1
“I Am Going to Send My Messenger”
1 The gospel about+ Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, begins+ in accordance with+
2 what is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“Listen! I am going to send my messenger just ahead of ˢyou,+
who will prepare your way.”+
3 “A voice of one shouting in the wilderness:
‘ᵖPrepare the way for the LORD+!
Make your crooked paths+ straight+ for him!’ ”+
4 John appeared on the scene+ baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5 People from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem kept+ going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, openly acknowledging+ their sins.+
6 John was dressed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist+ and ate locusts and wild honey.
7 “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me,” he kept proclaiming, “and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.
8 I baptize ᵖyou with+ water. He, however, will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
“You Are My Dearly Loved Son”
9 At that time+ Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
10 Well,+ as Jesus+ was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens+ splitting apart and the Spirit descending toward him like a dove.+
11 And there+ came from the heavens a voice: “ˢYou are my dearly loved Son. With you I am very pleased.”+
“Immediately the Spirit Had Jesus Go Out into the Wilderness”
12 Immediately the Spirit had Jesus+ go out into the wilderness.
13 He remained in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan, and was out among the wild animals. And angels+ were caring for his needs.+
“Jesus Went into Galilee, Proclaiming the Gospel of God”
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God.+
15 “The appointed time has been completed,”+ he declared, “and the Kingdom of God is drawing near+!+ Repent and keep putting ᵖyour faith+ in the promises+!”+
“Come Along with Me as Disciples”
16 As Jesus+ was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew+ throwing a net into the lake. (They were fishermen, you see.)
17 “Come along with me as disciples,”+ Jesus said to them, “and I will turn ᵖyou into fishers of people.”
18 And immediately they left their nets and began+ to accompany him.
19 When he had gone on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, who+ were in their boat setting their nets in order.
20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers and went with him.
“The People There Were Astounded at His Teaching”
21 They went into the town+ of Capernaum, and+ on the Sabbath Jesus+ went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22 The people there+ were astounded at his teaching. He was teaching them, you see, like someone with authority—quite unlike+ the Torah-experts.
23 Now+ there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit.+
24 “What do you want with us,+ Jesus of Nazareth?” he screamed. “Are you here to+ destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 Jesus issued a stern command to the spirit.+ “Silence!” he said. “Come out of him!”
26 At that the unclean spirit, as+ it threw the man+ into convulsions and screamed with a loud voice, came out of him.
27 Everyone was in such awe that they kept asking each other, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He gives orders even+ to the unclean spirits, and they obey him!”
28 And the news about him swept throughout the whole surrounding area of Galilee.
“Jesus Healed Many Who Were Sick with Various Diseases”
29 After+ they left the synagogue,+ they went to Simon and Andrew’s house, along with James and John.
30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down sick with a fever, and as soon as Jesus arrived,+ they told him about her.
31 He went up to her and helped her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her. Then she began preparing some food and drink for them.
32 When it was evening,+ after sunset,+ people+ began bringing to Jesus+ all who were sick+ and those who had demons.
33 The whole town was gathered near the door.
34 Jesus+ healed many who were sick+ with various diseases and drove out many, many+ demons. Yet he wouldn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.
“Let’s Go Somewhere Else...to the Neighboring Villages”
35 Getting up very early the next morning,+ long before daylight,+ Jesus+ left the house+ and went off to a place in the wilderness, where he spent time+ in prayer.
36 Simon went out searching for him, as did those who were with him.
37 When they found him, they said to him, “ Everyone+ is looking for you!”
38 “Let’s go somewhere else,” Jesus+ replied, “to the neighboring villages, so that I can proclaim the message,+ too,+ in those places. That is the very+ reason I came out here,+ you see.”
39 So he went out proclaiming the message in their synagogues all over Galilee and driving out demon after demon after demon.+
“A Man Who Was Suffering from Leprosy Came Up to Jesus”
40 A man who was suffering from leprosy+ came up to Jesus,+ pleading with him for help and falling on his knees. “If you want to,” the man+ said to him, “you have power to heal+ me and make me clean!”
41 Jesus’ heart went out to the man.+ Stretching out his hand, he touched him. “I do want to,” Jesus+ said. “Be healed.”
42 And instantly the leprosy left the man,+ and he was healed!
43 Then, giving the man+ a stern warning, Jesus+ immediately sent him away.
44 “Make sure you don’t tell anyone a thing about+ this,” he said to him. “Instead, go and have the priest examine you,+ and present for your cleansing the sacrifices+ that Moses commanded,+ as evidence+ in their presence.+”
45 But the man+ went out and began talking about it freely and spreading the story.+ Jesus+ could no longer enter, as a result,+ a town openly,+ but had to stay, rather,+ in places out in the wilderness. Still, people+ kept coming to him from everywhere.