Mark 1
1 This is the beginning of the gospel of 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 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Look, I am sending my messenger before your face, the one who will prepare your way.
3 The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, 'Make ready 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, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching 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 The whole country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River, 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 John was wearing a coat of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he was eating 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 He proclaimed, “One will come after me who is more powerful than I; the strap of his sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
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 with water, but he will baptize you with 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 It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he 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 up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Spirit coming down on him like 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 A voice came out of the heavens, “You are my beloved Son. 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 Then the Spirit compelled him to go out into the wilderness.
(Then/Right away) the Spirit [of God] sent Jesus into the desolate area.
13 He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels served 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 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel 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 He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel.”
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 When he was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen.
[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 Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you 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 Then immediately they left the nets and followed him.
Immediately they abandoned [the work that they were doing with] their nets, and they went with him.
19 As Jesus was walking on a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and John his brother; they were in the boat mending 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 He called them and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and they followed 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 Then they came into Capernaum, and on the Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and taught.
[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 They were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as someone who has 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 Just then a man in their synagogue who had an unclean spirit 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 do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. 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 Jesus rebuked the demon and said, “Be quiet and come out of him!”
Jesus rebuked [the evil spirit], saying, “Be quiet! And come out [of the man]!”
26 The unclean spirit threw him down and went out from him while crying out with a loud voice.
The evil spirit shook the man hard. He screamed loudly, and then he came out of the man [and left].
27 All the people were amazed, so they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority? He even 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 The news about him went out everywhere into the whole region of Galilee.
The people very soon told [many others] throughout the whole Galilee district what Jesus [had done].
29 After coming out of the synagogue, they came into the house 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 Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever, and 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 So he came, took her by the hand, and raised her up; the fever left her, and she started serving 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 That evening, after the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons.
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 city gathered together at the door.
[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 who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons, but he did not allow 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 He got up very early, while it was still dark; he left and went out into a solitary place and there he prayed.
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 those who were with him searched 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 They found him and they said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
“[Come back to the town with us, because] many [HYP] people [in Capernaum] are looking for you!”
38 He said, “Let us go elsewhere, out into the surrounding towns, so that I may preach there also. That is why I came out here.”
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 He went throughout all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out 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. He was begging him; he knelt down and said to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
[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 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying to him, “I am willing. Be clean.”
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 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Immediately the man was healed! He was no longer a leper!
43 Jesus strictly warned him and sent him away.
Jesus spoke sternly to him before he sent him away.
44 He said to him, “Be sure to say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as 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 But he went out and began to spread the news widely, so much that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but he stayed out in remote places. Yet people were still coming to him from everywhere.
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.
