Mark 1
1 A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, 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 As it has been written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.
3 A voice of one calling in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD, 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 immersing in the wilderness, and proclaiming an immersion of conversion for 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 and there were going forth to him all the region of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and they were all immersed by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
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 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and a girdle of skin around his loins, and eating locusts and honey of the field,
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 and he proclaimed, saying, “He comes—who is mightier than I—after me, of whom I am not worthy—having stooped down—to loose the strap of 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 indeed immersed you in water, but He will immerse 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 And it came to pass in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was immersed by John in the Jordan;
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 and immediately coming up from the water, He saw the heavens dividing, and the Spirit coming down on Him as a dove;
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 and a voice came out of the heavens, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in whom I delighted.”
And [God] [MTY] spoke to him from heaven saying, “You are my Son, whom I love dearly. I am very pleased with you.”
12 And immediately the Spirit puts Him forth into the wilderness,
(Then/Right away) the Spirit [of God] sent Jesus into the desolate area.
13 and He was there in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan, and He was with the beasts, and the messengers were ministering to 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 And after the delivering up of John, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God,
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 and saying, “The time has been fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near, convert 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 And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon, and his brother Andrew, casting a drag into the sea, for they were fishers,
[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 and Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men”;
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 and immediately, having left their nets, they followed Him.
Immediately they abandoned [the work that they were doing with] their nets, and they went with him.
19 And having gone on there a little, He saw James of Zebedee, and his brother John, and they were in the boat refitting the 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 and immediately He called them, and having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went away after Him.
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 And they go on to Capernaum, and immediately, on the Sabbaths, having gone into the synagogue, He was teaching,
[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 and they were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as having authority, and not as the scribes.
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 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
Suddenly, [while he was teaching], a man [appeared] in their worship place who had an evil spirit in him, and he shouted,
24 saying, “What [regards] us and You, Jesus the Nazarene? You came to destroy us; I have known You, who You are—the Holy One of God.”
“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 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silenced, and come forth out of him,”
Jesus rebuked [the evil spirit], saying, “Be quiet! And come out [of the man]!”
26 and the unclean spirit having convulsed him, and having cried with a great voice, came forth out of him,
The evil spirit shook the man hard. He screamed loudly, and then he came out of the man [and left].
27 and they were all amazed, so as to reason among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new teaching [is] this? That with authority He also commands the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”
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 And the fame of Him went forth immediately to all the region of Galilee.
The people very soon told [many others] throughout the whole Galilee district what Jesus [had done].
29 And immediately, having come forth out of the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew, 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 and the mother-in-law of Simon was lying fevered, and immediately they tell Him 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 and having come near, He raised her up, having laid hold of her hand, and the fever left her immediately, and she was ministering to them.
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 And evening having come, when the sun set, they brought to Him all who were ill and who were demoniacs,
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 and the whole city was gathered together near the door,
[It seemed as though] everyone [HYP, MTY] [who lived in] the town was gathered at the doorway [of Simon’s house].
34 and He healed many who were ill of manifold diseases, and He cast forth many demons, and was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
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 And very early, it being yet night, having risen, He went forth, and went away to a desolate place, and was praying there;
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 and Simon and those with him went in quest of 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 and having found Him, they say to Him, “All seek You”;
“[Come back to the town with us, because] many [HYP] people [in Capernaum] are looking for you!”
38 and He says to them, “We may go into the next towns, that there also I may preach, for—for this I came forth.”
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 And He was preaching in their synagogues, in all Galilee, and is casting out the 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 and there comes to Him a leper, calling on Him, and kneeling to Him, and saying to Him, “If You may will, You are able to cleanse 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 And Jesus having been moved with compassion, having stretched forth the hand, touched him and says to him, “I will, be cleansed”;
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 and He having spoken, immediately the leprosy went away from him, and he was cleansed.
Immediately the man was healed! He was no longer a leper!
43 And having sternly charged him, immediately He put him forth,
Jesus spoke sternly to him before he sent him away.
44 and says to him, “See [that] you may say nothing to anyone, but go away, show yourself to the priest, and bring near for your cleansing the things Moses directed, for a testimony to them.”
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 And he, having gone forth, began to proclaim much, and to spread the thing abroad, so that He was no longer able to openly enter into the city, but He was outside in desolate places, and they were coming to Him from every quarter.
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.
