Mark 1
1 Here is the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
([This is/I want to tell you]) the good message about Jesus Christ, the Son of God (OR, the man who was also God). [What I want to tell you] begins just like the prophet Isaiah [said it would begin, when] he wrote [these words that God said to Jesus: ] Listen! I am sending my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare [people for] your [coming].
2 Just as the prophet Isaiah wrote, “I'm sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare your way.
3 A voice is calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the Lord's way! Make his paths straight.’”
He will call out to people [who pass by where he is] in the desolate area, “As people improve and straighten out pathways [before an important official arrives] [MET], make [yourselves] ready [DOU] [in order that you will be prepared when] the Lord [comes].”
4 John came, baptizing in the desert, announcing a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
[The messenger that Isaiah predicted was] John. [People called him] ‘The Baptizer’. In the desolate area near the Jordan River he kept telling people, “If you want God to forgive you for having sinned, you must turn away from your sinful behavior [before you ask me to] baptize [you].”
5 Everybody from the country of Judea and from Jerusalem went to him. They admitted their sins publicly and were baptized in the Jordan River.
A great number [HYP] of people who lived in Jerusalem [city] and [elsewhere] in the Judea [district] were going out to where John was. There, [after hearing John’s message], they [responded by] confessing the sinful things [that they had done]. Then they were being baptized by John {John was baptizing them} in the Jordan River.
6 John wore clothes made of camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
John wore [rough] clothes made of camel’s hair. And [as the prophet Elijah had done], he wore a leather belt around his waist; and what he ate was [only] grasshoppers and honey [that he found] in that desolate area.
7 This is what he had to say: “After me someone is coming who is greater than I am. I'm not worthy to bend down and untie his sandals.
He was preaching, “Very shortly a man will come who is very great. I [am nothing compared to him. Because he is so superior to me], I am not even worthy to [serve him like a slave] by stooping down and untying his sandals.
8 I baptized you in water but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
I used [only] water when I baptized you [because you said that you wanted to change your lives], but he will put his Holy Spirit [within] you [to truly change your lives].”
9 Then Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.
During that time [when John was preaching], Jesus came from Nazareth [town], which is in Galilee [district]. He went to [where John was preaching] and he was baptized by John {John baptized him} in the Jordan [River].
10 As Jesus came out of the water, he saw the heavens split apart and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.
Immediately after [Jesus] came up out of the water, he saw heaven opened up [and he saw] the Spirit [of God] descending on himself. He came in the form of a dove.
11 A voice from heaven said, “You are my son, the one I love. I am very pleased with you.”
And [God] [MTY] spoke to him from heaven saying, “You are my Son, whom I love dearly. I am very pleased with you.”
12 Right after this the Spirit sent him away into the desert
(Then/Right away) the Spirit [of God] sent Jesus into the desolate area.
13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was with the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
He was there for 40 days. During that time, he was tempted by Satan {Satan tempted him}. There were wild animals [there] also. But angels took care of him.
14 Later, after John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, announcing God's good news.
Later, after John was put in prison {after [soldiers] put John in prison} [because he had rebuked the governor Herod Antipas for his sins], Jesus went to Galilee [district]. There he was preaching the good message [that came] from God.
15 “The time predicted has come,” he said. “God's kingdom has arrived! Repent and believe in the good news.”
He was repeatedly saying, “Now is the time when God will begin to rule people’s lives [in a new way]. [So] turn away from your sinful behavior! Believe the good message [in order] ([to belong to him/to become those whose lives he will rule])!”
16 As he was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they made their living by fishing.
[One day], while Jesus was walking along by Galilee Lake, he saw [two men], Simon and Simon’s [younger] brother, Andrew. They were casting their [fishing] net into the lake. They [earned money by] catching [and selling] fish.
17 “Come and follow me,” he told them, “and I will have you fishing for people.”
Then Jesus said to them, “[Just like you have been] gathering fish, come with me and I will [teach] you how to [gather people to become my disciples]” [MET].
18 They left their nets at once and followed him.
Immediately they abandoned [the work that they were doing with] their nets, and they went with him.
19 He went a little farther and saw James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat mending their nets.
After they had gone on a little further, Jesus saw [two other men], James and James’ [younger] brother, John. They were the sons of [a man named] Zebedee. They were both in a boat mending [fishing] nets.
20 Immediately he called them to follow him, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers, and followed Jesus.
As soon as Jesus saw them, he told them that [they should leave their work and to come with him]. So they left their father, [who remained] in the boat with the hired servants, and they went away with Jesus.
21 They left for Capernaum, and on Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught there.
[Later] Jesus [and those disciples] arrived at Capernaum [town]. On the next (Sabbath/Jewish rest day), after Jesus had entered (the synagogue/the Jewish meeting place), he began teaching [the people who had gathered there].
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority, unlike the religious teachers.
They were continually amazed at the way he taught. [He did] not [just teach what others had taught], like the men who teach the [Jewish] laws did. [They habitually just repeated what other people had taught]. Instead, he taught with [his own] authority.
23 Suddenly, right there in the synagogue, a man with an evil spirit started shouting out,
Suddenly, [while he was teaching], a man [appeared] in their worship place who had an evil spirit in him, and he shouted,
24 “Jesus of Nazareth, why are you bothering us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are! You're God's Holy One!”
“Jesus, from Nazareth [town, since] we [evil spirits] have nothing in common with you, ([do not interfere with us]!/what do you want with us [evil spirits]?) [RHQ] (Do not destroy us [now]!/Have you come to destroy us [now]?) [RHQ] I know who you are. I know that you are the holy one [who has come] from God!”
25 Jesus interrupted the evil spirit, telling him, “Be quiet! Come out of him.”
Jesus rebuked [the evil spirit], saying, “Be quiet! And come out [of the man]!”
26 The evil spirit screamed, threw the man into convulsions, and came out of him.
The evil spirit shook the man hard. He screamed loudly, and then he came out of the man [and left].
27 Everyone was amazed at what happened. “What is this?” they asked each other. “What is this new teaching that has such authority? Even evil spirits do what he tells them!”
All [the people who were there] were amazed. As a result, they discussed this among themselves, [exclaiming], “(This is [amazing]!/What is this?) [RHQ] Not only does he teach in a new and authoritative way, but also the evil spirits obey him [when] he commands [them]!”
28 News about him spread quickly throughout the whole region of Galilee.
The people very soon told [many others] throughout the whole Galilee district what Jesus [had done].
29 Then they left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John.
After they left (the synagogue/the Jewish meeting place), [Jesus, Simon and Andrew], along with James and John went directly to Simon and Andrew’s house.
30 Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, so they told Jesus about her.
Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed because she had a [high] fever. Right away someone told Jesus about her [being sick].
31 He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever immediately left her. Then she made them a meal.
He went to her, and helped her up by taking hold of her hand. She recovered [at once] from the fever, and then she [got up and] served them [some food].
32 After sunset that evening, those who were sick and demon-possessed were brought to Jesus.
That evening, after the sun had gone down [and restrictions about travel on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day]) [were ended], some people brought to Jesus many people who were sick and others whose lives evil spirits were controlling.
33 The whole of the town gathered outside.
[It seemed as though] everyone [HYP, MTY] [who lived in] the town was gathered at the doorway [of Simon’s house].
34 He healed many people who had various diseases, and threw out many demons. He did not permit the demons to speak, for they knew who he was.
Jesus healed many people who were ill with various diseases. He also expelled many demons [from people]. He did not allow the demons to tell people [about him], because they knew that he [had come from God, and for various reasons he did not want everyone to know that yet].
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went alone to a quiet place to pray.
Jesus got up very early [the next morning] while it was still dark. He left [the house] and went away [from the town] to a place where there were no people. Then he prayed there.
36 Simon and the others went to search for him.
Simon and his companions searched for him. When they found him, [wanting him to go back to town to help other people], they said to him,
37 When they found him, they told him, “Everybody's looking for you.”
“[Come back to the town with us, because] many [HYP] people [in Capernaum] are looking for you!”
38 But Jesus replied, “We have to go to the other towns around here so that I can tell them the good news as well—for that's why I came.”
He said to them, “[No], let’s go on to the neighboring towns in order that I can preach there also, because the reason that I came [into the world] was to [preach to people] in many places!”
39 So he went all over Galilee, speaking in the synagogues and expelling demons.
So they went throughout Galilee [district. As they did so, each (Sabbath/Jewish rest day]) he preached in (synagogues/Jewish meeting places). He was also expelling evil spirits [from people].
40 A leper came to him asking for help. The man kneeled down before Jesus, saying, “Please, if you're willing, you can heal me!”
[One day] a man who had [a bad skin disease called] leprosy came to Jesus. He knelt down in front of Jesus and then he pleaded with him saying, “[Please heal me, because I know] you are able to heal me if you want to!”
41 With compassion Jesus reached out and touched the man, and said, “I am willing. Be healed!”
Jesus felt very sorry for him. [So he ignored the religious laws about coming close to people who had that disease]. He reached out his hand and touched the man. Then he said to him, “Since I am willing [to heal you], be healed {I heal you} [now]!”
42 The leprosy left him immediately, and he was healed.
Immediately the man was healed! He was no longer a leper!
43 Jesus sent him away with a strong warning.
Jesus spoke sternly to him before he sent him away.
44 “Make sure you don't tell anybody anything about this,” he told him. “Go to the priest and show yourself to him. Give the offering which is required by the law of Moses for such cleansing, so that people will have proof.”
What Jesus said was, “Go to a local priest and show yourself to him [in order that he may examine you and verify that you are healed]. Then, [after the priest tells the local people], they will know [that you have been healed, and you will be able to associate with them again]. Make sure that you do not tell others [about what happened] Then go to [Jerusalem and take to the priest what Moses commanded that people who have been healed from leprosy should offer, in order that he] may offer it [as a sacrifice to God].”
45 But the healed leper went out and told everyone what had happened. As a result Jesus could not openly go into the cities anymore, but had to stay out in the country where people came to him from everywhere around.
The man went [and presented himself to the priest. But then] he began to tell many people about [how Jesus had healed him] [DOU]. As a result, Jesus was no longer able to enter any town publicly [because the crowds would surround him]. Instead, he remained outside [the towns] in places [where no people lived]. But people kept coming to him from all over that region.
