Mark 1 | God's Word Translation

John Prepares the Way

(Matthew 3:1–12; Luke 3:1–18)

¹This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of Theos.

²The prophet Isaiah wrote,

“I am sending my messenger ahead of you
to prepare the way for you.”
3 “A voice cries out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord!
Make his paths straight!’ ”

⁴John the Baptizer was in the desert telling people about a baptism of repentance (“Repentance” is turning to Theos with a complete change in the way a person thinks and acts.) for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵All Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

⁶John was dressed in clothes made from camel’s hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷He announced, “The one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. ⁸I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (pneuma).”

John Baptizes Jesus

(Matthew 3:13–17; Luke 3:21–22)

⁹At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁰As Jesus came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit (pneuma) coming down to him as a dove. ¹¹A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”

Satan Tempts Jesus

(Matthew 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13)

¹²At once the Spirit (pneuma) brought him into the desert, ¹³where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. He was there with the wild animals, and the angels took care of him.

Calling of the First Disciples

(Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11)

¹⁴After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and told people the Good News of Theos. ¹⁵He said, “The time has come, and Theos’s kingdom is near. Change the way you think and act, and believe the Good News.”

¹⁶As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. ¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” ¹⁸They immediately left their nets and followed him.

¹⁹As Jesus went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets ⌞to go fishing⌟. ²⁰He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Jesus.

Jesus Forces an Evil Spirit (pneuma) out of a Man

(Luke 4:31–37)

²¹Then they went to Capernaum. On the next day of rest—a holy day, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²²The people were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority.

²³At that time there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit (pneuma). He shouted, ²⁴“What do you want with us, Jesus from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of Theos!”

²⁵Jesus ordered the spirit (pneuma), “Keep quiet, and come out of him!” ²⁶The evil spirit (pneuma) threw the man into convulsions and came out of him with a loud shriek.

²⁷Everyone was stunned. They said to each other, “What is this? This is a new teaching that has authority behind it! He gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him.”

²⁸The news about him spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Jesus Cures Simon’s Mother-in-Law and Many Others

(Matthew 8:14–18; Luke 4:38–41)

²⁹After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew. James and John went with them. ³⁰Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. The first thing they did was to tell Jesus about her. ³¹Jesus went to her, took her hand, and helped her get up. The fever went away, and she prepared a meal for them.

³²In the evening, when the sun had set, people brought to him everyone who was sick and those possessed by demons. ³³The whole city had gathered at his door. ³⁴He cured many who were sick with various diseases and forced many demons out of people. However, he would not allow the demons to speak. After all, they knew who he was.

Spreading the Good News in Galilee

(Matthew 4:23–25; Luke 4:42–44)

³⁵In the morning, long before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where he could be alone to pray. ³⁶Simon and his friends searched for him. ³⁷When they found him, they told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

³⁸Jesus said to them, “Let’s go somewhere else, to the small towns that are nearby. I have to spread ⌞the Good News⌟ in them also. This is why I have come.”

³⁹So he went to spread ⌞the Good News⌟ in the synagogues all over Galilee, and he forced demons out of people.

Jesus Cures a Man with a Skin Disease

(Matthew 8:1–4; Luke 5:12–14)

⁴⁰Then a man with a serious skin disease came to him. The man fell to his knees and begged Jesus, “If you’re willing, you can make me clean.” (“Clean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to Theos.)

⁴¹Jesus felt sorry for him, reached out, touched him, and said, “I’m willing. So be clean!”

⁴²Immediately, his skin disease went away, and he was clean.

⁴³Jesus sent him away at once and warned him, ⁴⁴“Don’t tell anyone about this! Instead, show yourself to the priest. Then offer the sacrifices which Moses commanded as proof to people that you are clean.”

⁴⁵When the man left, he began to talk freely. He spread his story so widely that Jesus could no longer enter any city openly. Instead, he stayed in places where he could be alone. But people still kept coming to him from everywhere.

Mark 2

Jesus Forgives Sins

¹Several days later Jesus came back to Capernaum. The report went out that he was home. ²Many people had gathered. There was no room left, even in front of the door. Jesus was speaking ⌞Theos’s⌟ word to them.

³Four men came to him carrying a paralyzed man. ⁴Since they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where Jesus was. Then they lowered the cot on which the paralyzed man was lying.

⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶Some experts in Moses’ Teachings were sitting there. They thought, ⁷“Why does he talk this way? He’s dishonoring Theos. Who besides Theos can forgive sins?”

⁸At once, Jesus knew inwardly what they were thinking. He asked them, “Why do you have these thoughts? ⁹Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your cot, and walk’? ¹⁰I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, ¹¹“I’m telling you to get up, pick up your cot, and go home!”

¹²The man got up, immediately picked up his cot, and walked away while everyone watched. Everyone was amazed and praised Theos, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Jesus Chooses Levi [Matthew] to Be a Disciple

¹³Jesus went to the seashore again. Large crowds came to him, and he taught them.

¹⁴When Jesus was leaving, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting in a tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” So Levi got up and followed him.

¹⁵Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners who were followers of Jesus were eating with him and his disciples. ¹⁶When the experts in Moses’ Teachings who were Pharisees saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷When Jesus heard that, he said to them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they have Theos’s approval.”

Jesus Is Questioned about Fasting

¹⁸John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples don’t?”

¹⁹Jesus replied, “Can wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

²¹“No one patches an old coat with a new piece of cloth that will shrink. Otherwise, the new patch will shrink and rip away some of the old cloth, and the tear will become worse. ²²People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will make the skins burst, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.”

Jesus Has Authority over the Day of Rest—a Holy Day

²³Once on a day of rest—a holy day, Jesus was going through the grainfields. As the disciples walked along, they began to pick the heads of grain.

²⁴The Pharisees asked him, “Look! Why are your disciples doing something that is not permitted on the day of rest—a holy day?”

²⁵Jesus asked them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and his men were in need and were hungry? ²⁶Haven’t you ever read how he went into the house of Theos when Abiathar was chief priest and ate the bread of the presence? He had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right. Haven’t you ever read how he also gave some of it to his men?”

²⁷Then he added, “The day of rest—a holy day, was made for people, not people for the day of rest. ²⁸For this reason the Son of Man has authority over the day of rest—a holy day.”

Mark 3

Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest—a Holy Day

¹Jesus went into a synagogue again. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there. ²The people were watching Jesus closely. They wanted to see whether he would heal the man on the day of rest—a holy day, so that they could accuse him of doing something wrong.

³So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand in the center ⌞of the synagogue⌟.” ⁴Then he asked them, “Is it right to do good or to do evil on the day of rest—a holy day, to give a person back his health or to let him die?”

But they were silent. ⁵Jesus was angry as he looked around at them. He was deeply hurt because their minds were closed. Then he told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held it out, and his hand became normal again.

⁶The Pharisees left, and with Herod’s followers they immediately plotted to kill Jesus.

Many People Are Cured

⁷Jesus left with his disciples for the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd from Galilee, Judea, ⁸Jerusalem, Idumea, and from across the Jordan River, and from around Tyre and Sidon followed him. They came to him because they had heard about everything he was doing. ⁹Jesus told his disciples to have a boat ready so that the crowd would not crush him. ¹⁰He had cured so many that everyone with a disease rushed up to him in order to touch him. ¹¹Whenever people with evil spirits saw him, they would fall down in front of him and shout, “You are the Son of Theos!” ¹²He gave them orders not to tell people who he was.

Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles

¹³Jesus went up a mountain, called those whom he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴He appointed twelve whom he called apostles. (Some manuscripts and translations omit “whom he called apostles.”) They were to accompany him and to be sent out by him to spread ⌞the Good News⌟. ¹⁵They also had the authority to force demons out of people.

¹⁶He appointed these twelve: Simon (whom Jesus named Peter), ¹⁷James and his brother John (Zebedee’s sons whom Jesus named Boanerges, which means “Thunderbolts”), ¹⁸Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹and Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Jesus).

Jesus Is Accused of Working with Beelzebul

²⁰Then Jesus went home. Another crowd gathered so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. ²¹When his family heard about it, they went to get him. They said, “He’s out of his mind!”

²²The experts in Moses’ Teachings who had come from Jerusalem said, “Beelzebul is in him,” and “He forces demons out of people with the help of the ruler of demons.”

²³Jesus called them together and used this illustration: “How can Satan force out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. ²⁵And if a household is divided against itself, that household will not last. ²⁶So if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot last. That will be the end of him.

²⁷“No one can go into a strong man’s house and steal his property. First he must tie up the strong man. Then he can go through the strong man’s house and steal his property.

²⁸“I can guarantee this truth: People will be forgiven for any sin or curse. ²⁹But whoever curses the Holy Spirit (pneuma) will never be forgiven. He is guilty of an everlasting sin.” ³⁰Jesus said this because the experts in Moses’ Teachings had said that he had an evil spirit (pneuma).

The True Family of Jesus

³¹Then his mother and his brothers arrived. They stood outside and sent someone to ask him to come out. ³²The crowd sitting around Jesus told him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³He replied to them, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ³⁴Then looking at those who sat in a circle around him, he said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. ³⁵Whoever does what Theos wants is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 4

A Story about a Farmer

¹Jesus began to teach again by the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was in the water while the entire crowd lined the shore. ²He used stories as illustrations to teach them many things.

While he was teaching them, he said, ³“Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. ⁴Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. ⁵Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didn’t have any roots, so they withered. ⁷Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didn’t produce anything. ⁸But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.” ⁹He added, “Let the person who has ears listen!”

¹⁰When he was alone with his followers and the twelve apostles, they asked him about the stories.

¹¹Jesus replied to them, “The mystery about Theos’s kingdom has been given ⌞directly⌟ to you. To those on the outside, it is given in stories:

12 ‘They see clearly but don’t perceive.
They hear clearly but don’t understand.
They never return to me
and are never forgiven.’ ”

¹³Jesus asked them, “Don’t you understand this story? How, then, will you understand any of the stories I use as illustrations?

¹⁴“The farmer plants the word. ¹⁵Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. Whenever they hear the word, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was planted in them. ¹⁶Other people are like seeds that were planted on rocky ground. Whenever they hear the word, they accept it at once with joy. ¹⁷But they don’t develop any roots. They last for a short time. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall ⌞from faith⌟. ¹⁸Other people are like seeds planted among thornbushes. They hear the word, ¹⁹but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can’t produce anything. ²⁰Others are like seeds planted on good ground. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.”

A Story about a Lamp

²¹Jesus said to them, “Does anyone bring a lamp into a room to put it under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a lamp stand? ²²There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light. ²³Let the person who has ears listen!”

²⁴He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you’re listening to! ⌞Knowledge⌟ will be measured out to you by the measure ⌞of attention⌟ you give. This is the way knowledge increases. ²⁵Those who understand ⌞these mysteries⌟ will be given ⌞more knowledge⌟. However, some people don’t understand ⌞these mysteries⌟. Even what they understand will be taken away from them.”

A Story about Seeds That Grow

²⁶Jesus said, “The kingdom of Theos is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground. ²⁷He sleeps at night and is awake during the day. The seeds sprout and grow, although the man doesn’t know how. ²⁸The ground produces grain by itself. First the green blade appears, then the head, then the head full of grain. ²⁹As soon as the grain is ready, he cuts it with a sickle, because harvest time has come.”

A Story about a Mustard Seed

³⁰Jesus asked, “How can we show what Theos’s kingdom is like? To what can we compare it? ³¹It’s like a mustard seed planted in the ground. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth. ³²However, when planted, it comes up and becomes taller than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that birds can nest in its shade.”

³³Jesus spoke ⌞Theos’s⌟ word to them using many illustrations like these. In this way people could understand what he taught. ³⁴He did not speak to them without using an illustration. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.

Jesus Calms the Sea

³⁵That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side.”

³⁶Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus along in a boat just as he was. Other boats were with him.

³⁷A violent windstorm came up. The waves were breaking into the boat so that it was quickly filling up. ³⁸But he was sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat.

So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

³⁹Then he got up, ordered the wind to stop, and said to the sea, “Be still, absolutely still!” The wind stopped blowing, and the sea became very calm.

⁴⁰He asked them, “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith yet?”

⁴¹They were overcome with fear and asked each other, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Mark 5

Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Man

¹They arrived in the territory of the Gerasenes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. ²As Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man came out of the tombs and met him. The man was controlled by an evil spirit (pneuma) ³and lived among the tombs. No one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain. ⁴He had often been chained hand and foot. However, he snapped the chains off his hands and broke the chains from his feet. No one could control him. ⁵Night and day he was among the tombs and on the mountainsides screaming and cutting himself with stones.

⁶The man saw Jesus at a distance. So he ran ⌞to Jesus⌟, bowed down in front of him, ⁷and shouted, “Why are you bothering me now, Jesus, Son of the Most High Theos? Swear to Theos that you won’t torture me.” ⁸He shouted this because Jesus said, “You evil spirit (pneuma), come out of the man.”

He told Jesus, “My name is Legion [Six Thousand], because there are many of us.” ¹⁰He begged Jesus not to send them out of the territory.

¹¹A large herd of pigs was feeding on a mountainside nearby. ¹²The demons begged him, “Send us into the pigs! Let us enter them!”

¹³Jesus let them do this. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea and drowned.

¹⁴Those who took care of the pigs ran away. In the city and countryside they reported everything that had happened. So the people came to see what had happened. ¹⁵They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. The man was sitting there dressed and in his right mind. The people were frightened. ¹⁶Those who saw this told what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. ¹⁷Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their territory.

¹⁸As Jesus stepped into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him, “Let me stay with you.” ¹⁹But Jesus would not allow it. Instead, he told the man, “Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been to you.”

²⁰So the man left. He began to tell how much Jesus had done for him in the Ten Cities. (A federation of ten Greek city states east and west of the Jordan River.) Everyone was amazed.

Jairus’ Daughter and a Woman with Chronic Bleeding

²¹Jesus again crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a boat. A large crowd gathered around him by the seashore.

²²A synagogue leader named Jairus also arrived. When he saw Jesus, he quickly bowed down in front of him. ²³He begged Jesus, “My little daughter is dying. Come, lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.”

²⁴Jesus went with the man. A huge crowd followed Jesus and pressed him on every side.

²⁵In the crowd was a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶Although she had been under the care of many doctors and had spent all her money, she had not been helped at all. Actually, she had become worse. ²⁷Since she had heard about Jesus, she came from behind in the crowd and touched his clothes. ²⁸She said, “If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll get well.” ²⁹Her bleeding stopped immediately. She felt cured from her illness.

³⁰At that moment Jesus felt power had gone out of him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹His disciples said to him, “How can you ask, ‘Who touched me,’ when you see the crowd pressing you on all sides?”

³²But he kept looking around to see the woman who had done this. ³³The woman trembled with fear. She knew what had happened to her. So she quickly bowed in front of him and told him the whole truth.

³⁴Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace! Be cured from your illness.”

³⁵While Jesus was still speaking to her, some people came from the synagogue leader’s home. They told the synagogue leader, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher anymore?”

³⁶When Jesus overheard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid! Just believe.”

³⁷Jesus allowed no one to go with him except Peter and the two brothers James and John. ³⁸When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a noisy crowd there. People were crying and sobbing loudly. ³⁹When he came into the house, he asked them, “Why are you making so much noise and crying? The child isn’t dead. She’s just sleeping.”

⁴⁰They laughed at him. So he made all of them go outside. Then he took the child’s father, mother, and his three disciples and went to the child. ⁴¹Jesus took the child’s hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum!” which means, “Little girl, I’m telling you to get up!”

⁴²The girl got up at once and started to walk. (She was twelve years old.) They were astonished.

⁴³Jesus ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give the little girl something to eat.

Mark 6

Nazareth Rejects Jesus

¹Jesus left that place and went to his hometown. His disciples followed him. ²When the day of rest—a holy day, came, he began to teach in the synagogue. He amazed many who heard him. They asked, “Where did this man get these ideas? Who gave him this kind of wisdom and the ability to do such great miracles? ³Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they took offense at him.

⁴But Jesus told them, “The only place a prophet isn’t honored is in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” ⁵He couldn’t work any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and cure them. ⁶Their unbelief amazed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

⁷He called the twelve apostles, sent them out two by two, and gave them authority over evil spirits. ⁸He instructed them to take nothing along on the trip except a walking stick. They were not to take any food, a traveling bag, or money in their pockets. ⁹They could wear sandals but could not take along a change of clothes.

¹⁰He told them, “Whenever you go into a home, stay there until you’re ready to leave that place. ¹¹Wherever people don’t welcome you or listen to you, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”

¹²So the apostles went and told people that they should turn to Theos and change the way they think and act. ¹³They also forced many demons out of people and poured oil on many who were sick to cure them.

Recalling John’s Death

¹⁴King Herod heard about Jesus, because Jesus’ name had become well-known. Some people were saying, “John the Baptizer has come back to life. That’s why he has the power to perform these miracles.” ¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.” Still others said, “He is a prophet like one of the other prophets.” ¹⁶But when Herod heard about it, he said, “I had John’s head cut off, and he has come back to life!”

¹⁷Herod had sent men who had arrested John, tied him up, and put him in prison. Herod did that for Herodias, whom he had married. (She used to be his brother Philip’s wife.) ¹⁸John had been telling Herod, “It’s not right for you to be married to your brother’s wife.”

¹⁹So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she wasn’t allowed to do it ²⁰because Herod was afraid of John. Herod knew that John was a fair and holy man, so he protected him. When he listened to John, he would become very disturbed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

²¹An opportunity finally came on Herod’s birthday. Herod gave a dinner for his top officials, army officers, and the most important people of Galilee. ²²His daughter, that is, Herodias’ daughter, came in and danced. Herod and his guests were delighted with her. The king told the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³He swore an oath to her: “I’ll give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom.”

²⁵So the girl hurried back to the king with her request. She said, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptizer on a platter at once.”

²⁶The king deeply regretted his promise. But because of his oath and his guests, he didn’t want to refuse her. ²⁷Immediately, the king sent a guard and ordered him to bring John’s head. The guard cut off John’s head in prison. ²⁸Then he brought the head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

²⁹When John’s disciples heard about this, they came for his body and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

³⁰The apostles gathered around Jesus. They reported to him everything they had done and taught. ³¹So he said to them, “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone to rest for a while.” Many people were coming and going, and Jesus and the apostles didn’t even have a chance to eat.

³²So they went away in a boat to a place where they could be alone. ³³But many people saw them leave and recognized them. The people ran from all the cities and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd and felt sorry for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he spent a lot of time teaching them.

³⁵When it was late, his disciples came to him. They said, “No one lives around here, and it’s already late. ³⁶Send the people to the closest farms and villages to buy themselves something to eat.”

They said to him, “Should we go and spend about a year’s wages on bread to feed them?”

³⁹Then he ordered all of them to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

⁴¹After he took the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed the food. He broke the loaves apart and kept giving them to the disciples to give to the people. He also gave pieces of the two fish to everyone. ⁴²All of them ate as much as they wanted. ⁴³When they picked up the leftover pieces, they filled twelve baskets with bread and fish. ⁴⁴There were 5,000 men who had eaten the bread.

Jesus Walks on the Sea

⁴⁵Jesus quickly made his disciples get into a boat and cross to Bethsaida ahead of him while he sent the people away. ⁴⁶After saying goodbye to them, he went up a mountain to pray. ⁴⁷When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.

⁴⁸Jesus saw that they were in a lot of trouble as they rowed, because they were going against the wind. Between three and six o’clock in the morning, he came to them. He was walking on the sea. He wanted to pass by them. ⁴⁹When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought, “It’s a ghost!” and they began to scream. ⁵⁰All of them saw him and were terrified.

Immediately, he said, “Calm down! It’s me. Don’t be afraid!” ⁵¹He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped blowing. The disciples were astounded. ⁵²(They didn’t understand what had happened with the loaves of bread. Instead, their minds were closed.)

⁵⁴As soon as they stepped out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus. ⁵⁵They ran all over the countryside and began to carry the sick on cots to any place where they heard he was. ⁵⁶Whenever he would go into villages, cities, or farms, people would put their sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch the edge of his clothes. Everyone who touched his clothes was made well.

Mark 7

Jesus Challenges the Pharisees’ Traditions

¹The Pharisees and some experts in Moses’ Teachings who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. ²They saw that some of his disciples were unclean (“Unclean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to Theos.) because they ate without washing their hands.

³(The Pharisees, like all other Jewish people, don’t eat unless they have properly washed their hands. They follow the traditions of their ancestors. ⁴When they come from the marketplace, they don’t eat unless they have washed first. They have been taught to follow many other rules. For example, they must also wash their cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables. (Some manuscripts and translations omit “and dinner tables.”))

⁵The Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples follow the traditions taught by our ancestors? They are unclean because they don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

⁶Jesus told them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites in Scripture:

‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship of me is pointless,
because their teachings are rules made by humans.’

⁸“You abandon the commandments of Theos to follow human traditions.” ⁹He added, “You have no trouble rejecting the commandments of Theos in order to keep your own traditions! ¹⁰For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ ¹¹But you say, ‘If a person tells his father or mother that whatever he might have used to help them is corban (that is, an offering to Theos), ¹²he no longer has to do anything for his father or mother.’ ¹³Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of Theos’s word. And you do many other things like that.”

¹⁴Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand! ¹⁵Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It’s what comes out of a person that makes him unclean. ¹⁶Let the person who has ears listen!” (Some manuscripts and translations omit this verse.)

¹⁷When he had left the people and gone home, his disciples asked him about this illustration.

¹⁸Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand? Don’t you know that whatever goes into a person from the outside can’t make him unclean? ¹⁹It doesn’t go into his thoughts but into his stomach and then into a toilet.” (By saying this, Jesus declared all foods acceptable.) ²⁰He continued, “It’s what comes out of a person that makes him unclean. ²¹Evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, ²²adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, cursing, arrogance, and foolishness come from within a person. ²³All these evils come from within and make a person unclean.”

The Faith of a Greek Woman

²⁴Jesus left that place and went to the territory of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was staying in a house there. However, it couldn’t be kept a secret.

²⁵A woman whose little daughter had an evil spirit (pneuma) heard about Jesus. She went to him and bowed down. ²⁶The woman happened to be Greek, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She asked him to force the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷Jesus said to her, “First, let the children eat all they want. It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁸She answered him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat some of the children’s scraps.”

²⁹Jesus said to her, “Because you have said this, go! The demon has left your daughter.”

³⁰The woman went home and found the little child lying on her bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

³¹Jesus then left the neighborhood of Tyre. He went through Sidon and the territory of the Ten Cities (A federation of ten Greek city states east and west of the Jordan River.) to the Sea of Galilee.

³²Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and who also had a speech defect. They begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. ³³Jesus took him away from the crowd to be alone with him. He put his fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, he touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴Then he looked up to heaven, sighed, and said to the man, “Ephphatha!” which means, “Be opened!” ³⁵At once the man could hear and talk normally.

³⁶Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them, the more they spread the news. ³⁷Jesus completely amazed the people. They said, “He has done everything well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute talk.”

Mark 8

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

¹About that time there was once again a large crowd with nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, ²“I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. ³If I send them home before they’ve eaten, they will become exhausted on the road. Some of them have come a long distance.”

⁴His disciples asked him, “Where could anyone get enough bread to feed these people in this place where no one lives?”

⁶He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks to Theos. Then he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to serve to the people. ⁷They also had a few small fish. He blessed them and said that the fish should also be served to the people. ⁸The people ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets. ⁹About four thousand people were there. Then he sent the people on their way.

¹⁰After that, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat and went into the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees Ask for a Sign from Heaven

¹¹The Pharisees went to Jesus and began to argue with him. They tested him by demanding that he perform a miraculous sign from heaven.

¹²With a deep sigh he asked, “Why do these people demand a sign? I can guarantee this truth: If these people are given a sign, it will be far different than what they want!”

The Yeast of the Pharisees

He got into a boat again and crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. ¹⁴The disciples had forgotten to take any bread along and had only one loaf with them in the boat.

¹⁵Jesus warned them, “Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”

¹⁶They had been discussing with one another that they didn’t have any bread.

¹⁷Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you catch on? Are your minds closed? ¹⁸Are you blind and deaf? Don’t you remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?”

²⁰“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?”

Jesus Gives Sight to a Blind Man

²²As they came to Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch him. ²³Jesus took the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. He spit into the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. Jesus asked him, “Can you see anything?”

²⁴The man looked up and said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.”

²⁵Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes a second time, and the man saw clearly. His sight was normal again. He could see everything clearly even at a distance. ²⁶Jesus told him when he sent him home, “Don’t go into the village.”

Peter Declares His Belief about Jesus

²⁷Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸They answered him, “Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”

Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life

³¹Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He taught them that he would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. He would be killed, but after three days he would come back to life. ³²He told them very clearly what he meant.

Peter took him aside and objected to this. ³³Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and objected to what Peter said. Jesus said, “Get out of my way, Satan! You aren’t thinking the way Theos thinks but the way humans think.”

What It Means to Follow Jesus

³⁴Then Jesus called the crowd to himself along with his disciples. He said to them, “Those who want to follow me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. ³⁵Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me and for the Good News will save them. ³⁶What good does it do for people to win the whole world yet lose their lives? ³⁷Or what should a person give in exchange for life? ³⁸If people are ashamed of me and what I say in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes with the holy angels in his Father’s glory.”

Mark 9

¹He said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see Theos’s kingdom arrive with power.”

Moses and Elijah Appear with Jesus

²After six days Jesus took only Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.

Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. ³His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. ⁴Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.

⁵Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s put up three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶(Peter didn’t know how to respond. He and the others were terrified.)

⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

⁹On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. They were to wait until the Son of Man had come back to life. ¹⁰They kept in mind what he said but argued among themselves what he meant by “come back to life.” ¹¹So they asked him, “Don’t the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that Elijah must come first?”

¹²Jesus said to them, “Elijah is coming first and will put everything in order again. But in what sense was it written that the Son of Man must suffer a lot and be treated shamefully? ¹³Indeed, I can guarantee that Elijah has come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased, as Scripture says about him.”

Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Boy

¹⁴When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. Some experts in Moses’ Teachings were arguing with them. ¹⁵All the people were very surprised to see Jesus and ran to welcome him.

¹⁶Jesus asked the experts in Moses’ Teachings, “What are you arguing about with them?”

¹⁷A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son. He is possessed by a spirit (pneuma) that won’t let him talk. ¹⁸Whenever the spirit (pneuma) brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes exhausted. I asked your disciples to force the spirit (pneuma) out, but they didn’t have the power to do it.”

¹⁹Jesus said to them, “You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!”

²⁰They brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit (pneuma) saw Jesus, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground, rolled around, and foamed at the mouth.

The father replied, “He has been this way since he was a child. ²²The demon has often thrown him into fire or into water to destroy him. If it’s possible for you, put yourself in our place, and help us!”

²³Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.”

²⁴The child’s father cried out at once, “I believe! Help my lack of faith.”

²⁵When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he gave an order to the evil spirit (pneuma). He said, “You spirit (pneuma) that won’t let him talk, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶The evil spirit (pneuma) screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and everyone said, “He’s dead!”

²⁸When Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we force the spirit (pneuma) out of the boy?”

²⁹He told them, “This kind of spirit (pneuma) can be forced out only by prayer.” (Some manuscripts and translations add “and fasting.”)

Jesus Again Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life

³⁰They left that place and were passing through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was ³¹because he was teaching his disciples. He taught them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people. They will kill him, but on the third day he will come back to life.”

Greatness in the Kingdom

³³Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest.

³⁵He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, “Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.” ³⁶Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Using the Name of Jesus

³⁸John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.”

³⁹Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me. ⁴⁰Whoever isn’t against us is for us. ⁴¹I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”

Causing Others to Lose Faith

⁴²“These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.

⁴³“So if your hand causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life disabled than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out. (Some manuscripts and translations add verses 44 and 46, which both say: “In hell worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out.”) ⁴⁵If your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear it out! It is better for you to enter Theos’s kingdom with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁸In hell worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out. ⁴⁹Everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor? Have salt within you, and live in peace with one another.”

Mark 10

A Discussion about Divorce

¹Jesus left there and went into the territory of Judea along the other side of the Jordan River. Crowds gathered around him again, and he taught them as he usually did.

²Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Can a husband divorce his wife?”

⁴They said, “Moses allowed a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her.”

⁵Jesus said to them, “He wrote this command for you because you’re heartless. ⁶But Theos made them male and female in the beginning, at creation. ⁷That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, ⁸and the two will be one. So they are no longer two but one. ⁹Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what Theos has joined together.”

¹⁰When they were in a house, the disciples asked him about this. ¹¹He answered them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery. ¹²If a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”

Jesus Blesses Children

¹³Some people brought little children to Jesus to have him hold them. But the disciples told the people not to do that.

¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he became irritated. He told them, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me. Children like these are part of Theos’s kingdom. ¹⁵I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn’t receive Theos’s kingdom as a little child receives it will never enter it.”

¹⁶Jesus put his arms around the children and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

Eternal Life in the Kingdom

¹⁷As Jesus was coming out to the road, a man came running to him and knelt in front of him. He asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except Theos alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Never cheat. Honor your father and mother.”

²⁰The man replied, “Teacher, I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy.”

²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. He told him, “You’re still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”

²²When the man heard that, he looked unhappy and went away sad, because he owned a lot of property.

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for rich people to enter Theos’s kingdom!”

²⁴The disciples were stunned by his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter Theos’s kingdom! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter Theos’s kingdom.”

²⁶This amazed his disciples more than ever. They asked each other, “Who, then, can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “It’s impossible for people ⌞to save themselves⌟, but it’s not impossible for Theos to save them. Everything is possible for Theos.”

²⁹Jesus said, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the Good News ³⁰will certainly receive a hundred times as much here in this life. They will certainly receive homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, along with persecutions. But in the world to come they will receive eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

For the Third Time Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life

³²Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them. His disciples were shocked ⌞that he was going to Jerusalem⌟. The others who followed were afraid. Once again he took the twelve apostles aside. He began to tell them what was going to happen to him. ³³“We’re going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to foreigners. ³⁴They will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he will come back to life.”

James and John Make a Request

³⁵James and John, sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus. They said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do us a favor.”

³⁷They said to him, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

³⁸Jesus said, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive?”

Jesus told them, “You will drink the cup that I’m going to drink. You will be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive. ⁴⁰But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. Those positions have already been prepared for certain people.”

⁴¹When the other ten apostles heard about it, they were irritated with James and John. ⁴²Jesus called the apostles and said, “You know that the acknowledged rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over people. ⁴³But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. ⁴⁴Whoever wants to be most important among you will be a slave for everyone. ⁴⁵It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

Jesus Gives Sight to Bartimaeus

⁴⁶Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus, his disciples, and many people were leaving Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷When he heard that Jesus from Nazareth ⌞was passing by⌟, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸The people told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!” They called the blind man and told him, “Cheer up! Get up! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰The blind man threw off his coat, jumped up, and went to Jesus.

Mark 11

The King Comes to Jerusalem

¹When they came near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead of him. ²He said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it, and bring it. ³If anyone asks you what you are doing, say that the Lord needs it. That person will send it here at once.”

⁴The disciples found the young donkey in the street. It was tied to the door of a house. As they were untying it, ⁵some men standing there asked them, “Why are you untying that donkey?” ⁶The disciples answered them as Jesus had told them. So the men let them go.

⁷They brought the donkey to Jesus, put their coats on it, and he sat on it. ⁸Many spread their coats on the road. Others cut leafy branches in the fields and spread them on the road. ⁹Those who went ahead and those who followed him were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is our ancestor David’s kingdom that is coming!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹¹Jesus came into Jerusalem and went into the temple courtyard, where he looked around at everything. Since it was already late, he went out with the twelve apostles to Bethany.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

¹²The next day, when they left Bethany, Jesus became hungry. ¹³In the distance he saw a fig tree with leaves. He went to see if he could find any figs on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves because it wasn’t the season for figs. ¹⁴Then he said to the tree, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” His disciples heard this.

Jesus Throws Out the Moneychangers

¹⁵When they came to Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple courtyard and began to throw out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the moneychangers’ tables and the chairs of those who sold pigeons. ¹⁶He would not let anyone carry anything across the temple courtyard.

¹⁷Then he taught them by saying, “Scripture says, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a gathering place for thieves.”

¹⁸When the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings heard him, they looked for a way to kill him. They were afraid of him because he amazed all the crowds with his teaching.

The Fig Tree Dries Up

²⁰While Jesus and his disciples were walking early in the morning, they saw that the fig tree had dried up. ²¹Peter remembered ⌞what Jesus had said⌟, so he said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has dried up.”

²²Jesus said to them, “Have faith in Theos! ²³I can guarantee this truth: This is what will be done for someone who doesn’t doubt but believes what he says will happen: He can say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done for him. ²⁴That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours. ²⁵Whenever you pray, forgive anything you have against anyone. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your failures.” (Some manuscripts and translations add verse 26: “But if you don’t forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your failures.”)

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

²⁷Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple courtyard, the chief priests, the experts in Moses’ Teachings, and the leaders came to him. ²⁸They asked him, “What gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?”

²⁹Jesus said to them, “I’ll ask you a question. Answer me, and then I’ll tell you why I have the right to do these things. ³⁰Did John’s right to baptize come from heaven or from humans? Answer me!”

³¹They discussed this among themselves. They said, “If we say, ‘from heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³²But if we say, ‘from humans,’ ⌞then what will happen⌟?” They were afraid of the people. All the people thought of John as a true prophet. ³³So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you why I have the right to do these things.”

Mark 12

A Story about a Vineyard

¹Then, using this illustration, Jesus spoke to them. He said, “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, made a vat for the winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to vineyard workers and went on a trip.

²“At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to collect from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. ³The workers took the servant, beat him, and sent him back with nothing. ⁴So the man sent another servant to them. They hit the servant on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵The man sent another, and they killed that servant. Then he sent many other servants. Some of these they beat, and others they killed.

⁶“He had one more person to send. That person was his son, whom he loved. Finally, he sent his son to them. He thought, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷“But those workers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸So they took him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

⁹“What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the workers and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰Have you never read the Scripture passage:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
11 The Lord has done this,
and it is amazing for us to see’?”

¹²They wanted to arrest him but were afraid of the crowd. They knew that he had directed this illustration at them. So they left him alone and went away.

A Question about Taxes

¹³The leaders sent some of the Pharisees and some of Herod’s followers to Jesus. They wanted to trap him into saying the wrong thing. ¹⁴When they came to him, they said, “Teacher, we know that you tell the truth. You don’t favor individuals because of who they are. Rather, you teach the way of Theos truthfully. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor or not? Should we pay taxes or not?”

¹⁵Jesus recognized their hypocrisy, so he asked them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a coin so that I can look at it.”

¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give Theos what belongs to Theos.”

The Dead Come Back to Life

¹⁸Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him, ¹⁹“Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.’ ²⁰There were seven brothers. The first got married and died without having children. ²¹The second married her and died without having children. So did the third. ²²None of the seven brothers had any children. Last of all, the woman died. ²³When the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? The seven brothers had married her.”

²⁴Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you mistaken because you don’t know the Scriptures or Theos’s power? ²⁵When the dead come back to life, they don’t marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven. ²⁶Haven’t you read in the book of Moses that the dead come back to life? It’s in the passage about the bush, where Theos said, ‘I am the Theos of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ ²⁷He’s not the Theos of the dead but of the living. You’re badly mistaken!”

Love Theos and Your Neighbor

²⁸One of the experts in Moses’ Teachings went to Jesus during the argument with the Sadducees. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”

²⁹Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our Theos is the only Lord. ³⁰So love the Lord your Theos with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

³²The expert in Moses’ Teachings said to Jesus, “Teacher, that was well said! You’ve told the truth that there is only one Theos and no other besides him! ³³To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴When Jesus heard how wisely the man answered, he told the man, “You’re not too far from Theos’s kingdom.”

How Can David’s Son Be David’s Lord?

³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard, he asked, “How can the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that the Messiah is David’s son? ³⁶David, guided by the Holy Spirit (pneuma), said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Take the honored position—the one next to me [Theos the Father] on the heavenly throne—
until I put your enemies under your control.” ’

Jesus Disapproves of the Example Set by the Experts in Moses’ Teachings

The large crowd enjoyed listening to him. ³⁸As he taught, he said, “Watch out for the experts in Moses’ Teachings! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces, ³⁹and to have the front seats in synagogues and the places of honor at dinners. ⁴⁰They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The experts in Moses’ Teachings will receive the most severe punishment.”

A Widow’s Contribution

⁴¹As Jesus sat facing the temple offering box, he watched how ⌞much⌟ money people put into it. Many rich people put in large amounts. ⁴²A poor widow dropped in two small coins, worth less than a cent.

⁴³He called his disciples and said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: This poor widow has given more than all the others. ⁴⁴All of them have given what they could spare. But she, in her poverty, has given everything she had to live on.”

Mark 13

Jesus Teaches Disciples on the Mount of Olives

¹As Jesus was going out of the temple courtyard, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these huge stones and these beautiful buildings!”

²Jesus said to him, “Do you see these large buildings? Not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down.”

³As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives facing the temple buildings, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will come to an end?”

⁵Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. ⁶Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many people.

⁷“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. ⁸Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes and famines in various places. These are only the beginning pains ⌞of the end⌟.

⁹“Be on your guard! People will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings to testify to them because of me. ¹⁰But first, the Good News must be spread to all nations. ¹¹When they take you away to hand you over to the authorities, don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Instead, say whatever is given to you to say when the time comes. Indeed, you are not the one who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit (pneuma) will.

¹²“Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. ¹³Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴“When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. ¹⁵Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses. ¹⁶Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.

¹⁷“How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. ¹⁸Pray that it will not be in winter. ¹⁹It will be a time of misery that has not happened from the beginning of Theos’s creation until now, and will certainly never happen again. ²⁰If the Lord does not reduce that time, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom Theos has chosen.

²¹“At that time don’t believe anyone who tells you, ‘Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ ²²False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, those whom Theos has chosen. ²³Be on your guard! I have told you everything before it happens.

²⁴“Now, after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, ²⁵the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken.

²⁶“Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷He will send out his angels, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom Theos has chosen.

²⁸“Learn from the story of the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and it sprouts leaves, you know summer is near. ²⁹In the same way, when you see these things happen, you know that he is near, at the door.

³⁰“I can guarantee this truth: This generation will not disappear until all these things take place. ³¹The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

No One Knows When the Earth and the Heavens Will Disappear

³²“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. ³³Be careful! Watch! You don’t know the exact time. ³⁴It is like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge. He assigned work to each one and ordered the guard to be alert. ³⁵Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know when the owner of the house will return. It could be in the evening or at midnight or at dawn or in the morning. ³⁶Make sure he doesn’t come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷I’m telling everyone what I’m telling you: ‘Be alert!’ ”

Mark 14

The Plot to Kill Jesus

¹It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings were looking for some underhanded way to arrest Jesus and to kill him. ²However, they said, “We shouldn’t arrest him during the festival, or else there will be a riot among the people.”

A Woman Prepares Jesus’ Body for the Tomb

³Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had suffered from a skin disease. While Jesus was sitting there, a woman went to him. She had a bottle of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She opened the bottle and poured the perfume on his head.

⁴Some who were there were irritated and said to one another, “Why was the perfume wasted like this? ⁵This perfume could have been sold for a high price, and the money could have been given to the poor.” So they said some very unkind things to her.

⁶Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ⁷You will always have the poor with you and can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have me with you. ⁸She did what she could. She came to pour perfume on my body before it is placed in a tomb. ⁹I can guarantee this truth: Wherever the Good News is spoken in the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas Plans to Betray Jesus

¹⁰Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus. ¹¹They were pleased to hear what Judas had to say and promised to give him money. So he kept looking for a chance to betray Jesus.

Preparations for the Passover

¹²Killing the Passover lamb was customary on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The disciples asked Jesus, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

¹³He sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city. You will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him. ¹⁴When he goes into a house, tell the owner that the teacher asks, ‘Where is my room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ ¹⁵He will take you upstairs and show you a large room. The room will be completely furnished. Get everything ready for us there.”

¹⁶The disciples left. They went into the city and found everything as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

Jesus Knows Who Will Betray Him

¹⁸While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I can guarantee this truth: One of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me!”

¹⁹Feeling hurt, they asked him one by one, “You don’t mean me, do you?”

²⁰He said to them, “It’s one of you twelve, someone dipping his hand into the bowl with me. ²¹The Son of Man is going to die as the Scriptures say he will. But how horrible it will be for that person who betrays the Son of Man! It would have been better for that person if he had never been born.”

The Lord’s Supper

²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread, gave it to them, and said, “Take this. This is my body.”

²³Then he took a cup, spoke a prayer of thanksgiving, and gave the cup to them. They all drank from it. ²⁴He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the promise. (Or “testament,” or “covenant.”) It is poured out for many people.

²⁵“I can guarantee this truth: I won’t drink this wine again until that day when I drink new wine in Theos’s kingdom.”

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

²⁸“But after I am brought back to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”

³⁰Jesus said to Peter, “I can guarantee this truth: Tonight, before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”

³¹But Peter said very strongly, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say that I don’t know you.” All the other disciples said the same thing.

Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane

³²Then they came to a place called Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, “Stay here while I pray.”

³³He took Peter, James, and John with him and began to feel distressed and anguished. ³⁴He said to them, “My anguish is so great that I feel as if I’m dying. Wait here, and stay awake.”

³⁵After walking a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible he might not have to suffer what was ahead of him. ³⁶He said, “Abba! (Abba is Aramaic for “father.”) Father! You can do anything. Take this cup ⌞of suffering⌟ away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”

³⁷He went back and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour? ³⁸Stay awake, and pray that you won’t be tempted. You want to do what’s right, but you’re weak.”

³⁹He went away again and prayed the same prayer as before. ⁴⁰He found them asleep because they couldn’t keep their eyes open. They didn’t even know what they should say to him.

⁴¹He came back a third time and said to them, “You might as well sleep now. It’s all over. The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. ⁴²Get up! Let’s go! The one who is betraying me is near.”

Jesus Is Arrested

⁴³Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, arrived. A crowd carrying swords and clubs was with him. They were from the chief priests, the experts in Moses’ Teachings, and the leaders of the people. ⁴⁴Now, the traitor had given them a signal. He said, “The one I kiss is the man you want. Arrest him, and guard him closely as you take him away.”

⁴⁵Then Judas quickly stepped up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁴⁶Some men took hold of Jesus and arrested him. ⁴⁷One of those standing there pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of the chief priest’s servant.

⁴⁸Jesus asked them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a criminal? ⁴⁹I used to teach in the temple courtyard every day. But you didn’t arrest me then. But what the Scriptures say must come true.”

⁵¹A certain young man was following Jesus. He had nothing on but a linen sheet. They tried to arrest him, ⁵²but he left the linen sheet behind and ran away naked.

The Trial in Front of the Jewish Council

⁵³The men took Jesus to the chief priest. All the chief priests, the leaders, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings had gathered together. ⁵⁴Peter followed him at a distance and went into the chief priest’s courtyard. He sat with the guards and warmed himself facing the glow of a fire.

⁵⁵The chief priests and the whole Jewish council were searching for some testimony against Jesus in order to execute him. But they couldn’t find any. ⁵⁶Many gave false testimony against him, but their statements did not agree.

⁵⁷Then some men stood up and gave false testimony against him. They said, ⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I’ll tear down this temple made by humans, and in three days I’ll build another temple, one not made by human hands.’ ” ⁵⁹But their testimony did not agree even on this point.

⁶⁰So the chief priest stood up in the center and asked Jesus, “Don’t you have any answer to what these men testify against you?”

The chief priest asked him again, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶²Jesus answered, “Yes, I am, and you will see the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to Theos the Father on the heavenly throne. He will be coming with the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³The chief priest tore his clothes in horror and said, “Why do we need any more witnesses? ⁶⁴You’ve heard him dishonor Theos! What’s your verdict?”

All of them condemned him with the death sentence. ⁶⁵Some of them began to spit on him. They covered his face and hit him with their fists. They said to him, “Prophesy!” Even the guards took him and slapped him.

Peter Denies Jesus

⁶⁶Peter was in the courtyard. One of the chief priest’s female servants ⁶⁷saw Peter warming himself. She looked at him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus from Nazareth!”

⁶⁸But Peter denied it by saying, “I don’t know him, and I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

He went to the entrance. Then a rooster crowed. (Some manuscripts and translations omit this sentence.)

⁶⁹The servant saw him. Once again she said to those who were standing around, “This man is one of them!” ⁷⁰Peter again denied it.

After a little while the men standing there said to Peter again, “It’s obvious you’re one of them. You’re a Galilean!”

⁷¹Then Peter began to curse and swear with an oath, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” ⁷²Just then a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered that Jesus said to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter began to cry very hard.

Mark 15

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹Early in the morning the chief priests immediately came to a decision with the leaders and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. The whole Jewish council decided to tie Jesus up, lead him away, and hand him over to Pilate.

⁴So Pilate asked him again, “Don’t you have any answer? Look how many accusations they’re bringing against you!”

The Crowd Rejects Jesus

⁶At every Passover festival, Pilate would free one prisoner whom the people asked for. ⁷There was a man named Barabbas in prison. He was with some rebels who had committed murder during a riot. ⁸The crowd asked Pilate to do for them what he always did. ⁹Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews for you?” ¹⁰Pilate knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.

¹¹The chief priests stirred up the crowd so that Pilate would free Barabbas for them instead.

¹²So Pilate again asked them, “Then what should I do with the king of the Jews?”

¹⁵Pilate wanted to satisfy the people, so he freed Barabbas for them. But he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard of the palace and called together the whole troop. ¹⁷They dressed him in purple, twisted some thorns into a crown, and placed it on his head. ¹⁸Then they began to greet him, “Long live the king of the Jews!” ¹⁹They kept hitting him on the head with a stick, spitting on him, and kneeling in front of him with false humility.

The Crucifixion

²⁰After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. ²¹A man named Simon from the city of Cyrene was coming ⌞into Jerusalem⌟ from his home in the country. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. As he was about to pass by, the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.

²²They took Jesus to Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³They tried to give him wine mixed with a drug called myrrh, but he wouldn’t take it. ²⁴Next they crucified him. Then they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice to see what each one would get. ²⁵It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶There was a written notice of the accusation against him. It read, “The king of the Jews.”

²⁷They crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left. (Some manuscripts and translations add verse 28: “And what the Scriptures said came true: ‘He was counted with criminals.’ ”)

²⁹Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads and said, “What a joke! You were going to tear down Theos’s temple and build it again in three days. ³⁰Come down from the cross, and save yourself!” ³¹The chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings made fun of him among themselves in the same way. They said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. ³²Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now so that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with him were insulting him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

³³At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My Theos, my Theos, why have you abandoned me?”

³⁵When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “Listen! He’s calling Elijah.” ³⁶Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. The man said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and died. ³⁸The curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom.

³⁹When the officer who stood facing Jesus saw how he gave up his spirit (pneuma), he said, “Certainly, this man was the Son of Theos!”

⁴⁰Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of young James and Joseph), and Salome. ⁴¹They had followed him and supported him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him were there too.

Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb

⁴²It was Friday evening, before the day of rest—a holy day, ⁴³when Joseph arrived. He was from the city of Arimathea and was an important member of the Jewish council. He, too, was waiting for Theos’s kingdom. Joseph boldly went to Pilate’s quarters to ask for the body of Jesus.

⁴⁴Pilate wondered if Jesus had already died. So he summoned the officer to ask him if Jesus was, in fact, dead. ⁴⁵When the officer had assured him that Jesus was dead, Pilate let Joseph have the corpse.

⁴⁶Joseph had purchased some linen cloth. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in the cloth. Then he laid the body in a tomb, which had been cut out of rock, and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷Mary from Magdala and Mary (the mother of Joses) watched where Jesus was laid.

Mark 16

Jesus Comes Back to Life

¹When the day of rest—a holy day, was over, Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James), and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Jesus.

²On Sunday they were going to the tomb very early when the sun had just come up. ³They said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. It was a very large stone. ⁵As they went into the tomb, they saw a young man. He was dressed in a white robe and sat on the right side. They were panic-stricken.

⁶The young man said to them, “Don’t panic! You’re looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been brought back to life. He’s not here. Look at the place where they laid him. ⁷Go and tell his disciples and Peter that he’s going ahead of them to Galilee. There they will see him, just as he told them.”

⁸They went out of the tomb and ran away. Shock and trembling had overwhelmed them. They didn’t say a thing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Some manuscripts and translations end Mark here; some add verses 9–20.)

Jesus Appears to His Followers

⁹After Jesus came back to life early on Sunday, he appeared first to Mary from Magdala, from whom he had forced out seven demons. ¹⁰She went and told his friends, who were grieving and crying. ¹¹They didn’t believe her when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him.

¹²Later Jesus appeared to two disciples as they were walking to their home in the country. He did not look as he usually did. ¹³They went back and told the others, who did not believe them either. ¹⁴Still later Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles while they were eating. He put them to shame for their unbelief and because they were too stubborn to believe those who had seen him alive.

¹⁵Then Jesus said to them, “So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. ¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

¹⁷“These are the miraculous signs that will accompany believers: They will use the power and authority of my name to force demons out of people. They will speak new languages. ¹⁸They will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them. They will place their hands on the sick and cure them.”

¹⁹After talking with the apostles, the Lord was taken to heaven, where he received the honored position—the one next to Theos the Father on the throne.

²⁰The disciples spread ⌞the Good News⌟ everywhere. The Lord worked with them. He confirmed his word by the miraculous signs that accompanied it.