Open English Translation MARK Chapter 1

2 The prophet Isayah wrote:[ref]

“See, I am sending my messenger to you,

the one who will be preparing your path.

3 [ref]The voice out in the wilderness shouting,

‘Get the path ready for the master;

Make it smooth for him to travel on.’ ”

4 Yohan turned up in the wilderness announcing that people should get immersed in water in order to show that their sins have been forgiven. 5 And many from the Yudean region and from the city of Yerusalem went out to hear him, and they confessed their sins and asked Yohan to immerse them in the Yordan river.

6 [ref]Yohan was dressed in simple clothes made from camel hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. 7 And he also announced, “There’s a greater man coming soon—in fact I’m not even good enough to bend down and untie his sandals. 8 I immersed you in water, but he will immerse you all in God’s holy spirit.”

9 (Figure skipped)Then one day Yeshua came from Nazareth in the Galilee region, and he got immersed in the Yordan river by Yohan. 10 As Yeshua came up out of the water, he saw the sky being opened up, and God’s spirit coming down on him like a dove. 11 [ref]And a voice came from the sky saying, “You are my son who I love and am pleased with.”

12 And then the spirit sent him into the wilderness 13 where he was tested by Satan for forty days. He was out there with the wild animals, but messengers waited on him there.

14 After Yohan had been arrested, Yeshua went back up to Galilee announcing the good news from God 15 [ref]saying, “The promised time is here, and God’s kingdom is now near. Turn from your sins and believe this good news.”

16 As he went around the lake of Galilee, Yeshua saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the lake. 17 And he said to them, “Come with me and I will make you into fishermen of people.” 18 And so they left their fishing work and went off with Yeshua.

19 Then a bit further on he saw two of Zebedee’s sons, Yacob and his brother Yohan, in a boat getting their nets ready. 20 Yeshua called them and they too went off with him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers.

21 They went on into Capernaum where he went into the meeting hall and began teaching as soon as the rest day started. 22 [ref]The congregation was amazed at his teaching, because he taught with authority, not like the regular teachers there.

23 Then a demon-possessed man in the meeting hall suddenly yelled out, 24 “What are we to you, Yeshua of Nazareth? You’ve come to destroy us. I know that you’re God’s holy one.”

25 But Yeshua scolded it, saying, “Keep quiet!”, and, “Come out of him!”

26 Then the demon threw the man into a convulsion, cried out loudly, and left him. 27 Everyone was astounded and asked each other, “What just happened? We haven’t heard anything like this before—he has authority to command demons, and they obey him!”

28 And the news about Yeshua spread all over the entire region of Galilee.

29 After leaving the meeting hall, Yeshua went into the home of Simon and Andrew, along with Yacob and Yohan. 30 Inside, Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down with a fever, and the others spoke to Yeshua about her. 31 When he went up to her, and took hold of her hand and helped her up, the fever left her and she prepared something for them to eat.

32 That evening when the sun set, the people brought all those who were sick or demon-possessed to Yeshua. 33 It seemed like the entire town had gathered there outside the front door. 34 Yeshua healed many who were sick from a range of diseases, and he commanded many demons to leave—not allowing them to speak because they knew that he was the messiah.

35 In the small hours of the morning, Yeshua got up and went out to a quiet place and prayed there. 36 But Simon and the others came looking for him, 37 and when they found him they said, “Everyone’s looking for you!”

38 And Yeshua answered, “Well, we’ll be going into the other villages around here, so that I can also tell them. That’s what I came here for.” 39 [ref]Then he went preaching in all their meeting halls in Galilee and driving out demons.

40 A man with leprosy came to Yeshua asking him, “I know that you could heal me if you wanted to.”

41 Yeshua felt compassion for him, reached out his hand and touched him, and said, “Yes, I will. Get well.” 42 Then immediately the leprosy disappeared and he was well again. 43 So Yeshua sent him away, but warned him: 44 [ref]“Don’t talk to anyone—just go to the priest and show him that you’re well, and as a testimony of that, make the offering that Moses commanded.”

45 But after the man left, he started telling lots of people and spreading the news—so much so that Yeshua could no longer come into the town but had to stay out in quieter places, and people kept coming to him.