The World English Bible (WEB) Part 90

1:16 Pa.s.sing 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.

1:17 Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men."

1:18 Immediately they left their nets, and followed him. 1:19 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. 1:20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him. 1:21 They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. 1:22 They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 1:23 Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 1:24 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 G.o.d!"

1:25 Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"

1:26 The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 1:27 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!" 1:28 The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

1:29 Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 1:30 Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 1:31 He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up.

The fever left her, and she served them. 1:32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons. 1:33 All the city was gathered together at the door. 1:34 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.

1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. 1:36 Simon and those who were with him followed after him; 1:37 and they found him, and told him, "Everyone is looking for you."

1:38 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." 1:39 He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

1:40 A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."

1:41 Being moved with compa.s.sion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, "I want to. Be made clean." 1:42 When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.

1:43 He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out, 1:44 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."

1:45 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.

2:1 When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. 2:2 Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. 2:3 Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. 2:4 When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. 2:5 Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

2:6 But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 2:7 "Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but G.o.d alone?"

2:8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 2:9 Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say, 'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?' 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic-- 2:11 "I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house."

2:12 He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified G.o.d, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

2:13 He went out again by the seaside. All the mult.i.tude came to him, and he taught them. 2:14 As he pa.s.sed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me."

And he arose and followed him.

2:15 It happened, that he was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. 2:16 The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

2:17 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

2:18 John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

2:19 Jesus said to them, "Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can't fast. 2:20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day. 2:21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made. 2:22 No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins."

2:23 It happened that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain. 2:24 The Pharisees said to him, "Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

2:25 He said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry--he, and those who were with him? 2:26 How he entered into the house of G.o.d when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?" 2:27 He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 2:28 Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

3:1 He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered. 3:2 They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. 3:3 He said to the man who had his hand withered, "Stand up." 3:4 He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?" But they were silent. 3:5 When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other. 3:6 The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

3:7 Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great mult.i.tude followed him from Galilee, from Judea, 3:8 from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great mult.i.tude, hearing what great things he did, came to him. 3:9 He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn't press on him. 3:10 For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him. 3:11 The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, "You are the Son of G.o.d!" 3:12 He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

3:13 He went up into the mountain, and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him. 3:14 He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, 3:15 and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 3:16 Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter; 3:17 James the son of Zebedee; John, the brother of James, and he surnamed them Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder; 3:18 Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; 3:19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

He came into a house. 3:20 The mult.i.tude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 3:21 When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him: for they said, "He is insane." 3:22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul," and, "By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons."

3:23 He summoned them, and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? 3:24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 3:25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 3:26 If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can't stand, but has an end. 3:27 But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house. 3:28 Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme; 3:29 but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" 3:30 --because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

3:31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him. 3:32 A mult.i.tude was sitting around him, and they told him, "Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you."

3:33 He answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" 3:34 Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers! 3:35 For whoever does the will of G.o.d, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."

4:1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great mult.i.tude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the mult.i.tude were on the land by the sea. 4:2 He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching, 4:3 "Listen!

Behold, the farmer went out to sow, 4:4 and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds* came and devoured it. 4:5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil. 4:6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 4:7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 4:8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some brought forth thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much." 4:9 He said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

4:10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 4:11 He said to them, "To you is given the mystery of the Kingdom of G.o.d, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables, 4:12 that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.'"*

4:13 He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? 4:14 The farmer sows the word. 4:15 The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 4:16 These in like manner are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. 4:17 They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived.

When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. 4:18 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, 4:19 and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the l.u.s.ts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 4:20 Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."

4:21 He said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it put on a stand? 4:22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 4:23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

4:24 He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear. 4:25 For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away from him."

4:26 He said, "The Kingdom of G.o.d is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, 4:27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn't know how. 4:28 For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 4:29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."

4:30 He said, "How will we liken the Kingdom of G.o.d? Or with what parable will we ill.u.s.trate it? 4:31 It's like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, 4:32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."

4:33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 4:34 Without a parable he didn't speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

4:35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side." 4:36 Leaving the mult.i.tude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him. 4:37 A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. 4:38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cus.h.i.+on, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, don't you care that we are dying?"

4:39 He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 4:40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?"

4:41 They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 5:2 When he had come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 5:3 who had his dwelling in the tombs. n.o.body could bind him any more, not even with chains, 5:4 because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces.

n.o.body had the strength to tame him. 5:5 Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. 5:6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him, 5:7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High G.o.d? I adjure you by G.o.d, don't torment me." 5:8 For he said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

5:9 He asked him, "What is your name?"

He said to him, "My name is Legion, for we are many." 5:10 He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 5:11 Now there was on the mountainside a great herd of pigs feeding. 5:12 All the demons begged him, saying, "Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them."

5:13 At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea. 5:14 Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

The people came to see what it was that had happened. 5:15 They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. 5:16 Those who saw it declared to them how it happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs. 5:17 They began to beg him to depart from their region.

5:18 As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 5:19 He didn't allow him, but said to him, "Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you."

5:20 He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.

5:21 When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great mult.i.tude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea. 5:22 Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 5:23 and begged him much, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live."