Chapter I

THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST, HIS TEMPTATIONS, AND THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS MINISTRY.

1 [1:1]THE beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, [1:2]as it is written in Isaiah the prophet; Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way. [1:3]A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight.

2 [1:4]John baptized in the wilderness, preaching the baptism of a change of mind for the forgiveness of sins. [1:5]And all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

3 [1:6]And John was clothed with camel's hairs and a leather girdle about his loins, and he eat locusts and wild honey, [1:7]and preached, saying, After me comes one mightier than I, the strings of whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie; [1:8]I have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

4 [1:9]In those days came Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized in the Jordan by John; [1:10]and going up immediately out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit descend like a dove upon him; [1:11]and there was a voice from heaven, You are my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. [1:12]And the Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness, [1:13]and he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the beasts; and the angels waited on him.

5 [1:14]And after John was delivered up Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of God, [1:15]saying, The time is completed, and the kingdom of God is at hand; change your minds and believe in the good news. [1:16]And passing along by the lake of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting [a net] into the lake, for they were fishermen. [1:17]And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishermen of men. [1:18]And immediately leaving their nets they followed him. [1:19]And proceeding a little further on he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; and they were in the ship mending the nets; [1:20]and he immediately called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired men, they went away after him.

6 [1:21]And they entered into Capernaum, and immediately on the sabbath he taught in the synagogues. [1:22]And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

7 [1:23]And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an impure spirit, and he cried out, [1:24]saying, What have you to do with us, Jesus Nazarene? have you come to destroy us? We know you who you are, the holy [Son] of God! [1:25]And Jesus rebuked him saying, Be still, and come out of him. [1:26]And the impure spirit affecting him with convulsions, and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. [1:27]And all were astonished, so that they inquired among themselves, saying, What is this? a new teaching with authority, and does he command the impure spirits and they obey him? [1:28]And his fame went out immediately into all the country about Galilee.

8 [1:29]And going immediately out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John; [1:30]and Simon's mother-in-law was lying with a fever; and immediately they told him of her. [1:31]And coming, he took her by the hand, and raised her up, and the fever immediately left her, and she waited on them.

9 [1:32]And at evening when the sun went down they brought to him all that were sick, and the demoniacs; [1:33]and the whole city was assembled at the door. [1:34]And he healed many that were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and suffered not the demons to say that they knew him.

10 [1:35]And in the morning while it was quite dark he arose and went out, and departed to a solitary place, and there prayed. [1:36]And Simon and those with him followed him, [1:37]and said to him, All men seek you. [1:38]And he said to them, Let us go elsewhere to the adjoining villages to preach there; because for this purpose have I come. [1:39]And he preached in their synagogues in all Galilee, and cast out demons.

11 [1:40]And a leper came to him beseeching him, saying to him, If you will, you can cleanse me. [1:41]And having compassion on him, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, I will; be cleansed. [1:42]And the leprosy immediately left him, and he was cleansed. [1:43]And giving him a strict charge, he immediately sent him away, [1:44]and said to him, See that you say nothing to any one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. [1:45]And going out he spread and published abroad the report, to such an extent that he [Jesus] could no longer go openly into a city, but was without in solitary places; and they came to him from every quarter.