# Mark 1 
<a id="1" name="1"></a>
1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 
<a id="2" name="2"></a>
2. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 
<a id="3" name="3"></a>
3. the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” 
<a id="4" name="4"></a>
4. John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
<a id="5" name="5"></a>
5. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
<a id="6" name="6"></a>
6. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
<a id="7" name="7"></a>
7. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
<a id="8" name="8"></a>
8. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 
<a id="9" name="9"></a>
9. In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
<a id="10" name="10"></a>
10. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
<a id="11" name="11"></a>
11. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 
<a id="12" name="12"></a>
12. The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
<a id="13" name="13"></a>
13. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. 
<a id="14" name="14"></a>
14. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
<a id="15" name="15"></a>
15. and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 
<a id="16" name="16"></a>
16. Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
<a id="17" name="17"></a>
17. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
<a id="18" name="18"></a>
18. And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
<a id="19" name="19"></a>
19. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.
<a id="20" name="20"></a>
20. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. 
<a id="21" name="21"></a>
21. And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
<a id="22" name="22"></a>
22. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
<a id="23" name="23"></a>
23. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
<a id="24" name="24"></a>
24. “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
<a id="25" name="25"></a>
25. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
<a id="26" name="26"></a>
26. And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.
<a id="27" name="27"></a>
27. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
<a id="28" name="28"></a>
28. And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. 
<a id="29" name="29"></a>
29. And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
<a id="30" name="30"></a>
30. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.
<a id="31" name="31"></a>
31. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 
<a id="32" name="32"></a>
32. That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.
<a id="33" name="33"></a>
33. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
<a id="34" name="34"></a>
34. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 
<a id="35" name="35"></a>
35. And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
<a id="36" name="36"></a>
36. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,
<a id="37" name="37"></a>
37. and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
<a id="38" name="38"></a>
38. And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”
<a id="39" name="39"></a>
39. And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. 
<a id="40" name="40"></a>
40. And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”
<a id="41" name="41"></a>
41. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”
<a id="42" name="42"></a>
42. And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
<a id="43" name="43"></a>
43. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once,
<a id="44" name="44"></a>
44. and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
<a id="45" name="45"></a>
45. But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. 

(ESV)