Mark 3
1 [On another] ([Sabbath/Jewish day of rest]), Jesus entered (the synagogue/the Jewish meeting place) again. There was a man there whose hand was shriveled.
Another time He went into the synagogue, and there was a man there with a withered hand.
2 [Some men of the Pharisee sect] watched him carefully in order to see whether he would heal the man (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day). They did this in order that [if he healed the man], they would accuse him of disobeying [their Jewish laws, because he worked] ([on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day]).
So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
3 Jesus said to the man whose hand was shriveled, “Stand up here in front of everyone!” [So the man stood up].
Well, He says to the man with the withered hand, “Come out in the middle!”
4 Then Jesus said [to the Pharisees], “Do the laws [that God gave Moses] permit people to do good ([on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day]), or do they permit people to do evil? Specifically, do his laws permit us to save a person’s life (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day), or [do they permit us] to let him die [by refusing to help him]?” But they did not reply.
Then He said to them: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them angrily. He was very distressed that they were stubbornly [not wanting to help the man]. So he said to the man, “Reach out your hand!” When the man reached out his withered hand, his hand became all right again!
After looking around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their hearts, He says to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” So he stretched, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other!
6 Then the Pharisees [decided to get rid of Jesus. So] after they left [the meeting house], they [immediately met with some of] the Jews who supported Herod [Antipas, who ruled Galilee district]. Together they planned how they could kill Jesus.
Then the Pharisees went straight out, and with the Herodians started hatching a plot against Him, how they might destroy Him.
7 Jesus and his disciples left [that] town and went to an area further along [Galilee Lake in order to get away from the people]. But a great crowd of people followed him. They were people who came from Galilee [district],
Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea; and a large crowd from Galilee followed Him—also from Judea,
8 from Jerusalem [city], from [other towns of] Judea [district], from Idumea [district], from [the region on] the [east] side of the Jordan [River], and from [the region] around Tyre and Sidon [cities]. This great crowd of people came to him because they heard about what he was doing.
from Jerusalem, from Idumea and beyond Jordan; even those around Tyre and Sidon. A huge crowd came to Him, having heard the sorts of things He kept doing.
9 Because he had healed many people, many [other] people who had various illnesses pushed forward in order that by touching him [they would come well]. So he told his disciples that they should get a small boat ready for him [to get in and teach from it]. He wanted to do this in order that the crowd would not crush him [when they pushed forward to touch him].
So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the crowd, lest they should press in on Him.
Because He had healed many, so that as many as had afflictions were pushing toward Him so as to touch Him.
11 Whenever the evil spirits saw Jesus, [they caused the people whom they controlled] to fall down in front of Jesus [in recognition of Jesus’ power]. Then they exclaimed, “You are (the Son of God/the man who is also God)!”
And the unclean spirits—whenever one saw Him, he would fall down before Him and cry out, saying, “You are the son of God!”
12 He commanded the [evil spirits] strongly that they should not tell anyone who he was.
And He kept giving them strict orders that they should not make Him known.
13 Jesus went [with many other people] up into the hills. After he picked out [from among them] the men whom he wanted [to accompany him], they came [close] to him.
He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He wanted, and they came to Him.
14 He appointed twelve men in order that they might be with him and in order that he might send them out to preach. He called them apostles.
He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach
15 He also gave them power in order that they might expel evil spirits [from people].
—also to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
16 These were the twelve men he appointed: Simon, to whom he gave the [new] name Peter; his [younger] brother Andrew;
namely Peter (a name He gave to Simon);
17 James, [the son] of Zebedee, and John, the [younger] brother of James, to [both of] whom he added the [new] name, ‘Men who are like Thunder’. [because of their fiery zeal];
James son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (and a name He gave to them was Boanerges, that is, ‘Sons of thunder’);
18 Philip; Bartholomew; Levi, whose other name was Matthew; Thomas; [another] James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus; [another] Simon, who was a [member of the party that wanted] to overthrow [the Roman government];
Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;
19 and Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth [Town]). He was the one who [later] (betrayed Jesus/helped Jesus’ enemies seize him).
and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
20 Jesus [along with his disciples] went to the house where he was staying [in Capernaum. Again a crowd gathered where he was]. There were many people crowding around him, so that he and his disciples had no time when they could eat or [when they could do anything else].
Then they went into a house; and again a multitude gathered, so that they were not even able to eat bread.
21 After his relatives heard about this, they went to take him home [with them] because (some people/they) were saying that he was insane.
Well upon hearing this His family came to apprehend Him, because they were saying, “He is out of his mind!”
22 [Around that time] some men who taught the [Jewish] laws came down from Jerusalem [city. They heard that Jesus was expelling demons]. So they were telling [people], “Beelzebub, who rules the evil spirits, controls him. He is the one who enables this man to expel evil spirits [from people]!”
Then some scribes who had come down from Jerusalem started saying, “He has Beelzebul,” and “It is by the ruler of the demons that he casts out demons.”
23 Jesus summoned those men. [Then he spoke to them] in parables [to enable them to realize that Satan would not oppose his own evil spirits. He also wanted them to realize that by expelling evil spirits, he was demonstrating that he was much more powerful than Satan]. So he said, “([It is ridiculous] to suggest that Satan would expel his own [evil spirits]!/Why would Satan expel his own [evil spirits]?) [RHQ]
So summoning them He started saying to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 If [people who live in the same] country are fighting one another, they will cease to be a single group under one ruler.
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if [people who live in the same] house fight each other, they will certainly not remain [as one family].
And if a household is divided against itself, that household cannot stand.
26 Similarly, if Satan and his [evil spirits] were fighting one another, instead of remaining strong, he would become powerless.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and become divided, he cannot stand, but is finished.
27 Contrary to [what you say about me], someone can enter the house of a strong man [like Satan] and carry off his possessions only if he first ties up the strong man. Then [and only then] will he [be able to] steal the things in that man’s house.”
No one can plunder the strong man's goods, invading his house, unless he first binds the strong man—then he may plunder the house.
28 [Jesus also said], “Consider this carefully! People may sin in many ways and they may speak evilly about God, but [if] they [then are sorry and ask God to] forgive [them], [God] will forgive them for doing that.
“Assuredly I say to you: all the sins of the sons of men can be forgiven, including whatever blasphemies they may utter;
30 [Jesus told them that] because [they refused to admit that the Holy Spirit was helping him to expel demons. Instead], they were saying, “An evil spirit is controlling him!”
—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31 Jesus’ mother and [younger] siblings arrived. While they stood outside, they sent [someone inside] in order to call him [outside].
Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.
32 A crowd was sitting around Jesus. One of them said to him, “Listen/Hey, your mother and your [younger] brothers and sisters are outside, and they are wanting (to see/to talk with) you!”
A crowd was sitting around Him; so they said to Him, “Look, your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
33 Jesus replied to them, “([I will tell you something about] my mother and my brothers.[/Do you know whom I consider to be like] my mother and my brothers?)” [RHQ]
He answered them saying, “Who is my mother or my brothers?”
34 After he looked around at [the disciples] who were sitting around him [in a circle], he said, “Look here! I [love these men as much as] I [love] my mother and my brothers.
And looking around at those seated in a circle around Him He said: “Behold my mother and my brothers!
35 Those who habitually do what God wants are [as dear to me] [MET] as my brother, my sister, or my mother!”
Because whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, my sister, my mother.”
