The Gospel of Mark for Readers
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The Gospel of Mark
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1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger who
shall prepare the way before thee. The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. John
did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins. After confessing their sins many from the
land of Judaea and from Jerusalem were baptized by him in the river of
Jordan.
John was clothed with camel's hair and wore animal hides around his
loins and he ate locusts and wild honey. He preached, saying, There
comes one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy
to stoop down and unloose. I have baptized you with water but He shall
baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee and was baptized by John in the river of Jordan. Immediately,
upon His coming up out of the water, John saw the heavens open and the
Spirit, like a dove, descend upon Him. And there came a voice from
heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
The spirit drove Him into the wilderness. There, among wild beasts, He
was tempted by Satan for forty days. Then the angels ministered to
Him. Now, after that, John was put in prison and Jesus came into
Galilee. He began preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and
saying, The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent
and believe the gospel.
He walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, his brother,
casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to
them, Come ye after me and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately
they left their nets and followed Him.
When He had gone on a little farther, He saw James, the son of
Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a boat mending their nets. Jesus
called them. They immediately left their father, Zebedee, in the boat
with the hired servants and went after Him.
They went into Capernaum. On the sabbath day He entered the synagogue
and taught. And they were astonished at His doctrine for He taught
them as one with authority and not as the scribes. And in their
synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit. He cried out and
said, Let us alone. What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth?
Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Holy One of God.
And Jesus rebuked him and said, Hold thy peace and come out of him.
And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice,
he came out of him.
The people were amazed, so much so that they questioned among
themselves, saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? He even
commands with authority the unclean spirits and they obey Him.
Immediately His fame spread throughout the region around Galilee.
After they left the synagogue, they went to the house of Simon and
Andrew. Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and presently
they told Jesus about her. He came and took her by the hand. Then He
lifted her up and, immediately, the fever left her. And she, then,
ministered to them.
That evening around sunset, many people were brought to Him who were
diseased and some who were possessed with devils. And all the city
gathered together at the door. Jesus healed many that were sick of
divers diseases. He cast out many devils and did not allow the devils
to speak because they knew Him.
The next morning, rising before dawn, He went to a solitary place to
pray. Simon and those who were with him followed. When they found Him,
they said, All men seek for thee. And Jesus said to them, Let us go on
to the next towns that I may preach there also: for therefore came I
forth.
And Jesus preached in the synagogues throughout Galilee, and cast out
devils. There came to Him a leper. Kneeling down and beseeching Him,
the leper said, If thou wilt, thou can make me clean. Jesus was moved
with compassion. He put out His hand, touched him, and said, I will.
Be thou clean.
And, as soon as He had spoken, the leprosy departed and the man was
cleansed. Jesus directly charged him to say nothing to any man. Jesus
said, Go thy way. Show thyself to the priest and offer for thy
cleansing those things which Moses commanded for a testimony to them.
But he went out and began to broadcast the matter. He said so much
that Jesus could no more openly enter the city but had to stay out in
desert places. And they came to Him from every quarter.
2 After some days Jesus entered Capernaum again and His arrival
was widely announced. The people knew that He returned to the house.
And, immediately, many gathered, so much that there was no room to
receive them, no, not so much as outside the door. Jesus preached the
word to them.
There came to Him one sick with palsy who was carried by four others.
When they could not get near Jesus because of the crowd, they
uncovered the roof above where Jesus stood. Having broken through,
they lowered down the bed wherein the sick man lay. When Jesus saw
their faith, He said to the sick man, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.
There were certain of the scribes sitting there. They wondered, Why
does this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?
When Jesus realized that they so reasoned, He said to them, Why reason
ye these things in your hearts? Whether it is easier to say to the
sick man, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or, Arise. Take up thy bed and
walk?
So that ye may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive
sins, (Jesus turned to the sick man and said,) I say to thee, Arise.
Take up thy bed and go thy way to thine own house. At that moment, he
arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all. They were
amazed. They glorified God, saying, We never saw anything like this.
Jesus went to the seaside again and the multitude gathered around Him,
and He taught them. Later, He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting
at the receipt of custom, and said to him, Follow me. And he arose and
followed Him.
And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at supper in Levi's house,
many publicans and sinners also joined together with Jesus and His
disciples. There now were many who followed Him. And when the scribes
and Pharisees saw Him eating with publicans and sinners, they asked
His disciples, How is it that He eats and drinks with publicans and
sinners? When Jesus heard this, He said to them, Those who are whole
have no need of a physician, only those who are sick. I came not to
call the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance.
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked,
Why do the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples
do not? And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridechamber
fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the
bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the day will come, when
the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall
fast.
No man sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece
that filled it up takes away from the old and the rent is made worse.
And no man puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine bursts
the bottles, the wine is spilled, and the bottles are marred. New wine
must be put into new bottles.
And it came to pass, that He went through the corn fields on the
sabbath day; and His disciples began to pluck the ears of corn as they
went along. The Pharisees said to Him, Behold, why do they do that
which is not lawful on the sabbath day? And Jesus responded, Have ye
never read what David, and they that were with him, did when they had
need and were hungry? How he went into the house of God in the days of
Abiathar, the high priest, and ate the showbread? How this was only
lawful for the priests to eat? And how David also gave it to those who
were with him? Then Jesus said to them, The sabbath was made for man,
and not man for the sabbath; therefore, the Son of man is Lord of the
sabbath also.
3 Then Jesus entered the synagogue again. Inside was a man with
a withered hand. They watched to see if Jesus would heal him on the
sabbath day so they might accuse Him. And Jesus said to the man with
the withered hand, Step Forward. Then Jesus said to them, Is it lawful
to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to
kill? But they remained silent.
Jesus looked at them with anger and was grieved for the hardness of
their hearts. He said to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. As the man
stretched it out, his hand was restored as whole as his other hand.
The Pharisees left and immediately took counsel with the Herodians
about how they might get rid of Him. But Jesus withdrew with His
disciples to the sea. A great multitude from Galilee, Judaea,
Jerusalem, Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan, and those around Tyre and
Sidon came to Him when they heard all the things He did.
Jesus told His disciples He needed to get out into a small boat lest
the multitude should throng Him. For He had healed many and many who
had plagues now pressed upon Him just to touch Him. Unclean spirits,
when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried, Thou art the Son of
God. Jesus directly charged them that they should not make Him known.
Then Jesus went up into a mountain. He called to whom He would and
they came to Him. Here He ordained twelve to be with Him, and that He
might send forth to preach, to heal sickness, and to cast out devils.
Then He took these twelve into a house: Simon surnamed Peter; James,
the son of Zebedee, John, the brother of James (He named them
Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder); Andrew; Philip;
Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Then the multitude came again so that they could not eat bread
undisturbed. When His friends heard about this, they lay hold of Him
and said, This is too much. And the scribes who came down from
Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, by the prince of the devils, He
casts out devils.
Jesus called them to Him and said, How can Satan cast out Satan? And
if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And
if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if
Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand and is
finished. Nor can a man enter into a strong man's house and spoil his
goods unless he first binds up the strong man so he can then spoil his
house.
Verily I say to you, All sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men,
and blasphemies also, however they blaspheme. But he that blasphemes
against the Holy Ghost will never have forgiveness, but is in danger
of eternal damnation. He said this because they said, He has an
unclean spirit.
His brethren and His mother came and, standing outside, they called
for Him. The multitude that sat around Him said, Behold, thy mother
and thy brethren are outside and seek for thee. Jesus answered, Who is
my mother, or my brethren? Then He looked around on those who sat
about Him and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! Whosoever shall
do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
4 Later, as Jesus was again by the seaside, there gathered a
great multitude. He entered into a boat and began to address the large
crowd on shore. He taught them many things by parables. Jesus began,
Hearken. Behold, there went out a sower of seeds. It came to pass, as
he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside. The fowls of the air came and
devoured it. Some seed fell on stony ground where there was no good
soil. It sprang up quickly. But, because it had no roots, it was
scorched by the sunlight and withered away.
Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it, and it
yielded no fruit. Other seed fell on good ground. This did yield fruit
that sprang up and increased; and brought forth some thirty, some
sixty, and some a hundredfold. And Jesus finished by saying, He that
has ears to hear, let him hear.
After this, when the twelve were alone with Jesus, they asked Him
about the parable and why He told the people a parable. Jesus said to
them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God.
But, to those who are without, the teachings are in parables: That
seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and
not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their
sins should be forgiven them.
And Jesus said to them, Know ye not this parable? The sower sows the
word. And these are the people by the wayside, where the word is sown.
When they have heard, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word
that was sown in their hearts.
And these are likewise those who are sown on stony ground. When they
have heard the word, they receive it with gladness. But they have no
root and endure only for a while. When affliction or persecution
arises for the word's sake, they are offended.
And these are also the seed sown among the thorns of the cares of this
world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. All
these thorns enter in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And,
finally, are those who are sown on good ground. In hearing the word,
they receive it and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty,
and some a hundredfold.
Then Jesus said, Is a candle lighted to be put under a bushel, or
under a bed instead of set on a candlestick? You see, if there is
nothing hidden which shall not be manifested, then there is nothing
kept secret, which shall not be uncovered. If any man has ears to
hear, let him hear.
And He said to them, Take heed what ye hear. With what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured to you. And to you that hear, more shall be
given. For he that has, to him shall be given. He that has not, from
him shall be taken away even that which he has.
Then Jesus said, Such is the kingdom of God like a man who casts seed
into the ground. He passes nights and days, and the seed springs up
and grows, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of
herself; first the blade, then the ear, and, after that, the full ear
of corn. When the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts the sickle to it
because the harvest is come.
And He said, Whereto shall we liken the kingdom of God? With what
shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when
it is sown in the earth, it is less than all the seeds on earth. But
when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all. It shoots
out branches so great that the fowls of the air may lodge under the
shadow of it. To those without, Jesus spoke in parables. He explained
all these things to His disciples when they were alone.
That evening, Jesus told His disciples that they should cross over to
the other side. And when they sent away the multitude, they took Him
even as He was in the boat. There were also other little ships. And
there arose a great storm. Wind and waves beat into the boat and it
was now full of water. Jesus was in the back part of the boat, asleep
on a pillow. They woke Him and said, Master, carest thou not that we
perish? Then Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea,
Peace, be still.
The wind ceased and there was a great calm. Jesus said to them, Why
are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? Then those nearby
said one to another, What kind of man is this that even the wind and
the sea obey?
5 They arrived on the other side of the sea, into the country
of the Gadarenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, He was immediately
met by a man who came out of his dwelling place in the tombs. The man
had an unclean spirit and no man could bind him. Whenever he had been
bound with fetters and chains, he plucked the chains asunder and broke
the fetters in pieces. No one could tame him and night and day he was
in the mountains or in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with
stones.
Yet, when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped Him. The man
cried with a loud voice, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son
of the most high God? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not.
Jesus turned to the man saying, Come out of the man, thou unclean
spirit. Then Jesus asked, What is thy name? The man answered, My name
is Legion: for we are many. And he besought Jesus that he not send
them away out of the country.
Nearby, in the mountains, there was a great herd of swine feeding. The
devils, in one voice, said, Send us to those swine that we may enter
into them. Right away, Jesus gave them leave. The unclean spirits left
the man and entered into the swine. The herd ran violently down a
steep slope into the sea and drowned (there were about two thousand).
The swine tenders fled and told it in the city and in the country. The
people went out to see what was done. When they approached Jesus, they
saw the man that was possessed with the devil and had the legion,
sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. The people became fearful.
Those who saw it told the others how it befell the man who was
possessed, and also told about the swine. The people then begged Jesus
to leave their coasts.
When He returned to the boat, the man who had been possessed prayed
Jesus to let him stay with Him. Howbeit, Jesus suffered him not but
said, Go home to thy friends. Tell them the great things the Lord has
done for thee, and tell them He has had compassion on thee. Then the
man departed and began to tell all in Decapolis the great things Jesus
had done for him. Then all men did marvel.
After Jesus crossed again by boat to the other side, many people
gathered to Him. And, behold, there came one of the rulers of the
synagogue, Jairus by name. When he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet and
besought Him saying, My little daughter is at the point of death. I
pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her that she may be healed and
shall live. Jesus went with him and the people followed and thronged
Him.
In the crowd was a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years.
She had been to many physicians, spent all that she had, and nothing
was bettered, but, instead, grew worse. She had heard of Jesus and,
pressing through the crowd, she came up behind Him and touched His
garment. She said, If I may but touch His clothes, I shall be whole.
After she did this the fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt
in her body that she was healed.
Presently, Jesus, knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him,
turned about and said, Who touched my clothes? His disciples said,
Thou seest the multitude thronging thee and ask Who touched me? Then
Jesus spotted her who had done this thing. The woman, in fear and
trembling, but knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before
Him and spoke the truth. He said to her, Daughter, thy faith has made
thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
While He yet spoke, messengers came from the ruler of the synagogue's
house and announced, Thy daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any
further? As soon as Jesus heard the message, He said to the ruler of
the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. Jesus allowed no one to
follow Him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When
they got to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, Jesus saw the
tumult and many weeping and wailing.
Inside the house Jesus said to them, Why make this commotion and weep?
The damsel is not dead, but sleeps. They laughed Him to scorn. But
when He had put them all out, He took the father and mother of the
damsel and those who were with Him and entered where she was lying.
Then Jesus took her by the hand and said, Talitha cumi; Damsel, I say
to thee, arise.
Immediately the damsel, who was twelve years old, arose and walked.
They were astonished and Jesus charged them directly that they should
tell no one. Then He said that she should be given something to eat.
6 And He went, followed by His disciples, into His own country.
On the sabbath day, He began to teach in the synagogue. Many local
people heard the sayings of Jesus and were astonished. They asked,
From whence has this man learned these things? What wisdom is this
that is given to Him that even such mighty works are wrought by His
hands? Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of
James, Joses, Juda, and Simon? Are His sisters not right here among
us? Thus, they were offended at Him. And Jesus said, A prophet is
without honour in his own country, among his own kin, and in his own
house.
Jesus went there to do mighty works. He marvelled at their unbelief
and, because of this, could do little but lay His hands upon and heal
a few of the sick and teach in the villages around the area.
In a little while, Jesus called to Him the twelve to begin to go forth
by two and two. He gave them power over unclean spirits. He told them
that they should take nothing for their journey except a staff; no
scrip, no bread, no money in their purse. He instructed them to be
shod with only sandals; and not put on two coats.
He said to them, In what place soever ye enter into a house, abide
there until ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive
you, nor hear you, when ye leave there, shake off the dust from your
feet as a testimony against them. Verily I say to you, It shall be
more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for
that place. The disciples went out and preached that men should
repent. They cast out many devils, anointed many sick people with oil,
and healed many of them.
King Herod heard of Him (for His name was spread abroad) and said that
John the Baptist was risen from the dead and, therefore, mighty works
were shown forth in him. Others said, It is Elias. And others said, It
is one of the prophets. But when Herod heard all this he said, It is
John whom I beheaded. He is risen from the dead.
Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold of John. He had him bound
and imprisoned for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife's sake whom
Herod had married. John told Herod that it was not lawful for him to
have his brother's wife. Herodias, therefore, held this against John
and wanted him killed. Herod, however, feared John and knew he was a
just and holy man. Herod saw and heard John many times and heard him
gladly.
Then Herod, on his birthday, made a supper for his lords, high
captains, and chief estates of Galilee. The daughter of Herodias came
and danced. Herod and those who sat with him were pleased. The king
said to the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt and I will give it
thee. He swore to her that whatever she should ask of him, he would
give her even up to half of his kingdom. She went to her mother,
Herodias, and said, What shall I ask? Her mother said, The head of
John the Baptist. Then she hurried back to the king and said, I will
that thou give me the head of John the Baptist on a charger.
The king was exceedingly sorry. Yet for his oath's sake, and for the
sake of those who sat with him, he would not reject her. The king sent
for an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. The
executioner went and beheaded John in the prison. He brought his head
on a charger and gave it to the damsel. Then the damsel gave it to her
mother. When his disciples heard of this, they came and took up his
corpse and laid it in a tomb.
The apostles gathered together, went to Jesus, and told him all
things, what they had done and what they had taught. Then Jesus said
to them, Come ye away into a desert place and rest a while. They had
been coming and going and had no time even to eat. Thus they departed
into a desert place, going privately by boat. But the people saw them
departing, outran them, and came together to Him.
Jesus saw the multitude that had gathered and was moved with
compassion toward them because they were as sheep without a shepherd.
He began to teach them. And when the day was far spent, His disciples
came to Him and said, This is a desert place and it is very late. Send
them away so they may go into the country and into the villages to buy
themselves bread for they have nothing to eat.
Jesus answered, Give ye them to eat. And they said, Shall we go and
buy two hundred pennyworth of bread and give it to them to eat? He
asked them, How many loaves have ye? Go and see. They came back and
told Him, Five, and two fish.
Jesus commanded them to make all the people sit down in groups upon
the green grass. They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up
to heaven and blessed it. He broke the loaves and gave them to His
disciples to set before them all. And He divided the two fish among
them. They all ate and were filled. After, they took up twelve baskets
full of the fragments of bread and fish. Those who ate of the loaves
were about five thousand men.
