of God – had the courage to go to see Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus.

15:44But Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. So calling the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for any length of time. 15:45Then, having received confirmation from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph.

15:46Joseph bought an expensive linen cloth and, after lowering him down from the cross, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb which had been quarried out of a rock. Then he rolled a stone across the door of the tomb. 15:47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he had been laid.

MARK CHAPTER 16

16:1And when the Sabbath had passed, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome, purchased aromatic spices, so that they might anoint his corpse. 16:2And so, very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun was just rising. 16:3And they were discussing among themselves, “Who will roll the stone away from the door of the tomb for us (because it was extremely heavy)?”

16:4Then looking up, they saw that the stone was already rolled back. 16:5And entering into the tomb, they saw what appeared to be a young man sitting off to the right side, clothed in a brilliant white robe. And they were astonished.

16:6And he said to them, “Don’t be astonished. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen! He is not here. Look, here is the place where they laid him! 16:7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there as he told you.”

16:8And being overcome with trembling and amazement, they went out and fled from the tomb. But at first they said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.

16:9Now after he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 16:10She went and told those who had been with him, as they were mourning and weeping. 16:11Yet, when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him, they disbelieved.

16:12After these things he was manifested in another form to two of them as they walked on their way into the country. 16:13So they went away and told it to the rest. But they did not believe them either.

16:14Afterward he appeared to the “eleven” as they were eating and he reproved them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

16:15And he said to them, “As you are going into all the world, announce the good news to the whole creation. 16:16He who is believing and is being baptized [entering into the experience of what baptism signifies] will be being saved, but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

16:17“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name {in the reality of my presence} they will cast out demons; they will speak new languages; 16:18they will remove serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them in any way; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.”

16:19So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was received up into the heavens and sat down in the place of authority and honor of God. 16:20And they went forth and proclaimed the Lord everywhere, being accompanied by signs which confirmed the word. Amen.

Words in this translation found in italics are words which are implied by the Greek text but do not represent actual words in the Greek text. This practice is common in almost all modern translations. Occasionally, this translator has added words to the translation which represent his own ideas and opinions which, although they are based on his own biblical understanding, are not part of the actual Greek text. Such words are enclosed in brackets, like this [ ]. The reader should understand these words as being the opinion of the translator. In contrast to this, the words in these braces { } indicate legitimate, alternative translations or explanations. Words within parentheses () are part of the original Greek text. Such parentheses are often used in other New Testament translations also.

End of The Good News According to Mark

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The Good News According to Matthew

The Good News According to Luke