Gospel of Mark

Gospel of Mark

The Beginning of the Good News

This is the beginning of the good news

about Jesus, the Anointed—

the Son of God.

As it is written in the scroll of the prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, I send My messenger before You,

who will prepare Your way—

A voice crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make His paths straight.’”

The Wild Immerser

John came, immersing in the wilderness,

proclaiming a turning of the heart

for the release of failures and brokenness.

All the people of the Judean countryside

and all of Jerusalem went out to him.

They confessed their missteps

and were immersed by him

in the Jordan River.

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair,

with a leather belt around his waist,

and he ate locusts and wild honey.

He declared:

“After me comes One who is mightier than I—

the straps of whose sandals

I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

I immerse you in water,

but He will immerse you in the Set-Apart Breath.”

The Anointed is Revealed

In those days, Jesus came

from Nazareth in Galilee

and was immersed in the Jordan by John.

And as He came up out of the water,

He saw the skies being opened

and the Breath descending on Him like a dove.

Then a voice echoed from the skies:

“You are My Son—My Beloved.

In You I am well pleased.”

Into the Wilderness of Testing

Immediately the Set-Apart Breath

drove Him into the wilderness.

He was in the wilderness for forty days,

tested by the accuser.

He was with the wild beasts,

and messengers attended to Him.

The Message Begins

After John was handed over,

Jesus went into Galilee,

proclaiming the good news of God:

“The time is fulfilled.

The reign of God has drawn near.

Turn back and trust in this good news!”

The First to Follow

As He walked beside the Sea of Galilee,

He saw Simon and Andrew his brother

casting a net into the sea,

for they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them:

“Follow Me,

and I will make you fishers of people.”

Immediately they left their nets

and followed Him.

Going a little farther,

He saw James the son of Zebedee

and John his brother.

They were in the boat mending their nets.

Immediately He called them,

and they left their father Zebedee in the boat

with the hired workers

and followed Him.

A New Authority

They went into Capernaum,

and on the Sabbath,

Jesus entered the gathering place and began to teach.

The people were astonished at His teaching,

for He taught them as one with true authority—

not like the scholars of the law.

Just then a man in their midst,

tormented by a disruptive breath,

cried out:

“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!”

Jesus rebuked the spirit:

“Be still. Come out of him.”

The disruptive breath convulsed the man

and came out with a shriek.

All were amazed and said to one another:

“What is this? A new teaching—with authority!

Even the unclean breaths obey Him.”

News about Him spread quickly

throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Healing in the Home

Leaving the gathering place,

Jesus went with James and John

to the house of Simon and Andrew.

Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever,

and they immediately told Jesus about her.

He went to her,

took her hand,

and raised her up.

The fever left her,

and she began to serve them.

All Who Were Broken Came

That evening, at sunset,

they brought to Him

all who were sick or troubled by spirits.

The whole town gathered at the door.

He healed many who were suffering,

and He released many from oppressive spirits.

He would not let the spirits speak,

for they knew who He was.

Time Alone to Pray

Very early in the morning,

while it was still dark,

Jesus got up, left the house,

and went to a quiet place to pray.

Simon and his companions went to find Him.

When they found Him, they said,

“Everyone is looking for You!”

He replied:

“Let us go on to the nearby towns,

so I can proclaim the message there also—

for this is why I came.”

And He went throughout Galilee,

proclaiming in the gatherings

and releasing people from destructive spirits.

The Man Marked as Unclean

A man with a severe skin condition

came to Him and begged on his knees:

“If You are willing,

You can make me clean.”

Moved with deep compassion,

Jesus reached out His hand and touched him:

“I am willing. Be made whole.”

Immediately the man was cleansed.

Jesus sent him away with a strong warning:

“See that you tell no one.

But go, show yourself to the priest,

and offer what Moses commanded

as a witness to them.”

But the man went out and began to speak freely,

spreading the news.

As a result, Jesus could no longer enter towns openly

but stayed in the open countryside.

Still, people came to Him

from every direction.

———

The Man Lowered Through the Roof

Days later, Jesus returned to Capernaum,

and word spread that He was at home.

Soon the house was overflowing—

no space left, not even outside the doorway.

He was speaking the word to them

when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man.

Unable to reach Jesus because of the crowd,

they climbed to the roof,

made an opening,

and lowered the mat on which the man lay.

When Jesus saw their trust,

He said to the paralyzed man:

“Child, your failures are released.”

Some of the scholars of the law,

seated among them, thought to themselves:

“Why does He speak like this?

That’s blasphemy!

Who can release failures but God alone?”

Jesus, knowing in His spirit what they were thinking, said:

“Why are you wrestling with these thoughts?

Which is easier—to say to this paralyzed man,

‘Your failures are released,’

or ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?

But so you may know

that the Son of Humanity has authority on earth

to release and restore…”

He said to the man:

“I say to you, get up,

take your mat, and go home.”

And immediately, the man rose,

picked up his mat,

and walked out in full view of them all.

The people were stunned.

They gave glory to God, saying:

“We have never seen anything like this!”

The Tax Collector Called

Jesus went out again beside the lake.

The crowd came to Him, and He taught them.

As He walked, He saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,

sitting at the tax booth.

Jesus said to him:

“Follow Me.”

And Levi rose and followed Him.

Later, Jesus was reclining at the table

in Levi’s house,

and many tax collectors and outsiders

were dining with Him and His students—

for many had begun to follow Him.

When the scholars of the law,

who were from the Pharisee tradition,

saw that He was eating with tax collectors and others,

they asked His students:

“Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus heard this and said:

“It’s not the healthy who need a healer,

but the broken.

I have not come to call the righteous,

but those who have lost their way.”

A Question About Fasting

Now John’s followers and the Pharisees were fasting.

Some people came and asked:

“Why do John’s followers and the Pharisees fast,

but Your students do not?”

Jesus answered:

“Can the wedding guests fast

while the bridegroom is still with them?

As long as He is with them,

they cannot fast.

But the days will come

when the bridegroom is taken from them—

and then, in those days, they will fast.”

New Wine, New Skins

“No one sews a patch of new cloth

onto an old garment.

Otherwise the new piece pulls away from the old,

and the tear becomes worse.

And no one pours new wine

into old wineskins.

Otherwise the wine will burst the skins—

the wine is lost, and so are the skins.

No—new wine is for new wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

One Sabbath,

Jesus was walking through the grainfields,

and His students began to pick heads of grain.

The Pharisees said to Him:

“Look! Why are they doing

what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus replied:

“Have you never read what David did

when he and his companions were hungry and in need?

He went into the house of God,

in the time of Abiathar the high priest,

and ate the sacred bread—

which is lawful only for the priests—

and he also gave some to his companions.”

Then He said:

“The Sabbath was made for humanity,

not humanity for the Sabbath.

So the Son of Humanity is lord

even of the Sabbath.”

———

The Man with the Withered Hand

Jesus entered the gathering place again,

and a man with a withered hand was there.

They were watching closely—

to see if He would heal on the Sabbath,

so they could accuse Him.

Jesus said to the man:

“Come forward.”

Then He said to them all:

“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm—

to save life or to destroy it?”

But they remained silent.

He looked around at them with deep grief,

angry at the hardness of their hearts.

He said to the man:

“Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out—

and it was restored.

The Pharisees went out immediately

and began plotting with the Herodians

how they might destroy Him.

Crowds Follow by the Sea

Jesus withdrew to the lake with His students,

and a large crowd followed from Galilee,

Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea,

and the regions across the Jordan

and around Tyre and Sidon.

Because of the size of the crowd,

He asked for a boat to be ready—

so the people wouldn’t crush Him.

He had healed many,

and all who were afflicted pushed forward to touch Him.

When those with unclean breaths saw Him,

they fell down and cried out:

“You are the Son of God!”

But He strictly ordered them

not to make Him known.

The Twelve Are Appointed

Then Jesus went up a mountain

and called to Himself those He wanted,

and they came to Him.

He appointed twelve—

designating them as apostles—

to be with Him,

to be sent out to proclaim,

and to have authority to release and restore.

These are the twelve:

Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;

James son of Zebedee and John his brother—

He gave them the name Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”;

Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew;

Matthew; Thomas;

James son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus;

Simon the Zealot;

and Judas Iscariot, who would later hand Him over.

Accused of Madness and Possession

Then Jesus entered a house,

and again a crowd gathered,

so that He and His followers couldn’t even eat.

When His family heard this,

they went to take hold of Him, saying:

“He’s out of His mind.”

And the scholars of the law,

who came down from Jerusalem, said:

“He has Beelzebul in Him!

He casts out unclean spirits

by the ruler of spirits!”

So Jesus called them over

and spoke to them in parables:

“How can the accuser drive out the accuser?

If a kingdom is divided against itself,

it cannot stand.

If a house is divided against itself,

it cannot stand.

And if the accuser rises up against himself

and is divided,

he cannot stand—his end has come.

No one can enter a strong man’s house

and carry off his goods

unless he first ties up the strong man.

Then he can plunder the house.”

“Truly I tell you,

every failure and slander will be released

for the children of humanity,

but whoever slanders the Set-Apart Spirit

will never find release—

they are bound by a lasting stain.”

He said this because they claimed,

“He has an unclean breath in Him.”

True Family

Then His mother and His brothers arrived.

Standing outside,

they sent word, calling for Him.

A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said:

“Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for You.”

But He replied:

“Who are My mother and My brothers?”

Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said:

“Here are My mother and My brothers.

Whoever does the will of God

is My brother, My sister, and My mother.”

———

The Parable of the Sower

Again, Jesus began to teach by the lake.

A great crowd gathered around Him,

so He got into a boat and sat in it on the water,

while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

He taught them many things in parables, saying:

“Listen! A sower went out to sow.

As he scattered the seed,

some fell along the path,

and the birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground,

where it had little soil.

It sprang up quickly,

but because the soil was shallow,

when the sun came up, it was scorched,

and withered for lack of roots.

Other seed fell among thorns,

which grew up and choked the plants,

so they bore no fruit.

Still other seed fell on good soil.

It grew, sprang up, and produced a harvest—

some thirtyfold, some sixty, some a hundred.”

Then He said:

“Let the one who has ears to hear—listen deeply.”

The Reason for Parables

Later, when they were alone,

those around Him with the Twelve asked about the parables.

He said:

“To you has been given the mystery of the reign of God,

but to those on the outside, all things come in parables,

so that,

‘Seeing, they may see and not perceive,

and hearing, they may hear and not understand—

lest they turn and be healed.’”

The Meaning of the Sower

Then He said to them:

“Do you not understand this parable?

How will you understand any of them?

The sower sows the word.

The seed on the path represents those who hear,

but immediately the accuser comes

and takes away the word sown in them.

The seed on rocky ground represents those

who hear the word and receive it with joy,

but they have no root.

They last only a short time.

When trouble or persecution comes,

they quickly stumble.

The seed among thorns represents those who hear,

but the worries of this age,

the illusion of wealth,

and desires for other things enter in

and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

But the seed sown on good soil

represents those who hear the word,

accept it,

and bear fruit—

thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.”

A Lamp on a Stand

He said to them:

“Do you bring a lamp

to put it under a bowl or a bed?

No, you place it on a stand.

For nothing is hidden except to be revealed,

nor concealed except to come into the light.

If anyone has ears to hear—listen.”

And He added:

“Pay close attention to what you hear.

With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—

and even more will be added.

For the one who has, more will be given;

and from the one who has not,

even what they have will be taken.”

The Growing Seed

He also said:

“The reign of God is like a person

who scatters seed on the ground.

Night and day, whether they sleep or rise,

the seed sprouts and grows—how, they do not know.

The soil produces by itself:

first the stalk,

then the head,

then the full grain in the head.

When the grain is ripe,

the harvester comes with the sickle,

because the harvest has come.”

The Mustard Seed

Again He said:

“What can we compare the reign of God to?

What parable shall we use?

It’s like a mustard seed,

the smallest of all seeds sown on the earth.

Yet when planted, it grows

and becomes the largest of all garden plants,

with branches so large

that birds of the air can rest in its shade.”

Why He Spoke in Parables

With many such parables,

Jesus spoke the word to them

as much as they could receive.

He didn’t speak to them without using parables,

but privately, He explained everything to His students.

Calming the Storm

That evening, He said to them:

“Let us go across to the other side.”

They left the crowd behind

and took Him along in the boat, just as He was.

Other boats followed.

A fierce windstorm arose,

and the waves broke over the boat—

so that it was nearly swamped.

Jesus was in the stern,

asleep on a cushion.

They woke Him and said:

“Teacher, don’t You care that we’re perishing?”

He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea:

“Peace. Be still.”

The wind died down, and there was a great calm.

Then He said to them:

“Why are you afraid?

Do you still have no trust?”

They were filled with awe

and said to each other:

“Who is this,

that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

———

The Man Among the Tombs

They arrived on the other side of the lake,

in the region of the Gerasenes.

As Jesus stepped out of the boat,

a man with an unclean breath came from the tombs to meet Him.

He lived among the graves—

no one could restrain him anymore, not even with chains.

Many times he had been bound with shackles and chains,

but he tore the chains apart

and broke the shackles in pieces.

No one was strong enough to subdue him.

Night and day, in the tombs and in the hills,

he cried out an cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance,

he ran and fell at His feet, shouting:

“What do You want with me, Jesus,

Son of the Most High God?

Swear to God You won’t torment me!”

For Jesus had already said to him:

“Come out of the man,

you oppressive breath.”

Then Jesus asked:

“What is your name?”

He replied:

“Legion is my name,

for we are many.”

And he begged Jesus again and again

not to send them out of the region.

A large herd of pigs was feeding nearby on the hillside.

The oppressive forces begged Jesus:

“Send us into the pigs.

Let us enter them.”

He gave them permission,

and the disruptive spirits came out of the man

and entered the pigs.

The herd—about two thousand—rushed down the steep bank

into the lake and drowned.

A Community Confronted

The herdsmen ran off and reported it

in the town and countryside,

and people came to see what had happened.

They saw the man who had been oppressed

sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—

and they were afraid.

Those who had seen it described what had happened

to the man and to the pigs.

Then the people began to plead with Jesus

to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat,

the man who had been set free begged to go with Him.

But Jesus said:

“Go home to your people.

Tell them how much the Lord has done for you,

and how He had mercy on you.”

So the man went away

and began to proclaim in the Decapolis

how much Jesus had done for him—

and everyone was amazed.

The Daughter and the Bleeding Woman

When Jesus crossed over again by boat to the other side,

a large crowd gathered around Him by the lake.

Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came.

Seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet and pleaded earnestly:

“My little daughter is dying.

Please come and lay Your hands on her

so she will be made whole and live.”

Jesus went with him,

and a large crowd followed, pressing in on every side.

Now a woman was there

who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years.

She had endured much under many doctors,

spent all she had,

and yet grew worse.

When she heard about Jesus,

she came up behind Him in the crowd

and touched His cloak.

For she thought:

“If I just touch His clothing,

I’ll be made whole.”

Immediately her flow of blood stopped,

and she felt in her body

that she had been healed of her affliction.

Jesus sensed that power had gone out from Him.

He turned in the crowd and asked:

“Who touched My cloak?”

His students said:

“You see the crowd pressing against You,

and yet You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’”

But Jesus kept looking around

to see who had done it.

The woman, knowing what had happened,

came trembling and fell at His feet.

She told Him the whole truth.

He said to her:

“Daughter, your trust has made you whole.

Go in peace—

you are free from your affliction.”

The Child Restored

While He was still speaking,

some people came from the house of Jairus and said:

“Your daughter has died.

Why trouble the Teacher any longer?”

But Jesus overheard and said:

“Do not be afraid.

Just trust.”

He allowed no one to follow Him

except Peter, James, and John.

When they came to the house,

He saw a commotion—people crying and wailing loudly.

He entered and said to them:

“Why all this noise and grief?

The child is not dead but sleeping.”

They laughed at Him.

But He put them all outside,

took the child’s father and mother

and those with Him,

and went in where the child was.

He took her by the hand and said:

“Talitha koum!”

(Which means, “Little girl, I say to you—arise!”)

Immediately the girl stood up and walked around.

She was twelve years old.

They were completely astonished.

He gave them strict orders not to let anyone know about it,

and told them to give her something to eat.

———

A Prophet Without Honor

Jesus went away from there and returned to His hometown,

and His students followed Him.

When the Sabbath came,

He began teaching in the gathering place,

and many who heard Him were astonished:

“Where did this man get these things?”

“What is this wisdom that’s been given to Him?”

“How are such mighty works done by His hands?”

“Isn’t this the carpenter,

the son of Miriam,

the brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon?

And aren’t His sisters here with us?”

And they were offended by Him.

Jesus said to them:

“A prophet is honored everywhere

except in his hometown,

among his relatives,

and in his own house.”

He could do no mighty work there,

except lay His hands on a few sick people and make them whole.

He was amazed at their lack of trust.

Sending the Twelve

Then Jesus went around to the surrounding villages, teaching.

He called the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs,

giving them authority over unclean breaths.

He instructed them:

“Take nothing for the journey

except a staff—no bread, no bag, no silver in your belt.

Wear sandals, but don’t take an extra shirt.”

He said:

“Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place.

If any place refuses to welcome you or listen,

shake the dust off your feet as you leave—

a witness against them.”

So they went out and proclaimed that people should return to God.

They released many from destructive spirits

and anointed many who were sick with oil and made them whole.

The Death of John

King Herod heard about Jesus,

for His name had become well known.

Some said,

“John the Immerser has been raised from the dead!

That’s why miraculous powers are at work in Him.”

Others said,

“He’s Elijah.”

Still others said,

“He’s a prophet—like one of the prophets of old.”

But when Herod heard this, he said:

“John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”

Herod himself had ordered John arrested and imprisoned

because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,

whom he had taken as his own.

John had told him:

“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias held a grudge against John

and wanted him dead.

Herod feared John,

knowing he was a righteous and set-apart man,

and protected him.

When he heard John, he was disturbed,

yet he listened with fascination.

Finally, an opportunity came.

On Herod’s birthday,

he gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders.

Herodias’s daughter came in and danced,

and it pleased Herod and his guests.

He said to the girl:

“Ask me for whatever you want,

and I’ll give it to you.”

He swore to her:

“Whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom, it’s yours.”

She went to her mother and asked:

“What should I ask for?”

She replied:

“The head of John the Immerser.”

Immediately, the girl hurried to the king and said:

“I want you to give me—right now—

the head of John the Immerser on a platter.”

The king was deeply grieved,

but because of his oaths and his guests,

he did not want to refuse her.

So he immediately sent an executioner with orders

to bring John’s head.

The man went, beheaded John in the prison,

brought back his head on a platter,

and gave it to the girl,

who gave it to her mother.

When John’s students heard what had happened,

they came and took his body

and laid it in a tomb.

Feeding the Multitude

The apostles gathered around Jesus

and told Him all they had done and taught.

He said to them:

“Come away by yourselves

to a quiet place and rest a while.”

For many were coming and going,

and they didn’t even have time to eat.

So they went away in a boat

to a quiet place by themselves.

But many saw them leaving

and recognized them.

They ran on foot from all the towns

and got there ahead of them.

When Jesus landed and saw the great crowd,

He had compassion on them,

because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

So He began to teach them many things.

Late in the day, His students came to Him and said:

“This is a remote place, and it’s already late.

Send the people away

so they can buy themselves something to eat.”

But He answered:

“You give them something to eat.”

They said:

“Should we go and spend two hundred silver coins on bread?”

He asked:

“How many loaves do you have?

Go and see.”

They found out and said:

“Five—and two fish.”

He directed the people to sit in groups on the green grass.

So they sat in circles—hundreds and fifties.

Taking the five loaves and two fish,

He looked up to the skies, blessed them,

broke the loaves,

and gave them to His students to distribute.

He also divided the fish among them all.

Everyone ate and was satisfied.

And they picked up twelve baskets

full of leftover pieces of bread and fish.

The number of those who ate

was five thousand men.

Walking on the Water

Immediately Jesus made His students get into the boat

and go ahead of Him to Bethsaida,

while He dismissed the crowd.

After saying farewell to them,

He went up on a mountain to pray.

Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake,

and Jesus was alone on land.

He saw them straining at the oars,

for the wind was against them.

Around the fourth watch of the night,

He came to them, walking on the lake.

He was about to pass by them,

but when they saw Him walking on the water,

they thought He was a spirit and cried out.

They all saw Him and were terrified.

Immediately He spoke:

“Take courage. It is I.

Do not be afraid.”

Then He climbed into the boat with them,

and the wind calmed.

They were completely amazed,

for they had not understood the miracle of the loaves—

their hearts were still hardened.

Healings in Gennesaret

When they had crossed over,

they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.

As soon as they got out of the boat,

the people recognized Jesus.

They ran throughout the region,

bringing the sick on mats

to wherever they heard He was.

Wherever He went—villages, towns, or countryside—

they laid the sick in the marketplaces

and begged Him to let them touch

even the edge of His cloak.

And all who touched Him were made whole.

———

Human Rules vs. God’s Intent

Some Pharisees and scholars of the law

came from Jerusalem and gathered around Jesus.

They noticed that some of His students

ate with hands considered impure—unwashed.

(The Pharisees and all the Judeans

follow strict traditions passed down by elders:

they do not eat unless they wash their hands carefully.

They also follow rituals for washing cups, pitchers, and kettles.)

So the Pharisees and scholars asked Him:

“Why don’t Your students walk according to the tradition of the elders,

but eat with defiled hands?”

Jesus replied:

“Isaiah was right when he spoke about you hypocrites:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from Me.

In vain do they worship Me,

teaching as doctrines human commands.’

You set aside the command of God

to hold onto human tradition.”

And He continued:

“You skillfully sideline God’s word

in order to keep your own traditions.

For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’

and ‘Whoever curses them must be held accountable.’

But you say,

‘If someone declares something Corban (that is, dedicated to God),

then they are no longer responsible for supporting their parents.’

In doing so, you cancel the word of God

through your tradition—and you do many things like that.”

What Truly Defiles

Then Jesus called the crowd to Him again:

“Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:

Nothing that goes into a person from outside

can defile them.

What comes out of a person

is what defiles.”

After leaving the crowd,

His students asked Him about the parable.

He said:

“Are you still without understanding?

Don’t you see that whatever enters from outside

cannot defile—because it doesn’t go into the heart

but into the stomach, and then out of the body?”

(In saying this, He declared all foods clean.)

Then He said:

“What comes out of a person

is what defiles them.

For from within, out of the heart, come:

twisted thoughts, self-centeredness, theft,

acts of betrayal, greed, malice, deceit, lust,

envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.

All these evils come from inside

and are what defile a person.”

The Gentile Woman’s Trust

Jesus went to the region of Tyre.

He entered a house and didn’t want anyone to know,

but He couldn’t remain hidden.

A woman, whose little daughter was troubled

by an unclean breath, heard about Him

and came to Him, falling at His feet.

She was not of Israel—she was Syrophoenician by birth.

She begged Him to drive the oppressive breath from her daughter.

Jesus said to her:

“Let the children be fed first.

It’s not right to take the children’s bread

and toss it to the dogs.”

But she answered:

“Yes, Master.

But even the dogs under the table

eat the crumbs from the children.”

Then He said to her:

“Because of what you’ve said,

you may go.

The oppressive force has left your daughter.”

She went home

and found the child lying on the bed,

restored and at peace.

The Deaf Man Healed

Jesus left Tyre and went through Sidon

to the Sea of Galilee,

into the region of the Decapolis.

There, some people brought Him a man who was deaf

and could barely speak.

They begged Jesus to lay His hands on him.

He took the man aside, away from the crowd.

He put His fingers into the man’s ears,

then spit and touched the man’s tongue.

Looking up to the skies, He sighed and said:

“Ephphatha”—which means, “Be opened.”

Immediately, the man’s ears were opened,

his tongue was loosened,

and he began to speak clearly.

Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone,

but the more He insisted,

the more they spread the news.

People were utterly amazed:

“He has done all things well.

He even makes the deaf hear

and the mute speak!”

———

Feeding the Four Thousand

In those days, another large crowd gathered,

and they had nothing to eat.

Jesus called His students and said:

“I have compassion for these people.

They’ve already been with Me three days

and have nothing to eat.

If I send them home hungry,

they will collapse on the way—

some have come from far away.”

His students answered:

“Where can anyone get enough bread here

in this remote place to feed them?”

He asked:

“How many loaves do you have?”

They replied:

“Seven.”

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.

Taking the seven loaves,

He gave thanks, broke them,

and gave them to His students to distribute.

They set them before the people.

They also had a few small fish.

He gave thanks for them too

and told the students to distribute them.

The people ate and were satisfied.

Afterward, the students picked up seven baskets

full of leftover pieces.

About four thousand were present.

Then He sent them away,

got into the boat with His students,

and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

Demanding a Sign

The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him,

testing Him by asking for a sign from the skies.

He sighed deeply in His spirit and said:

“Why does this generation seek a sign?

Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

And He left them,

got back into the boat,

and crossed to the other side.

The Yeast of the Pharisees

The students had forgotten to bring bread,

except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.

Jesus warned them:

“Watch out.

Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees

and the yeast of Herod.”

They discussed this among themselves and said,

“It’s because we have no bread.”

Aware of their conversation, Jesus said:

“Why are you talking about having no bread?

Do you still not see or understand?

Are your hearts hardened?

Do you have eyes but fail to see,

and ears but fail to hear?

Don’t you remember?

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand—

how many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?”

They answered:

“Twelve.”

“And the seven loaves for the four thousand—

how many baskets full did you pick up?”

They said:

“Seven.”

And He said to them:

“Do you still not understand?”

The Blind Man Restored in Stages

They came to Bethsaida.

Some people brought a blind man

and begged Jesus to touch him.

He took the blind man by the hand

and led him outside the village.

He spit on the man’s eyes,

laid His hands on him,

and asked:

“Do you see anything?”

The man looked up and said:

“I see people,

but they look like trees walking around.”

Then Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes again.

His sight was fully restored,

and he saw everything clearly.

Jesus sent him home, saying:

“Don’t even go into the village.”

The Great Question

Jesus and His students went to the villages

around Caesarea Philippi.

On the way He asked them:

“Who do people say I am?”

They answered:

“Some say John the Immerser;

others say Elijah;

and still others, one of the prophets.”

He asked:

“But who do you say I am?”

Peter answered:

“You are the Anointed One.”

And Jesus strictly warned them

not to tell anyone about Him.

Foretelling the Path of Suffering

Then He began to teach them

that the Son of Humanity must suffer many things—

be rejected by the elders,

the chief priests, and the scholars of the law,

be killed,

and after three days rise again.

He spoke plainly about this.

Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

But Jesus turned and looked at His students,

then rebuked Peter:

“Get behind Me, accuser!

You are not thinking with God’s perspective

but with human concerns.”

The Cost of Following

Then He called the crowd and His students together:

“If anyone wants to follow Me,

let them turn from self,

take up their cross, and follow.

For whoever tries to save their life will lose it,

but whoever loses their life for My sake

and for the sake of the good news

will find it.

What good is it for someone

to gain the whole world

yet lose their true life?

Or what can anyone give in exchange for it?

If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words

in this unfaithful and twisted generation,

the Son of Humanity will also be ashamed of them

when He comes in the glory of the Father

with the set-apart messengers.”

———

A Glimpse of Glory

Then Jesus said to them:

“Truly I tell you,

some who are standing here will not taste death

before they see the reign of God

arriving in power.”

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him

and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

There, He was transformed before them.

His clothing became dazzling white—

brighter than anyone on earth could bleach them.

Then Elijah appeared to them, along with Moses,

and they were speaking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus:

“Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here.

Let’s build three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

(He didn’t know what to say—he was terrified.)

Then a cloud enveloped them,

and a voice came from the cloud:

“This is My Son—My Beloved.

Listen to Him.”

Suddenly, when they looked around,

they saw no one with them anymore—only Jesus.

Coming Down the Mountain

As they were coming down the mountain,

Jesus instructed them:

“Do not tell anyone what you’ve seen

until the Son of Humanity has risen from the dead.”

They kept the matter to themselves,

but wondered what “rising from the dead” meant.

They asked Him:

“Why do the scholars say that Elijah must come first?”

He replied:

“Elijah does come first, to restore all things.

But why then is it written

that the Son of Humanity must suffer greatly and be rejected?

I tell you, Elijah has already come—

and they did to him whatever they wished,

just as it is written.”

The Oppressed Boy

When they came back to the rest of the students,

they saw a large crowd around them,

and some scholars of the law arguing with them.

As soon as the crowd saw Jesus,

they were amazed and ran to greet Him.

He asked:

“What are you arguing about?”

A man in the crowd answered:

“Teacher, I brought You my son,

who has a spirit that makes him mute.

Whenever it seizes him,

it throws him down—he foams at the mouth,

grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.

I asked Your students to cast it out,

but they couldn’t.”

Jesus said:

“O unbelieving generation,

how long shall I stay with you?

How long shall I bear with you?

Bring the boy to Me.”

They brought him.

When the spirit saw Jesus,

it immediately threw the boy into a violent convulsion.

He fell to the ground,

rolling and foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the father:

“How long has he been like this?”

He said:

“Since childhood.

It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him.

But if You can do anything,

take pity on us and help.”

Jesus replied:

“‘If You can?’

Everything is possible for the one who trusts.”

Immediately, the boy’s father exclaimed:

“I do trust—help me overcome my lack of trust!”

When Jesus saw a crowd gathering,

He rebuked the unclean spirit:

“You mute and deaf spirit,

I command you, come out of him and never return.”

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently, and came out.

The boy looked so lifeless

that many said, “He is dead.”

But Jesus took him by the hand,

lifted him up,

and he stood.

Later, indoors, His students asked Him privately:

“Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He answered:

“This kind can come out only through prayer.”

Second Foretelling of His Death

They left that place and passed through Galilee.

Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,

because He was teaching His students:

“The Son of Humanity is going to be delivered into human hands.

They will kill Him,

and after three days He will rise.”

But they didn’t understand what He meant

and were afraid to ask.

Who Is the Greatest?

They came to Capernaum.

When He was in the house, He asked them:

“What were you discussing on the road?”

But they stayed silent,

for on the road they had argued about

who was the greatest.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said:

“If anyone wants to be first,

they must be last of all

and servant of all.”

He took a little child,

stood the child among them,

and embraced him.

Then He said:

“Whoever welcomes one of these little ones in My name

welcomes Me.

And whoever welcomes Me

welcomes not just Me

but the One who sent Me.”

Whoever Is Not Against Us

John said to Him:

“Teacher, we saw someone casting out unclean spirits in Your name,

and we told him to stop

because he was not one of us.”

Jesus said:

“Do not stop him.

No one who performs a mighty work in My name

can soon afterward speak evil of Me.

Whoever is not against us is for us.

And whoever gives you a cup of water in My name

because you belong to the Anointed

will certainly not lose their reward.”

Serious Warnings About Causing Harm

“If anyone causes one of these little ones who trust in Me to stumble,

it would be better for them

to have a large millstone tied around their neck

and be thrown into the sea.

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.

It’s better to enter life maimed

than with two hands to go into the fire of destruction.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off.

Better to enter life lame

than to be thrown with two feet into the fire.

And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out.

It’s better to enter the reign of God with one eye

than to be cast out with both.

For everyone will be tested with fire,

and every sacrifice will be salted.

Salt is good—

but if the salt loses its saltiness, how will it be made salty again?

Have salt in yourselves,

and be at peace with one another.”

———

Teaching on Divorce

Jesus then left that region and went into Judea

and beyond the Jordan.

Crowds gathered around Him again,

and as was His custom, He began to teach them.

Some Pharisees came to test Him and asked:

“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

He replied:

“What did Moses command you?”

They said:

“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce

and send her away.”

Jesus said:

“It was because of your hardened hearts

that Moses wrote this law.

But from the beginning of creation,

‘God made them male and female.’

For this reason,

a man will leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife,

and the two will become one flesh.

So they are no longer two, but one.

Therefore, what God has joined together,

let no one separate.”

Later, when they were indoors,

His students asked Him again about this.

He said:

“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another

breaks covenant with her.

And if she divorces her husband and marries another,

she breaks covenant too.”

The Children Are Welcomed

People were bringing little children to Jesus

so that He might bless them,

but the students tried to stop them.

When Jesus saw this, He was indignant.

He said:

“Let the little children come to Me—

do not hinder them,

for the reign of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I tell you,

whoever does not receive the reign of God

like a little child

will never enter it.”

And He took the children in His arms,

laid His hands on them,

and blessed them.

The Rich Young Seeker

As Jesus was setting out on a journey,

a man ran up, knelt before Him, and asked:

“Good Teacher, what must I do

to inherit the life of the age to come?”

Jesus said to him:

“Why do you call Me good?

No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments:

‘Do not murder.

Do not commit adultery.

Do not steal.

Do not give false testimony.

Do not cheat.

Honor your father and mother.’”

The man replied:

“Teacher, I have kept all these since I was young.”

Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said:

“One thing you lack:

Go, sell what you own and give to the poor,

and you will have treasure in the skies.

Then come, follow Me.”

At this, the man’s face fell.

He went away sad, because he had many possessions.

Entering the Reign

Jesus looked around and said to His students:

“How hard it is for the wealthy

to enter the reign of God!”

The students were amazed at His words.

But Jesus said again:

“Children, how hard it is

to enter the reign of God!

It is easier for a camel

to go through the eye of a needle

than for someone rich to enter the reign.”

They were even more astonished and said:

“Then who can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said:

“With humans, it is impossible,

but not with God—

for with God, all things are possible.”

Then Peter spoke up:

“We have left everything to follow You!”

Jesus said:

“Truly I tell you,

no one who has left house, or brothers or sisters,

or mother or father, or children or fields for My sake

and for the sake of the good news,

will fail to receive a hundredfold—now in this life:

houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields—along with persecution,

and in the age to come, life without end.

But many who are first will be last,

and the last will be first.”

The Third Foretelling

They were on their way up to Jerusalem,

and Jesus was walking ahead of them.

The students were amazed,

and those who followed were afraid.

Again He took the Twelve aside

and told them what was about to happen:

“We are going up to Jerusalem,

and the Son of Humanity will be handed over

to the chief priests and the scholars.

They will condemn Him to death

and hand Him over to the nations,

who will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him, and kill Him.

But after three days He will rise.”

The Request of James and John

Then James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Him and said:

“Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

He replied:

“What do you want Me to do for you?”

They said:

“Let one of us sit at Your right hand

and the other at Your left in Your glory.”

Jesus said:

“You don’t know what you’re asking.

Can you drink the cup I drink

or be immersed with the immersion I receive?”

They said:

“We can.”

Jesus replied:

“You will drink the cup I drink

and be immersed as I am.

But to sit at My right or left

is not Mine to grant—

it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the other ten heard about this,

they became angry with James and John.

So Jesus called them together and said:

“You know how the rulers of the nations

lord it over them,

and their great ones dominate them.

But it must not be so with you.

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you

must be your servant.

And whoever wants to be first

must be the servant of all.

For even the Son of Humanity

did not come to be served,

but to serve,

and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Bartimaeus Sees

Then they came to Jericho.

As Jesus and His students were leaving the city,

a large crowd followed.

A blind man named Bartimaeus

(son of Timaeus) was sitting by the roadside, begging.

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,

he began to shout:

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him, telling him to be quiet,

but he shouted all the more:

“Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said:

“Call him.”

So they called to the blind man:

“Take courage! Get up—He’s calling you.”

Throwing aside his cloak,

he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

Jesus asked him:

“What do you want Me to do for you?”

The blind man said:

“Rabbi, I want to see.”

Jesus said:

“Go—your trust has made you whole.”

Immediately he received his sight

and followed Jesus on the road.

———

The King Enters the City

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany,

at the Mount of Olives,

Jesus sent two of His students ahead:

“Go into the village ahead of you,

and as you enter it, you’ll find a young donkey tied there—

one that no one has ever ridden.

Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say,

‘The Master needs it and will return it soon.’”

They went and found the donkey outside in the street, tied at a doorway.

They untied it, and some bystanders asked:

“What are you doing, untying that colt?”

They answered just as Jesus had said,

and the people let them go.

They brought the young donkey to Jesus,

threw their cloaks over it, and He sat on it.

Many spread their cloaks on the road,

while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted:

“Hosanna!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming reign of our father David!

Hosanna in the highest!”

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the sacred courtyard.

He looked around at everything,

but since it was already late,

He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The Tree Without Fruit

The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.

Seeing a fig tree in leaf at a distance,

He went to find out if it had any fruit.

When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves,

for it was not the season for figs.

Then He said to the tree:

“May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

And His students heard Him say it.

Clearing the Courtyard

They came to Jerusalem.

Jesus entered the sacred courtyard

and began to drive out those buying and selling.

He overturned the tables of the money changers

and the benches of those selling doves.

He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the courtyard.

And He taught them, saying:

“Is it not written:

‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it a den of robbers.”

The chief priests and scholars of the law heard this

and began looking for a way to destroy Him—

for they feared Him,

because the crowd was amazed at His teaching.

When evening came, Jesus and His students went out of the city.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

In the morning, as they went along,

they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.

Peter remembered and said:

“Rabbi, look! The fig tree You cursed has withered!”

Jesus answered:

“Have trust in God.

Truly I tell you,

if anyone says to this mountain,

‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’

and does not doubt in their heart

but believes what they say will happen—

it will be done for them.

Therefore I tell you,

whatever you ask for in trust,

believe you have received it,

and it will be yours.

And when you stand praying,

if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them,

so your Father in the skies may also forgive you.”

Questioning His Authority

They arrived again in Jerusalem.

While Jesus was walking in the courtyard,

the chief priests, the scholars of the law,

and the elders came to Him.

They asked:

“By what authority are You doing these things?

And who gave You this authority?”

Jesus replied:

“I will ask you one question.

Answer Me, and I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things:

John’s immersion—was it from heaven or from humans?

Answer Me.”

They discussed it among themselves:

“If we say ‘from heaven,’ He will ask,

‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’

But if we say ‘from humans’...”

(They feared the crowd,

for everyone held that John was truly a prophet.)

So they answered Jesus:

“We don’t know.”

Jesus said to them:

“Then neither will I tell you

by what authority I do these things.”

———

The Parable of the Tenants

Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables:

“A man planted a vineyard.

He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress,

and built a watchtower.

Then he rented the vineyard to tenants

and went away on a journey.

At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants

to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard.

But they seized him, beat him,

and sent him away empty-handed.

Then he sent another servant to them;

they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.

He sent still another, and they killed him.

He sent many others—some they beat, others they killed.

He had one left to send—a beloved son.

He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

But the tenants said to one another,

‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him,

and the inheritance will be ours.’

So they took him and killed him,

and threw him out of the vineyard.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do?

He will come and remove those tenants,

and give the vineyard to others.

Have you not read this Scripture:

‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

The Lord has done this,

and it is wondrous in our eyes.’”

The religious leaders knew He had spoken this parable against them.

They wanted to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd.

So they left Him and went away.

A Trap About Taxes

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians

to catch Him in His words.

They came to Him and said:

“Teacher, we know You are true

and don’t seek to please anyone,

because You aren’t swayed by appearances

but teach the way of God in truth.

Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy and said:

“Why are you testing Me?

Bring Me a coin and let Me look at it.”

They brought one, and He asked:

“Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

They replied:

“Caesar’s.”

Then Jesus said:

“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,

and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at Him.

A Question About Resurrection

Then the Sadducees,

who say there is no resurrection,

came to Him with a question:

“Teacher, Moses wrote for us

that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child,

his brother should marry the widow

and raise offspring for him.

Now there were seven brothers.

The first married and died without children.

The second married the widow, but also died childless.

The same happened to the third, and to all seven.

Last of all, the woman also died.

At the resurrection,

whose wife will she be,

since all seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied:

“Are you not mistaken

because you do not know the Scriptures

or the power of God?

When people rise from the dead,

they neither marry nor are given in marriage;

they are like the messengers in the skies.

And regarding the resurrection—

have you not read what God said to Moses,

at the burning bush?

‘I am the God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac,

and the God of Jacob.’

He is not the God of the dead,

but of the living.

You are greatly mistaken.”

The Greatest Command

One of the scholars of the law heard them debating,

and seeing that Jesus answered well, asked Him:

“Which command is the most important of all?”

Jesus answered:

“The most important is:

‘Hear, O Israel:

The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God

with all your heart,

with all your being,

with all your mind,

and with all your strength.’

The second is this:

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no command greater than these.”

The scholar said:

“Well said, Teacher.

You are right to say that God is one,

and there is no other but Him.

And to love Him with all your heart,

all your understanding, and all your strength,

and to love your neighbor as yourself—

is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said:

“You are not far from the reign of God.”

And from then on,

no one dared to question Him further.

Challenging the Scholars

As He taught in the courtyard, Jesus asked:

“Why do the scholars say

that the Anointed is the son of David?

David himself, speaking by the Breath of God, said:

‘The Lord said to my Lord:

Sit at My right hand

until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’

David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’

How then can He be his son?”

The large crowd listened to Him with delight.

Warning About Religious Show

Jesus said:

“Beware of the scholars of the law.

They like to walk around in flowing robes,

to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,

to have the best seats in the gatherings,

and places of honor at feasts.

They devour widows’ houses

and for appearance make long prayers.

They will receive deeper scrutiny.”

The Widow’s Offering

Jesus sat down near the collection box

and watched the people putting money into it.

Many rich people gave large amounts.

Then a poor widow came

and put in two small copper coins—worth only a fraction.

Jesus called His students to Him and said:

“Truly I tell you,

this poor widow has put in more

than all the others.

They gave out of their abundance,

but she, out of her lack,

gave everything she had—her whole livelihood.”

———

The Destruction Foretold

As Jesus was leaving the sacred courtyard,

one of His students said to Him:

“Teacher, look at these massive stones!

What magnificent buildings!”

Jesus replied:

“Do you see all these great structures?

Not one stone will be left on another.

Every one will be thrown down.”

Signs and the End of the Age

Later, as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives,

opposite the courtyard,

Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately:

“Tell us—when will these things happen?

And what will be the sign

that all these things are about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said:

“Watch that no one misleads you.

Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’

and will deceive many.

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars,

do not be alarmed.

These things must happen,

but the end is not yet.

Nation will rise against nation,

and realm against realm.

There will be earthquakes in various places

and famines.

These are the beginnings of birth pains.”

Persecution and Proclamation

“Be on your guard.

You will be handed over to councils,

flogged in gathering places,

and brought before rulers and kings

for My sake—

as a witness to them.

And the good news must first be proclaimed

to all nations.

When you are arrested and brought to trial,

do not worry beforehand what to say.

Say whatever is given to you at the time,

for it will not be you speaking,

but the Set-Apart Spirit.

Brother will betray brother to death,

and a father his child.

Children will rise against parents

and have them put to death.

You will be hated by all because of My name,

but the one who endures to the end

will be rescued.”

The Great Tribulation

“When you see the abomination of desolation

standing where it does not belong

(let the reader understand),

then let those in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let no one on the rooftop go down

or enter the house to take anything out.

Let no one in the field return for their cloak.

How dreadful it will be in those days

for pregnant women and nursing mothers!

Pray that this does not happen in winter.

For those will be days of distress

unequaled from the beginning,

and never to be equaled again.

If the Lord had not shortened those days,

no one would survive.

But for the sake of the chosen ones,

He has shortened them.”

False Messiahs and Final Signs

“At that time, if anyone says to you,

‘Look! Here is the Anointed!’ or ‘There He is!’—do not believe it.

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear

and perform signs and wonders

to deceive, if possible, even the chosen.

So be on guard;

I have told you everything in advance.”

The Son of Humanity Revealed

“But in those days, after that distress:

‘The sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the skies,

and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.’

Then they will see the Son of Humanity

coming in the clouds

with great power and glory.

And He will send out the messengers

and gather His chosen ones

from the four winds—

from the ends of the earth to the ends of the skies.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

“Now learn this from the fig tree:

As soon as its branches become tender

and put forth leaves,

you know that summer is near.

So also, when you see these things happening,

know that He is near—right at the door.

Truly I tell you,

this generation will not pass away

until all these things take place.

Heaven and earth will pass away,

but My words will never pass away.”

Stay Awake

“But about that day or hour no one knows—

not even the messengers in heaven,

nor the Son—only the Father.

Be watchful. Be alert.

You do not know when the time will come.

It’s like a man going away on a journey:

he leaves his house and puts his servants in charge,

each with their assigned task,

and tells the doorkeeper to stay alert.

Therefore keep watch,

because you do not know

when the master of the house will return—

in the evening, or at midnight,

or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.

If he comes suddenly,

do not let him find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to all:

Stay awake.”

———

The Plot to Kill Him

It was now two days before Passover

and the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

The chief priests and the scholars of the law

were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly

and kill Him.

But they said:

“Not during the feast,

or the people may riot.”

Anointed for Burial

While Jesus was in Bethany,

reclining at the table in the home of Simon the leper,

a woman came with an alabaster jar

of very expensive perfume,

made of pure nard.

She broke the jar

and poured the perfume on His head.

Some were indignant and said to one another:

“Why this waste of perfume?

It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages

and the money given to the poor.”

And they scolded her harshly.

But Jesus said:

“Leave her alone.

Why are you troubling her?

She has done a beautiful thing to Me.

The poor you will always have with you,

and you can help them anytime you wish.

But you will not always have Me.

She did what she could.

She anointed My body beforehand for burial.

Truly I tell you,

wherever the good news is proclaimed throughout the world,

what she has done will also be told—in memory of her.”

Judas Makes a Deal

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve,

went to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them.

They were delighted to hear this

and promised him money.

So he watched for an opportunity

to hand Him over in secret.

The Last Supper

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread,

when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb,

Jesus’ students asked Him:

“Where do You want us to go and make preparations

for You to eat the Passover?”

So He sent two of them and said:

“Go into the city,

and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.

Follow him.

Say to the owner of the house he enters:

‘The Teacher asks, Where is My guest room

where I may eat the Passover with My students?’

He will show you a large upper room,

furnished and ready.

Make preparations for us there.”

The students left, went into the city,

and found things just as Jesus had told them.

So they prepared the Passover.

When evening came,

Jesus arrived with the Twelve.

While they were reclining at the table and eating, He said:

“Truly I tell you,

one of you will hand Me over—

one who is eating with Me.”

They were saddened,

and one by one they said:

“Surely not I?”

He replied:

“It is one of the Twelve—

one who dips bread into the bowl with Me.

The Son of Humanity will go

just as it is written about Him.

But woe to that person who hands Him over—

it would have been better for him not to have been born.”

The Shared Bread and Cup

While they were eating,

Jesus took bread,

gave thanks,

broke it,

and gave it to them, saying:

“Take this—it is My body.”

Then He took a cup,

and after giving thanks,

He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

He said:

“This is My blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many.

Truly I tell you,

I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine

until that day

when I drink it new in the reign of God.”

After they had sung a hymn,

they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Peter’s Denial Foretold

Jesus said to them:

“You will all fall away.

For it is written:

‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.’

But after I have risen,

I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter declared:

“Even if everyone else falls away,

I will not.”

Jesus replied:

“Truly I tell you,

today—yes, tonight—

before the rooster crows twice,

you will disown Me three times.”

But Peter insisted:

“Even if I must die with You,

I will never disown You.”

And all the others said the same.

Gethsemane

They went to a place called Gethsemane,

and Jesus said to His students:

“Sit here while I pray.”

He took Peter, James, and John along with Him,

and He began to be deeply troubled and distressed.

He said:

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow,

even to the point of death.

Stay here and stay awake.”

Going a little farther,

He fell to the ground and prayed

that if it were possible,

the hour might pass from Him:

“Abba, Father—everything is possible for You.

Take this cup from Me.

Yet not what I want, but what You want.”

He returned and found them sleeping.

He said to Peter:

“Simon, are you asleep?

Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour?

Stay awake and pray,

so you won’t fall into testing.

The spirit is willing,

but the body is weak.”

He went away and prayed the same words.

When He returned again, He found them sleeping,

for their eyes were heavy.

They did not know what to say to Him.

Returning a third time, He said:

“Are you still sleeping and resting?

Enough—the hour has come.

Look, the Son of Humanity is handed over

into the hands of sinners.

Rise, let us go—

look, My betrayer is here.”

The Betrayal and Arrest

While He was still speaking,

Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived.

With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs,

sent by the chief priests, scholars, and elders.

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal:

“The one I kiss is the man—arrest Him and lead Him away securely.”

Going at once to Jesus, Judas said:

“Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

The men seized Jesus and arrested Him.

One of those standing near drew his sword

and struck the servant of the high priest,

cutting off his ear.

Jesus said:

“Am I leading a rebellion,

that you come with swords and clubs to capture Me?

Every day I was with you, teaching in the courtyard,

and you did not arrest Me.

But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

Then everyone deserted Him and fled.

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment,

was following Him.

When they seized him,

he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Before the Council

They took Jesus to the high priest,

and all the chief priests, elders, and scholars gathered.

Peter followed at a distance

right into the courtyard of the high priest.

There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.

The chief priests and the whole council

were looking for evidence against Jesus

so they could put Him to death,

but they found none.

Many gave false testimony against Him,

but their statements did not agree.

Some stood up and falsely testified:

“We heard Him say,

‘I will destroy this temple made with hands

and in three days build another not made with hands.’”

Yet even then, their testimony did not agree.

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus:

“Aren’t You going to answer?

What is this testimony against You?”

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked Him:

“Are You the Anointed One,

the Son of the Blessed?”

Jesus said:

“I am.

And you will see the Son of Humanity

seated at the right hand of Power

and coming with the clouds of the skies.”

The high priest tore his robes and said:

“Why do we need any more witnesses?

You have heard the blasphemy.

What is your verdict?”

They all condemned Him as deserving death.

Then some began to spit on Him.

They blindfolded Him, struck Him, and said:

“Prophesy!”

And the guards took Him and beat Him.

Peter Denies the Master

While Peter was below in the courtyard,

one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.

When she saw Peter warming himself,

she looked closely and said:

“You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

But he denied it:

“I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.”

He went out into the entryway, and the rooster crowed.

When the servant girl saw him there,

she said to the others:

“This man is one of them.”

Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing nearby said:

“Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

He began to call down curses,

and he swore to them:

“I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

Immediately the rooster crowed a second time.

Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him:

“Before the rooster crows twice,

you will disown Me three times.”

And he broke down and wept.

———

Handed Over to Pilate

Very early in the morning,

the chief priests, with the elders, scholars, and the whole council,

made their decision.

They bound Jesus, led Him away,

and handed Him over to Pilate.

Pilate asked Him:

“Are You the king of the Judeans?”

Jesus replied:

“You say so.”

The chief priests accused Him of many things.

Pilate asked Him again:

“Aren’t You going to answer?

See how many things they accuse You of.”

But Jesus still made no reply,

and Pilate was amazed.

Barabbas or Jesus?

Now it was the custom at the feast

to release one prisoner whom the people requested.

A man named Barabbas was in prison

with the rebels who had committed murder

during an uprising.

The crowd came and asked Pilate

to do for them what he usually did.

Pilate asked:

“Do you want me to release to you

the king of the Judeans?”

He knew it was out of envy

that the chief priests had handed Jesus over.

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd

to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

Pilate asked them:

“Then what should I do with the one

you call the king of the Judeans?”

They shouted:

“Crucify Him!”

“Why?” Pilate asked.

“What evil has He done?”

But they shouted all the louder:

“Crucify Him!”

Wanting to satisfy the crowd,

Pilate released Barabbas to them.

He had Jesus flogged

and handed Him over to be crucified.

Mocked and Beaten

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace courtyard,

and called together the entire company of guards.

They put a purple robe on Him,

twisted together a crown of thorns,

and set it on His head.

They began to salute Him:

“Hail, king of the Judeans!”

They struck Him on the head with a staff,

spit on Him,

and, falling on their knees, mocked Him.

After they had mocked Him,

they took off the purple robe,

put His own clothes back on Him,

and led Him out to crucify Him.

The Way to the Execution

A man named Simon from Cyrene,

the father of Alexander and Rufus,

was passing by on his way in from the country.

They forced him to carry the cross.

They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha,

which means “Place of the Skull.”

They offered Him wine mixed with myrrh,

but He did not take it.

And they crucified Him.

They divided His clothes among them,

casting lots to see what each would get.

It was the third hour (about 9 a.m.)

when they crucified Him.

The written charge against Him read:

THE KING OF THE JUDEANS

They also crucified two rebels with Him—

one on His right and one on His left.

Those who passed by hurled insults, shaking their heads:

“Ha! You who would destroy the temple

and rebuild it in three days—

come down from the cross and save Yourself!”

In the same way,

the chief priests and scholars mocked Him among themselves:

“He saved others,

but He can’t save Himself!

Let the Anointed One,

the king of Israel,

come down now from the cross,

so we may see and believe.”

Even those crucified with Him

also heaped insults on Him.

The Death of the Son

At the sixth hour (about noon),

darkness came over the whole land

until the ninth hour.

At the ninth hour (about 3 p.m.)

Jesus cried out in a loud voice:

“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”

(Which means, “My God, My God,

why have You forsaken Me?”)

When some of those standing nearby heard this, they said:

“Listen, He’s calling Elijah.”

Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine,

put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink:

“Leave Him alone.

Let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”

With a loud cry,

Jesus breathed His last.

And the curtain of the sanctuary

was torn in two from top to bottom.

When the centurion, who stood facing Him,

saw how He died, he said:

“Truly this man was the Son of God.”

The Women Who Stayed

Some women were watching from a distance.

Among them were Miriam of Magdala,

Miriam the mother of James the Younger and Joses,

and Salome.

In Galilee, these women had followed Him

and cared for His needs.

Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem

were also there.

The Burial

It was Preparation Day (the day before the Sabbath).

As evening approached,

Joseph of Arimathea—a respected member of the council,

who himself was waiting for the reign of God—

went boldly to Pilate

and asked for the body of Jesus.

Pilate was surprised to hear that He was already dead.

Summoning the centurion,

he asked if it had been long.

When he learned from the centurion that Jesus was dead,

he gave the body to Joseph.

So Joseph bought a linen cloth,

took down the body,

wrapped it in the linen,

and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.

Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Miriam of Magdala and Miriam the mother of Joses

saw where He was laid.

———

The Women at the Tomb

When the Sabbath was over,

Miriam of Magdala, Miriam the mother of James, and Salome

bought spices so they might go and anoint Jesus’ body.

Very early on the first day of the week,

just after sunrise,

they were on their way to the tomb.

They asked each other:

“Who will roll the stone away from the entrance?”

But when they looked up,

they saw that the stone—very large—had already been rolled away.

As they entered the tomb,

they saw a young man dressed in a white robe

sitting on the right side,

and they were alarmed.

He said:

“Do not be afraid.

You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,

who was crucified.

He has been raised—He is not here.

Look, here is the place where they laid Him.

But go, tell His students and Peter:

‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.

There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

Trembling and bewildered,

the women went out and fled from the tomb.

They said nothing to anyone,

because they were afraid.

[Note on the Ending of Mark]

The earliest and most reliable ancient manuscripts end here at verse 8.

The verses that follow were added later by scribes.

For completeness and comparison, the traditional longer ending is included below—marked and footnoted.

[The Later Addition — Traditional Longer Ending]

(verses 9–20 not found in earliest manuscripts)

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week,

He appeared first to Miriam of Magdala,

from whom He had cast out seven spirits.

She went and told those who had been with Him,

who were mourning and weeping.

When they heard that Jesus was alive

and that she had seen Him,

they did not believe it.

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form

to two of them while they were walking in the country.

They returned and reported it to the rest,

but they did not believe them either.

Later He appeared to the Eleven as they were eating.

He rebuked them for their lack of trust

and their stubborn refusal

to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

He said to them:

“Go into all the world

and proclaim the good news to all creation.

Whoever trusts and is immersed will be rescued,

but whoever refuses to trust will be exposed.

These signs will accompany those who trust:

in My name they will release oppressive spirits;

they will speak in new tongues;

they will handle serpents without harm;

if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them;

they will lay hands on the sick,

and they will recover.”

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them,

He was taken up into the skies

and sat at the right hand of God.

Then they went out and proclaimed everywhere,

and the Lord worked with them

and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.