¹ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

³ Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴ Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷ And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

⁸ And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

¹ The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² As it is written in the prophets, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.

³ The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"

⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

⁵ All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

⁶ John was clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷ He preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.

⁸ I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

⁹ It happened in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁰ Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

¹¹ A voice came out of the sky, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

¹² Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.

¹³ He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.

¹⁴ Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God,

¹⁵ and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News."

¹⁶ Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

¹⁷ Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men."

¹⁸ Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.

¹⁹ Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.

²⁰ Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

²¹ They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught.

²² They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

²³ Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,

²⁴ saying, "Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!"

²⁵ Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"

²⁶ The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.

²⁷ They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!"

²⁸ The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

²⁹ Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

³⁰ Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

³¹ He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.

³² At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons.

³³ All the city was gathered together at the door.

³⁴ He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn't allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

³⁵ Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.

³⁶ Simon and those who were with him followed after him;

³⁷ and they found him, and told him, "Everyone is looking for you."

³⁸ He said to them, "Let's go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason."

³⁹ He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

⁴⁰ A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."

⁴¹ Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, "I want to. Be made clean."

⁴² When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.

⁴³ He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out,

⁴⁴ and said to him, "See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."

⁴⁵ But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.