Chapter One
The beginning of the joyful news of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as it has been written in the prophets.
“Look! I’m sending my messenger before your face, who’ll get your way ready ahead of you. The voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Get the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!’”
John came baptising in the desert, and preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judaea went out to him, and they of Jerusalem, and they were all baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was dressed in camel’s hair, and a leather belt around his loins, and eating locusts and wild honey, and he preached saying,
“There’s coming after me one more powerful than me, the thong of whose shoes I’m not worthy, having stooped down, to unloose. I surely baptised you with water, but he’ll baptise you with the Holy Spirit!”
And it happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. And at once, going up out of the water he saw the sky torn open, and the Spirit like a dove coming down upon him. And a voice came out of heaven,
“You are my Son, the beloved, in whom I am delighted!”
And immediately the Spirit drives him out into the desert. And he was there in the desert forty days, tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him.
And after John had been handed over, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the joyful news of the kingdom of God, and saying,
“The time has been fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near: repent and believe in the joyful news!”
And walking beside the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen.
And Jesus said to them,
“Come after me and I’ll make you become fishers of men!”
And immediately, having left their nets, they followed him. And having gone on a little from there he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, and these in the boat mending the nets. And at once he called them and, having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the employees, they went after him.
And they go into Capernaum. And at once, on the Sabbath days, having entered into the synagogue, he taught. And they were amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them as having authority, and not like the scribes.
And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit and he cried out saying,
“Eh! What to us and to you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you, who you are: the Holy One of God!”
And Jesus rebuked him saying,
“Be silent and come out of him!”
And the unclean spirit, having convulsed him, and having cried with a loud voice, came out of him. And everyone was amazed, so that they discussed among themselves saying,
“What is this? What new teaching is this, that with authority he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him?”
And his fame immediately went out into all the country around Galilee.
And at once, having gone out of the synagogue they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. And Simon’s mother-in-law lay in a fever, and at once they tell him about her. And having come to her and taken her hand he raised her up, and the fever left her immediately and she looked after them.
And evening being come, when the sun went down, they brought to him everybody who was ill and those possessed by demons, and the whole city was gathered together at the door, and he healed many who were ill with various diseases, and he cast out many demons, and he did not allow the demons to speak because they knew him.
And very early, while it was still night, having got up, he went out and went away into a desert place and prayed there. And Simon and those with him followed after him, and having found him say to him,
“Everyone’s looking for you!”
And he says to them,
“Let’s go into the neighbouring country towns so that I may preach there too, because I came out for this.”
And he preached in their synagogues in all Galilee, casting out the demons too.
And a leper comes to him begging him and kneeling down to him, and saying to him,
“If you want you can make me clean!”
And Jesus, being moved with pity, having stretched out his hand touched him and says to him,
“I will! Be clean!”
And when he had spoken, immediately the leprosy went away from him and he was made clean. And having strictly instructed him he immediately sent him away and he tells him,
“See you tell no one anything! But go! Show yourself to the priest and because of your cleansing offer what Moses instructed, as a testimony to them.”
But he, having gone out, began to proclaim and advertise the thing a lot, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter into the town but was in desert places in the countryside. And they came to him from all sides.
