Mark 1:1-8

The good message about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, began when John, the Baptizer, as was prophesied long ago, announced the coming of Jesus.

12 1-2◄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. 3 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 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 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 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 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 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.”

God showed Jesus to be the Son of God by God’s Spirit descending upon him; by Himself, God the Father, declaring it; by Satan testing him; and by the angels taking care of him.

Mark 1:9-13

9 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 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 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/Right away► the Spirit of God sent Jesus into the desolate area. 13 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.

After John was arrested, Jesus came and preached the good message that came from God.

Mark 1:14-15

14 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 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►!”

Jesus showed his authority when he summoned four men, and they immediately went with him.

Mark 1:16-20

16 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 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 Immediately they abandoned the work that they were doing with their nets, and they went with him. 19 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 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.

People were amazed as a result of Jesus expelling a demon from a man.

Mark 1:21-28

21 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 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 Suddenly, while he was teaching, a man appeared in their worship place who had an evil spirit in him, and he shouted, 24 “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 evil spirit, saying, “Be quiet! And come out of the man!” 26 The evil spirit shook the man hard. He screamed loudly, and then he came out of the man and left. 27 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 people very soon told many others throughout the whole Galilee district what Jesus had done.

Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law.

Mark 1:29-31

29 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 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 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.

Jesus healed many people and expelled many evil spirits from people.

Mark 1:32-34

32 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 It seemed as though everyone [HYP, MTY] who lived in the town was gathered at the doorway of Simon’s house. 34 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.

Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, preaching and expelling evil spirits from people.

Mark 1:35-39

35 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 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 “Come back to the town with us, because many [HYP] people in Capernaum are looking for you!” 38 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 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.

Jesus cured a leper and arranged for him to be able to associate with people again.

Mark 1:40-45

40 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 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 man was healed! He was no longer a leper! 43 Jesus spoke sternly to him before he sent him away. 44 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 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.

By healing a paralyzed man Jesus demonstrated his authority to forgive sins as well as to heal.

Mark 2:1-12

2 Jesus and his disciples returned to Capernaum town. A few days later, because it was {people} heard that Jesus was in his house, 2 many people gathered there. As a result, after the people filled the house, there was no longer space to stand in the house or outside around the doorway. Jesus preached God’s message to them. 3 Some people came to the house bringing to Jesus a man who was paralyzed. He was carried by four men {Four men carried him} on a sleeping pad. 4 They were not able to bring the man to Jesus because there was a crowd there. So they went up the steps to the flat roof and removed some of the tiles above where Jesus was. Then, after they made a big hole in the roof, they lowered by ropes the sleeping pad on which the paralyzed man lay. They lowered it through the hole, down in front of Jesus. 5 After Jesus perceived that the men believed that he could heal this man, he said to the paralyzed man, “My friend, I forgive your sins!” 6 There were some men who taught the Jewish laws sitting there. They started thinking like this: 7 “◄Who does this man think he is, talking like that/This man shouldn’t talk like that!► [RHQ]? ◄He is insulting God!/Does he think he is God?► [RHQ] ◄No person can forgive sins!/Who can forgive sins?► [RHQ] Only God can forgive sins!” 8 Jesus sensed that they were deliberating like that within themselves. So he said to them, “◄You should not question within yourselves whether I have the right to forgive this man’s sins!/Why do you question whether I have the right to forgive this man’s sins?► [RHQ] 9 It is not risky [RHQ] for someone to tell the man who is paralyzed, ‘Your sins are forgiven {I forgive your sins},’ because no one can prove that it has happened. But no one would say to him, ‘Get up, pick up your stretcher, and then walk away’, unless he really had the power to heal him, because people can easily see whether it happens or not. 10 So I will do something in order that you may know that God has authorized me, the one who came from heaven, to forgive sins on earth as well as to heal people.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, 11 “To you I say, ‘Get up! Pick up your sleeping pad! And then go home!’ ” 12 [fn] The man stood up immediately! He picked up the sleeping pad, and then he went away, while all the people there were watching. They were all amazed, and they praised God and said, “We have never before seen anything like what happened just now!”

Jesus invited Levi to be his disciple and refuted those who objected to his associating with such people.

Mark 2:13-17

13 Jesus left Capernaum town again and walked with his disciples alongside Galilee lake. A large crowd came to him. Then he taught them. 14 As he walked on further, he saw a man named Levi, whose other name was Matthew, and whose father’s name was Alpheus. He was sitting in his office where he collected taxes for the Roman government. Jesus said to him, “Come with me and become my disciple!” So he got up and went with Jesus.

15 Later, Jesus was eating a meal in Levi’s house. Many men who collected taxes and other people who were considered to be sinning regularly were eating with Jesus and his disciples. This was not surprising, for there were many people like this who were going everywhere with Jesus. 16 The men who taught the Jewish laws who were there and who were members of the Pharisee sect saw that Jesus was eating with men who collected taxes and others who were considered {whom they considered} to be sinners. So they said to his disciples, “◄It is disgusting that he eats with such disgusting men as those who collect taxes, and with other sinners!/Why is it that he eats with such disgusting men as those who collect taxes, and with other sinners?►” [RHQ] 17 After Jesus heard what they were saying, he said to the men who taught the Jewish laws, “People who consider that they are well do not seek a doctor. On the contrary, it is those who are sick who seek a doctor [MET]!” This he said to indicate that it was those who knew that they had sinned who were coming to him in order that he might help them spiritually. And he said, “I did not come to invite people who think that [IRO] they are righteous to come to me and turn from their sinful behavior. On the contrary, I came from heaven to invite people who know that they are sinners, in order that they might turn from their sins and come to me.”

Jesus told them it was inappropriate for his disciples to show sorrow by fasting while he was with them, and that requiring people to perform rituals like fasting was inconsistent with the new way of life he was bringing.

Mark 2:18-22

18 The disciples of John the Baptizer and some men who belonged to the Pharisee sect used to abstain from food to show that they wanted to please God. One day, some people came to Jesus and asked him critically, “The disciples of John and the Pharisees ◄fast/abstain from food► from time to time, but your disciples do not. We think they should abstain from food also. What do you say about that [RHQ]?” 19 Jesus wanted them to understand that it was not appropriate for his disciples to show sorrow by abstaining from food while he was still with them. So he said to them, “When a man is marrying a woman, his friends will certainly not abstain from food while he is still with them, will they [RHQ]? No. During the time that he is with them, they will not abstain from food because they are happy together. 20 But some day, he will be taken away {his enemies will take him away} from them. Then, in those days, they will abstain from food, because they will be sad.”

21 Jesus wanted to show that those who desire to live in accordance with his new message should not try to continue to obey the old religious traditions like fasting. So he also said to them, “People do not sew a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment in order to mend a hole. If they did that, when they washed the garment, the patch would shrink and the new piece of cloth would tear off more of the old cloth. As a result, the hole would become bigger! 22 Similarly, people do not put newly squeezed grape juice into old skin bags to store it. If they did that, that juice will burst the skin bags because they would not stretch when the wine ferments and expands. As a result both the wine and the skin bags would be ruined! On the contrary, people must put new wine into new skin bags!” [MET]

When the Pharisees complained about Jesus’ disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath day, Jesus replied that there was Scriptural precedent for ignoring religious laws if there was a physical need, and that he is the one to decide what people should do on the Sabbath.

Mark 2:23-28

23 On one ◄Sabbath/Jewish day of rest► Jesus was walking through some grain fields with his disciples. As they were walking along through the grain fields, the disciples were plucking some of the heads of grain. They rubbed them in their hands to remove the chaff, and were eating the grain. The laws of Moses permitted people to do that if they were hungry. 24 Some of the Pharisees saw them doing what they considered to be work. So they said to him, “Look! ◄They should not be doing on our ◄Sabbath day/day of rest► work that our laws forbid!/Why are they doing on our ◄Sabbath day/day of rest► work that our laws forbid?► [RHQ]” 25 Jesus wanted to show them that the record in the Scriptures indicated that God permitted people to disobey certain religious laws when they needed food. So he said to them, “It is written in the Scriptures what our revered ancestor, King David, did when he needed food, and both he and the men with him were hungry. You have read about that, but ◄you do not think about what it implies./why do you not think about what it implies?► [RHQ] 26 During the time Abiathar was high priest, David entered the big tent where people worshipped God and asked for some bread. The high priest gave him some of the loaves of bread. That bread was the bread he had presented to God. It was permitted in one of Moses’ laws that only the priests could eat that bread! But David ate some of it. Then he also gave some of it to the men who were with him. But God did not consider that was wrong!” 27 Jesus said to them further, “God established ◄the day of rest/the Sabbath day► to help people! He did not create people to obey rules about ◄the Sabbath/the day of rest►! 28 And think about this: I am the one who came from heaven. So I have the authority to determine what is right for my disciples to do ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►!”

After Jesus healed a man with a withered arm on the Sabbath, Jewish leaders began to plan to kill him.

Mark 3:1-6

3 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. 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►. 3 Jesus said to the man whose hand was shriveled, “Stand up here in front of everyone!” So the man stood up. 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. 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! 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.

Many people came from various areas to hear Jesus, because he had healed many.

Mark 3:7-12

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, 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. 9-10 9-10Because 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. 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►!” 12 He commanded the evil spirits strongly that they should not tell anyone who he was.

Jesus appointed the twelve apostles.

Mark 3:13-19

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. 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. 15 He also gave them power in order that they might expel evil spirits from people. 16 These were the twelve men he appointed: Simon, to whom he gave the new name Peter; his younger brother Andrew; 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; 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; 19 and Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth Town). He was the one who later ◄betrayed Jesus/helped Jesus’ enemies seize him►.

Jesus explained why their claim that he was expelling evil spirits by Satan’s power was ridiculous, and that such a claim was an unforgivable sin.

Mark 3:20-30

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. 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.

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!” 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] 24 If people who live in the same country are fighting one another, they will cease to be a single group under one ruler. 25 And if people who live in the same house fight each other, they will certainly not remain as one family. 26 Similarly, if Satan and his evil spirits were fighting one another, instead of remaining strong, he would become powerless. 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.” 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. 29 But if anyone speaks evil words about what the Holy Spirit does, God will never forgive that. That person’s guilt will remain with him forever.”

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!”

Jesus told them that those who obey God are as dear to him as his close relatives.

Mark 3:31-35

31 Jesus’ mother and younger siblings arrived. While they stood outside, they sent someone inside in order to call him outside. 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!” 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] 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. 35 Those who habitually do what God wants are as dear to me [MET] as my brother, my sister, or my mother!”

Jesus taught the crowds by parables about the various ways that people who hear his message react.

Mark 4:1-25

4 Another time Jesus began to teach people alongside Lake Galilee. As he was doing that, a very large crowd gathered around him. Because people were jostling him, he got into a boat in the lake so that he could speak to the crowd better. Then he sat in it and began to teach the crowd from the boat. At the same time, the crowd was on the shore close to the lake. 2 Then he taught them many parables. While he was teaching them, he told them this: 3 “Consider well the meaning of this illustration: A man/farmer went out to his field to sow some seeds. 4 As he was scattering them over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the path. Then some birds came and ate those seeds. 5 Other seeds fell on ground where there was not much soil on top of rock. Very soon the seeds sprouted because the sun warmed the moist soil quickly where it was not deep. 6 But after the sun shone on those young plants, they became scorched. Then they withered because they did not have deep roots. 7 As the farmer sowed, other seeds fell on ground that contained roots of thorny plants. The seeds grew, but the thorny plants also grew up and crowded out the good plants. So the plants produced no grain. 8 But as the farmer sowed, other seeds fell on good soil. As a result, they sprouted, they grew well, and then they produced plenty of grain. Some plants bore 30 grains. Some bore 60 grains. Some bore 100 grains.” 9 Then Jesus said, “If you want to understand this [MTY], you should consider carefully what I have just said.”

10 Later, when only the twelve disciples and a few other people were with him, they asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “People have not understood before the new message about how God wants to rule people’s lives. It is to you that this is being made known {that I am making this known}. But I tell about this only ◄in parables/figuratively► to those who have not yet invited God to rule their lives. 12 As a result it is true what a prophet has written,

Although they see what I do, they do not perceive what it means [DOU]. Although they hear what I say, they do not understand what it means [DOU]. So they do not ◄repent/turn away from their sinful behavior► in order that they would be forgiven {God would forgive them}.”

13 He also said to them, “◄I am disappointed that you do not understand this illustration!/Can you not understand this illustration?► [RHQ] If you do not understand this, ◄you will certainly not understand any of the other illustrations!/how will you understand any of the other illustrations?► [RHQ] Nevertheless, I will explain it to you. 14 In the illustration that I told you, the man who sows seeds represents someone who declares God’s message [DOU]. 15 Some people are like the path on which some of the seeds fell. When they hear the message, Satan comes at once and causes them to forget what they have heard. 16 Some people are like the ground where the soil was not very deep over rock. When they hear God’s message, they immediately accept it with joy. 17 But, because the message does not penetrate deeply [MET] into their hearts/inner beings, they believe it for only a short time. They are like the plants that did not have deep roots. When others treat such people badly or cause them to suffer because they believe, those people who are suffering soon stop believing God’s message. 18 Some people are like the soil that had roots of thorny weeds in it. Although those people hear God’s message, 19 they desire to be rich, and they desire to own many other things. So they worry only about material things. The result is that they forget God’s message and they do not do the things that God wants them to do. 20 But some people are like the good soil. They hear God’s message and they accept it and they believe it. Then they do the things that God wants them to do. They are like the good plants that produced 30, 60 or 100 grains.”

21 He also told them another parable, saying, “◄People certainly do not light an oil lamp and then bring it in the house in order that it may be put {someone may put it} under a container or under a bed./Would anyone light an oil lamp and then bring it in the house in order that it may be put {someone may put it} under a container or under a bed?► [RHQ] ◄No, they light it in order that it may be put {someone may put it} in a place where it lights the house./Wouldn’t they light it in order that it may be put {someone may put it} in a place where it lights the house?► [RHQ] 22 Similarly, there are some parts of God’s message that people do not know. But he intends that people will understand all the things that they do not know now. 23 If you want to understand this, you should consider carefully what you have just heard.”

24 Then he said to them, “Consider carefully what you hear me say to you, for God will let you understand to the same degree that you consider what I say. He will let you understand even more than that. 25 Those who consider what I say and understand it, God will enable them to understand more. But those who do not consider carefully what I say, they will forget even what they already know.”

Jesus told them two parables to show them how the number of people who will submit to God’s rule over their lives will greatly increase.

Mark 4:26-34

26 Jesus also said, “God has the power to change people who let him rule their lives. I will illustrate how that can happen [MET]. A man planted seeds in the ground. 27 Afterwards he slept each night and rose each day without worrying about the seeds. During that time the seeds sprouted and grew in a way that he did not understand, because by itself the soil caused the plants to grow and produce grain. 28 First the stalks appeared. Then the heads appeared. Then the full kernels in the heads appeared. 29 As soon as the grain was ripe he sent people [MTY] to harvest it because it was time to harvest the grain.”

30 Jesus told them another parable. He said, “I will tell you [RHQ] how the number of people whose lives God rules in a new way will continue to grow (OR, each continue to have more and more influence in this world). I hope [RHQ] that this illustration will show this to you. 31 You know what happens to mustard seeds when we plant them. Though mustard seeds are among the smallest of seeds, here in Israel they become large plants. 32 After they are planted, they grow up and become larger than the other garden plants. They put out big branches so that birds are able to make nests in their shade.”

33 Jesus used many such illustrations when he talked to the people about God. If they were able to understand some, he kept telling them more. 34 He always used parables when he spoke to them. But he explained all the illustrations to his own disciples when he was alone with them.

While Jesus and his disciples crossed the lake in a boat and while Jesus slept, a storm arose, so the disciples woke him and he calmed the storm.

Mark 4:35-41

35 On that same day, when the sun was setting, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the opposite side of Lake Galilee in the boat.” 36 So they left the crowd, got in the boat where Jesus already was, and left. Other people went with them in other boats. 37 A strong wind came up and the waves started coming into the boat! The boat was soon nearly full of water! 38 Jesus was in the back part of the boat. He was sleeping, with his head on a cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! ◄You ought to be concerned that we are about to die!/Are you not concerned that we are about to die?► [RHQ]” 39 So Jesus got up and rebuked the wind. Then he said to the lake, “Be quiet! Be still! [DOU]” The wind immediately stopped blowing and then the lake became very calm. 40 He said to the disciples, “◄I am disappointed that you are afraid like that!/Why are you afraid like that?► [RHQ] Do you not yet believe that I can protect you?” 41 They were very awestruck. They said to one another, “Not only do the demons obey this man, but even the wind and the waves obey him! “◄What kind of man is he?/This man is not like ordinary people!► [RHQ]”

Jesus expelled evil spirits from a Gerasene man and then allowed them to enter a herd of pigs, which then ran down a hill and drowned. As a result, the local people asked Jesus to leave the area.

Mark 5:1-20

5 Jesus and his disciples arrived on the east side of Lake Galilee. They landed near where the Gerasene people lived. 2 There was a man in that region whom evil spirits controlled. 3 Because that man was violent and people were afraid of him, they had tied him up many times. As he grew more violent, no one was able to tie him up any longer, not even with chains, 4 because the chains would be broken by him {he would break the chains} whenever he was bound {they bound him} with them. The iron shackles would also be smashed by him {He would also smash the iron shackles} whenever they were fastened {they fastened them} on his feet. 5 He lived in one of the caves where they bury dead people. During both night and day he would scream among the caves and in the hills. He would also cut himself with sharp stones. That day he came out of the caves. 6 As Jesus and his disciples got out of the boat, that man saw Jesus from a distance. He immediately ran to Jesus, and then he knelt before him. 7-8 7-8Jesus said to the evil spirit, “You evil spirit, come out of this man!” But the demon did not leave quickly. It shouted very loudly, “Jesus, I know that you are the ◄Son of/man who is also► God, so ◄we have nothing in common./what do we have in common?► [IDM, RHQ] So leave me alone I ask you to promise, knowing God is listening, that you will not torture me now!” 9 So, in order to expel the demon more easily, Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Crowd/Mob because there are many of us evil spirits in this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits fervently kept begging Jesus that he not send them out of the region. 11 At the same time, a large herd of pigs was ◄grazing/rooting for food► nearby on the hillside. 12 So the evil spirits pleaded with Jesus, “Allow us to go to the pigs in order that we might enter them!” 13 He permitted them to do that. So the evil spirits left the man and entered the pigs. The herd, which numbered about 2,000, rushed down the cliff into the lake, and drowned in the lake.

14 The men who had been tending the pigs ran and reported in the town and the countryside what had happened. Many people went to see what had happened. 15 They came to the place where Jesus was. Then they saw the man whom evil spirits had previously controlled. He was sitting there with clothes on and mentally sound. As a result, they became afraid because they thought that Jesus might destroy more of their property. (OR, they realized that Jesus must be very powerful.) 16 The people who had seen what had happened described what had happened to the man whom the evil spirits previously controlled. They also described what had happened to the pigs. 17 Then the people pleaded with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus got in the boat in order to leave, the man whom the evil spirits previously controlled begged Jesus, “Please let me go with you!” 19 But Jesus did not let him go with him. On the contrary, he said to him, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord God has done for you, and tell them how God was kind to you.” 20 So the man left and traveled around the Ten Towns district. He told people how much Jesus had done for him. All the people who heard what the man said were amazed.

Jesus cured a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhaging, and brought Jairus’ daughter back to life.

Mark 5:21-43

21 Jesus and his disciples went in a boat back around Lake Galilee to where they were before. When they arrived at the shore of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Jesus. 22 One of the men who presided over a ◄synagogue/Jewish meeting place►, whose name was Jairus, came there. When he saw Jesus, he prostrated himself at his feet. 23 Then he pleaded with Jesus earnestly, “My twelve-year old daughter is sick and nearly dead! Please come to my house and place your hands on her in order that she will be healed {to heal her}, so that she will not die!” 24 So Jesus and the disciples went with him.

A large crowd followed Jesus and many pushed close to him. 25 There was a woman in the crowd who had vaginal bleeding [EUP] every day for twelve years. 26 She had suffered much while many doctors treated her. But although she had spent all her money to pay the doctors, she had not been helped {they had not helped her}. Instead, she had become worse [EUP]. 27 After she heard that Jesus healed people, she came to where he was and pushed in the crowd close behind Jesus. 28 She did that because she was thinking, “If I touch him or even if I touch his clothes, I will be healed {his power will heal me}.” So she touched Jesus’ clothes. 29 At once her bleeding stopped. At the same time, she sensed that she had been cured of {that he had cured} her illness. 30 Jesus also immediately sensed that his power had healed someone. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 One of his disciples replied, “You can see that many people are crowding close to you! Probably many people touched you! So ◄why do you ask ‘Who touched me?’/We are surprised that you ask ‘Who touched me?’ [RHQ]►” 32 But Jesus kept looking around in order to see the one who had done it. 33 The woman was very afraid and trembling. She thought that Jesus might be angry because she had violated the law that women who had such a sickness should not touch other people. But she knew that Jesus had healed her. So she prostrated herself before him. Then she told him truthfully about what she had done. 34 He said to her, “◄Ma’am/Young lady►, because you have believed that I could heal you, I have healed you. You may go home with peace in your heart/inner being, because I promise that you will not be sick this way any more.”

35 While Jesus was still speaking to that woman, some people arrived who had come from Jairus’ house. They said to Jairus, “Your daughter has now died. So ◄it is useless that you bother the teacher any longer by urging him to go to your house!/why do you bother the teacher any longer by urging him to go to your house?► [RHQ]” 36 But when Jesus heard what these men said, he said to Jairus, “Do not think that the situation is hopeless! Just keep believing that she will live!” 37-38 37-38Then he allowed only his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John, to go with him to Jairus’ house. He did not allow any other people to go with him. After they arrived near the house, Jesus saw that the people there were in turmoil. They were weeping and wailing [DOU] loudly. 39 He entered the house and then he said to them, knowing that he was going to cause her to live again, “◄Do not make such a disturbance!/Why are you making such a disturbance?► [RHQ] Stop crying, for the child is not dead! On the contrary, she is only sleeping [HYP, EUP]!” 40 The people laughed at him, because they knew that she was dead. But he sent all the other people outside the house. Then he took the child’s father and mother and the three disciples who were with him. He went into the room where the child was lying. 41 He took hold of the child’s hand and said to her in her own language, “Talitha, Koum!” That means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 At once the girl got up and walked around. (It was not surprising that she could walk, because she was twelve years old.) When this happened, all who were present were very astonished. 43 Jesus ordered them strictly, “Do not tell anyone about what I have done!” Afterwards he told them that something to eat should be brought to the girl {that they should bring the girl something to eat}.

Jesus taught in the synagogue, and the people who heard him were amazed and offended.

Mark 6:1-6a

6 Jesus left Capernaum city and went to his hometown, Nazareth. His disciples went with him. 2 ◄On the Sabbath/On the Jewish rest day►, he entered the Jewish worship house and taught the people. Many who were listening to him were astonished. But some were saying, “This man is just an ordinary person like we are! So ◄we cannot believe that this man is able to teach us about these things and that he has been made very wise {that God has made him very wise} and that he is performing such miracles!/how is it that [RHQ] this man is able to teach us about these things and that he has been made very wise {that God has made him very wise} and that he is performing such miracles?► [RHQ] 3 ◄We know that he is just an ordinary carpenter!/Isn’t he just an ordinary carpenter [RHQ]?► We know him and his family! We know Mary his mother! ◄We know his younger brothers James, Joses, Judas and Simon!/Are not his younger brothers James, Joses, Judas and Simon?► [RHQ] And ◄his younger sisters also live here in this town!/do not his younger sisters also live here in this town?► [RHQ]” So they despised him. 4 Jesus knew that they refused to believe in him. So he said to them, “It is certainly true that people honor me and other prophets in other places, but not in our hometowns! Even our relatives and the people who live in our own houses do not honor us!”

5 So, although he healed a few sick people there by touching them, he decided not to perform many other miracles in Nazareth because the people there did not believe that he was the Messiah. 6 He was amazed that they did not believe in him.

Jesus began to send out his disciples two-by-two and gave them power and instructions.

Mark 6:6b-13

Jesus and his disciples went from town to town in that region teaching the people. 7 One day he summoned the twelve disciples, and then he told them that he was going to send them out two-by-two to teach people in various towns. He gave them power to expel evil spirits from people. 8-9 8-9He also instructed them to wear sandals and to take along a walking stick when they were traveling. He told them not to take food, nor a bag in which travelers carry supplies, nor any money for their journey. He also did not allow them to take extra clothing. He wanted the people who heard their message to give them what they needed. 10 He also instructed them, “After you enter a town, if someone invites you to stay in his house, go into his house. Eat and sleep in that same home until you leave that town. 11 Wherever the people do not welcome you and wherever the people do not listen to you, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that place. By doing that, you will warn them that God will punish them for rejecting your message.” 12 So after the disciples went out to various towns, they were preaching that people should stop their sinful behavior. 13 They were also expelling many evil spirits from people, and they were anointing many sick people with olive oil and healing them.

King Herod heard about Jesus and wondered if he was John the Baptizer, come back after King Herod had ordered John to be executed due to the insistence of his wife, Herodias.

Mark 6:14-29

14 King Herod Antipas heard about what Jesus was doing, because many people were talking about it. Some people were saying about Jesus, “He must be John the Baptizer! He has come back to life! That is why he has God’s power to perform these miracles!” 15 Others were saying about Jesus, “He is the former prophet Elijah, whom God promised to send back again.” Others were saying about Jesus, “No, he is a different prophet, like one of the other prophets who lived long ago.” 16 Having heard what the people were saying, King Herod Antipas himself repeatedly said, “The man performing those miracles must be John! I commanded my soldiers to cut off his head, but he has come back to life again to get revenge for my killing him!” 17 The reason King Herod concluded that John wanted revenge is as follows: Some time before this, Herod married Herodias, while she was still the wife of his younger brother, Philip. 18 John kept telling Herod, “God’s law does not permit you to marry the wife of your brother while he is still alive.” Then, because Herodias urged him to put John in prison, Herod himself sent soldiers to John. They seized John and put him in prison. 19 But because Herodias wanted to get further revenge on John, she wanted someone to execute him. But she could not do that because while John was in prison, Herod kept John safe from her. 20 Herod did this because he respected/feared John, because he knew that he was a righteous and holy man. The king did not know what he should do, but he liked to listen to him. 21 But Herodias was able to have someone execute John when they honored/celebrated the day when Herod was born. On that day, he invited the most important government officials, the most important army leaders, and the most important men in Galilee district in order that they might eat and celebrate with him. 22 While they were eating, Herodias’ daughter came into the room and danced, and that pleased King Herod and his guests. So the king said to her, “Ask me for whatever you desire and I will give it to you!” 23 He said to her, “Whatever you ask, I will give it to you! I will give you up to half of what I own and rule, if you ask for it. May God punish me if I do not do what I have promised!” 24 The girl immediately left the room and went to her mother. She told her what the king had said, and asked her, “What shall I ask for?” Her mother replied, “Ask the king to give you the head of John the Baptizer!” 25 The girl quickly entered the room again. She went to the king and she requested, “I want you to command someone to cut off the head of John the Baptizer and give it to me at once on a platter, so that my mother can know he is dead!” 26 The king became very distressed when he heard what she asked for, because he knew John was a very righteous man (OR, because he now knew that he should not have made that promise to her). But he could not refuse what she requested because he had promised that he would give her anything she asked for, and because his guests had heard him promise that. 27 So the king at once ordered the man who executes prisoners to go and cut off John’s head and bring it to the girl. That man went to the prison and cut off John’s head. 28 He put it on a platter, brought it back, and gave it to the girl. The girl took it to her mother. 29 After John’s disciples heard what happened, they went to the prison and took John’s body and then they buried it in a burial cave.

The apostles returned to Jesus to report what they had done. Then they all went off to a lonely place, but many people followed them.

Mark 6:30-34

30 The twelve apostles returned to Jesus from the places to which they had gone. They reported to him what they had done and what they had taught to people. 31 He said to them, “Come with me to a place where no people are living, in order that we can be alone and rest a little while!” He said this because many people were continually coming to them and going away again, with the result that Jesus and his disciples did not have time to eat or do anything else. 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a place where no people were living. 33 But many people saw them leaving. They also recognized that they were Jesus and the disciples, and they saw where they were going. So they ran ahead on land from all the nearby towns to the place where Jesus and his disciples were going. They actually arrived there before Jesus and the disciples. 34 As Jesus and his disciples got out of the boat, Jesus saw this large crowd. He felt sorry for them because they were confused, like sheep that do not have a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

When it became late in the afternoon the people became hungry and there was no place to obtain food; as a result, Jesus miraculously provided food for them.

Mark 6:35-44

35 Late in the afternoon, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a place where no people live and it is very late. 36 So send the people away in order that they may go to the surrounding farms and villages in order that they can buy for themselves something to eat!” 37 But he replied, “No, you yourselves give them something to eat!” They replied, “◄We could not buy enough bread to feed this crowd, even if we had as much money as a man earns by working 200 days!/How could we buy enough bread to feed this mob, even if we had as much money as a man earns by working 200 days?►” [RHQ] 38 But he replied to them, “How many loaves of bread do you have? Go and find out!” They went and found out and then they told him, “We have only five flat loaves and two cooked fish!” 39 He instructed the disciples to tell all the people to sit down on the green grass. 40 So the people sat in groups. There were 50 people in some groups and 100 people in other groups. 41 Jesus took the five flat loaves and the two fish. He looked up towards heaven and thanked God for them. Then he broke the loaves and fish into pieces and kept giving them to the disciples in order that they would distribute them to the people. 42 Everyone ate this food until they all had enough to eat! 43 The disciples then collected twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and of the fish that were left over. 44 There were approximately 5,000 men who ate the bread and fish. They did not even count the women and children.

Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him to Bethsaida by boat while he stayed to pray. Later he saw that they were in difficulty due to a wind blowing against them, so he went to them, walking on the water.

Mark 6:45-52

45 Right away Jesus told his disciples to get into the boat and then go ahead of him to Bethsaida town, which was further around Lake Galilee. He stayed and dismissed the many people who were there. 46 After he said goodbye to the people, he went up into the hills in order to pray. 47 When it was evening, the disciples’ boat was in the middle of the lake and Jesus was by himself on the land. 48 He saw that the wind was blowing against them as they rowed. As a result, they were having great difficulty. He approached them early in the morning, when it was still dark, by walking on the water. He intended to walk by them. 49 They saw him walking on the water, but they thought that he was a ghost. They screamed 50 because they all were terrified when they saw him. But he talked to them. He said to them, “Be calm! Do not be afraid, because it is I!” 51 He got into the boat and sat down with them and the wind immediately stopped blowing. They were completely amazed about what he had done. 52 Although they had seen Jesus multiply the bread and the fish, they did not understand from that how powerful he was, as they should have. They did not think clearly about it.

As soon as Jesus and his disciples reached land and disembarked, people began to come to Jesus, bringing sick people in order that he might heal them, and he healed all who touched him.

Mark 6:53-56

53 After they went further around Lake Galilee in a boat, they came to the shore at Gennesaret town. Then they tied up the boat there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people there recognized Jesus. 55 So they ran throughout the whole district in order to tell others that Jesus was there. Then the people placed those who were sick on stretchers and carried them to any place where they heard people say that Jesus was. 56 In whatever village, town or other place where he entered, they would bring to the marketplaces those who were sick. Then the sick people would beg Jesus to let them touch him or even the edge of his clothes in order that Jesus might heal them. All those who touched him or his robe were healed.

Some Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus about his disciples disobeying the traditions of the elders. Jesus replied, showing that their attitudes and practices were mistaken.

Mark 7:1-23

7 One day some Pharisees and some men who teach the Jewish laws gathered around Jesus. They had come from Jerusalem to investigate him. 2-4 2-4The Pharisees and all of the other Jews strictly observe the traditions that their ancestors taught. For example, they refuse to eat until they first wash their hands with a special ritual, especially after they return from buying things in the marketplace. They think that God will be angry with them if they do not do that, because some person or thing unacceptable to God might have touched ◄them/the things they bought►. There are many other such traditions that they accept and try to obey. Specifically, they wash in a special way their cups, pots, kettles, containers, and beds in order that using these things will not make God reject them.

5 That day, those Pharisees and men who taught the Jewish laws saw that some of his disciples were eating food with hands that they had not washed using the special ritual. So they questioned Jesus, saying, “Your disciples disobey the traditions of our ancestors! ◄You should not let them eat food if they have not washed their hands using our special ritual!/Why do you let them eat food if they have not washed their hands using our special ritual?► [RHQ]” 6 Jesus said to them, “Isaiah rebuked your ancestors, and his words describe very well you people who only pretend to be good! He wrote these words that God said:

These people speak as if they honor me, but they [SYN] really do not think about honoring me at all. 7 It is useless for them to worship me, because they teach only what people have commanded as if I myself had commanded them.

8 You, like your ancestors, refuse to do what God has commanded. Instead, you follow only the traditions that ◄others/your ancestors► have taught.” 9 Jesus also said to them, “You think [IRO] that you are clever in refusing to do what God commanded just so that you can obey your own traditions! 10 For example, our ancestor Moses wrote God’s command, ‘Honor your fathers and your mothers’. He also wrote, ‘The authorities must execute a person who speaks evil about his father or mother.’ 11-12 11-12But you teach people that it is all right that people no longer must help their parents. You teach people that it is all right if people give their things to God instead of giving them to their parents. You allow them to say to their parents, ‘What I was going to give to you to provide for you, I have now promised to give to God. So I cannot any longer help you!’ As a result, you are actually telling people that they no longer have to help their parents! 13 And, by doing that, you disregard what God commanded! You teach your own traditions to others and tell them strongly that they should obey them And you do many other things like that.”

14 Then Jesus again summoned the crowd to come closer. Then he said to them figuratively, “All of you people listen to me! Try to understand [DOU] what I am about to tell you. 15-16 15-16Nothing that people eat causes God to consider them to be unacceptable. On the contrary, it is that which comes from people’s ◄inner beings/hearts► that causes God to reject them.”

17 After Jesus had left the crowd and then entered a house with the disciples, they asked him about the parable that he had just spoken. 18 He replied, “◄I am disappointed that you also do not understand what it means!/Why can you not understand what it means?► [RHQ] ◄You ought to understand that nothing that enters us from outside can cause God to consider us unacceptable to him./Can you not understand that nothing that enters us from outside of us can cause God to consider us unacceptable to him?► [RHQ] 19 Instead of entering and ruining our minds/souls, it goes into our stomachs, and afterwards the refuse passes out of our bodies.” By saying this, Jesus was declaring that people can eat any food without causing God to reject them. 20 He also said, “It is the thoughts and actions that come from within people that cause God to consider them unacceptable to him. 21 Specifically, it is people’s innermost being that causes them to think things that are evil; they act immorally, they steal things, they commit murder. 22 They commit adultery, they are greedy, they act maliciously, they deceive people. They act indecently, they envy people, they speak evil about others, they are proud, and they act foolishly. 23 People think these thoughts and then they do these evil actions, and that is what causes God to consider them unacceptable to him.”

Jesus went to the region around Tyre to be away from people, but they learned of it, and a woman came to ask him to expel an evil spirit from her daughter.

Mark 7:24-30

24 After Jesus and his disciples left Galilee district, they went to the region around Tyre. While he stayed at a certain house, he desired that no one know it, but people soon found out that he was there. 25 A certain woman, whose daughter had an evil spirit within her, heard about Jesus. At once she came to him and prostrated herself at his feet. 26 This woman was not a Jew. Her ancestors came from Greece country, but she was born in the region around Phoenicia town in Syria district. She pleaded with Jesus that he expel the evil spirit from her daughter. 27 But he wanted to see how strongly she believed in him. So, suggesting that he should help the Jews first and not the non-Jews whom some Jews called dogs [MET], he spoke to her saying, “First let the children eat all they want, because it is not good for someone to take the food the mother has prepared for the children and then throw it to the little dogs.” 28 But to show that she believed that non-Jews could also receive help from God [MET], she replied to him, “Sir, what you say is correct, but even the little dogs, which lie under the table, eat the crumbs that the children drop.” 29 Jesus said to her, “Because of what you have said, you have shown me that you believe in what I can do for you. So I will help you. Now you may go home, because I have caused the evil spirit to leave your daughter.” 30 The woman returned to her house and saw that her child was lying quietly on the bed and that the evil spirit had left.

When Jesus went back to Lake Galilee, some people brought a deaf-mute man to Jesus and asked him to heal the man, which he did.

Mark 7:31-37

31 Jesus and his disciples left the region around Tyre city and went north through Sidon city, then toward the east through the district of the Ten Towns, and then south to the towns near Lake Galilee. 32 There, people brought to him a man who was deaf and who could hardly talk. They begged Jesus to lay his hands on him in order to heal him. 33 So Jesus took him away from the crowd in order that the two of them could be alone. Then he put one of his fingers into each of the man’s ears. After he spat on his fingers, he touched the man’s tongue with his fingers. 34 Then he looked up toward heaven, he sighed because he was concerned for the man, and then in his own language he said to the man’s ears, “Ephphatha”, which means, “Be opened {Open up}!”. 35 At once the man could hear plainly [MTY]. He also began to speak clearly because what was causing him to be unable to speak was healed {Jesus healed what was causing him to be unable to speak}. 36 Jesus told ◄the people/his friends► not to tell anyone what he had done. But, although he ordered them and others repeatedly not to tell anyone about it, they kept talking about it very much. 37 People who heard about it were utterly amazed and were saying enthusiastically, “Everything he has done is wonderful! Besides doing other amazing things, he enables deaf people to hear! And he enables those who cannot speak to speak!”

Again Jesus provided food miraculously for a great crowd who gathered to hear him and became hungry.

Mark 8:1-10

8 During those days, a large crowd of people gathered again. After they had been there a couple days, they had no food to eat. So Jesus summoned the disciples to come closer and then he said to them, 2 “This is the third day that these people have been with me, and they have nothing left to eat, so now I feel very sorry for them. 3 Furthermore, if I send them home while they are still hungry, some of them will faint on the way home, because some of them have come from far away.” 4 Knowing that he was suggesting that they give the people something to eat, one of his disciples replied, “◄We cannot possibly find food to satisfy this crowd, here in this place where no people live!/How can we find food to satisfy this crowd, here in this place where no people live?►” [RHQ] 5 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” They replied, “We have seven flat loaves.” 6 Jesus commanded the crowd, “Sit down on the ground!” After they sat down, he took the seven loaves, he thanked God for them, he broke them into pieces and started giving them to his disciples in order that they might distribute them to the people. 7 They found that they also had a few small dried fish. So after he thanked God for these, he told the disciples, “Distribute these also.” After they distributed the bread and fish to the crowd, 8 the people ate this food and they had plenty to satisfy them. The disciples collected the pieces of food that were left over. They filled seven large baskets full of those pieces. 9 They estimated that there were about 4,000 people who ate on that day. 10 Then Jesus dismissed the crowd. Immediately after that, he got into the boat along with his disciples, and they went around Lake Galilee to Dalmanutha district.

Jesus rebuked those who insisted on him performing more miracles, and rebuked the disciples when they worried about not having enough food with them.

Mark 8:11-21

11 In those days some Pharisees came to Jesus. They asked him to perform a miracle that would show that God had sent him. They wanted to find a way by which they could convince the people to reject him. So they started to argue with him. 12 Jesus sighed quietly to himself, and then he said, “I am disgusted that [RHQ], even though you people have seen how I have healed people, you keep asking me to perform miracles! Note this: Such a miracle will certainly not be shown {I will certainly not show such a miracle} just for you people!” 13 Then he left them.

He got into the boat again, along with his disciples, and they went further around Lake Galilee. 14 The disciples had forgotten to bring along enough food. Specifically, they had only one flat loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were going, Jesus warned them against the attitudes the Pharisees and Herod Antipas had, attitudes that were having a bad effect on other people. He did this by telling them a parable. He said, “Be careful! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!” 16 The disciples misunderstood him. So they said to one another, “He must have said that because we have no bread.” 17 Jesus knew what they were discussing among themselves. So he said to them, “◄I am disappointed that you are discussing about your not having enough bread!/Why are you discussing about your not having enough bread?► [RHQ] ◄You should understand by now that I can provide miraculously for you if you need food!/Why do you not yet perceive or understand that I can provide miraculously for you if you need food?► [RHQ] ◄You are not thinking!/Why are you not thinking?► [RHQ] 18 ◄I am also disappointed that, although you have eyes, you do not understand what you see!/Why is it that, although you have eyes, you do not understand what you see?► [RHQ] You have ears, but you do not understand what I say [RHQ]!” Then he asked, “Do you not remember what happened 19 when I broke only five loaves and fed the 5.000 people [RHQ]? Not only was everyone satisfied, but there was food left over How many baskets full of pieces of bread that were left over did you collect?” They replied, “We collected twelve baskets full.” 20 Then he asked, “When I broke the seven loaves in order to feed the 4,000 people, again when everyone had plenty to eat, how many large baskets of pieces of bread that were left over did you collect?” They replied, “We collected seven large baskets full.” 21 Then he kept saying to them, “◄I am disappointed that you do not understand yet that you should never worry that you do not have enough food!/Why do you not understand yet that you should never worry that you do not have enough food?►” [RHQ]

Jesus healed a blind man.

Mark 8:22-26

22 They arrived in the boat at Bethsaida town. People brought to Jesus a blind man and earnestly requested that Jesus touch him in order to heal him. 23 Jesus took the hand of the blind man, led him outside the town, he put his saliva on the man’s eyes, he put his hands on the man, and then he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 The man looked up and then he said, “Yes, I see people! They are walking around, but I cannot see them clearly. They look like trees!” 25 Then Jesus again touched the eyes of the blind man. The man looked intently and at that moment he was completely healed! He could see everything clearly. 26 Jesus said to him, “Do not go into the town! First go straight home and tell the people there about what I did!” Then he sent the man to his home.

On the way to the villages near the city of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples what people were saying about who he was and, then, what they thought.

Mark 8:27-30

27 Jesus and the disciples left Bethsaida town and went to the villages near Caesarea Philippi town. On the way he questioned them, “Who do people say that I really am?” 28 They replied, “Some people say that you are John the Baptizer, who has come back to life again. Others say that you are the prophet Elijah who has returned from heaven as God promised. And others say that you are one of the other former prophets who has come back to life again.” 29 He asked them, “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied to him, “We believe that you are the Messiah!” 30 Then Jesus warned them strongly that they should not tell anyone yet that he was the Messiah.

Jesus spoke plainly to his disciples about his coming death and resurrection.

Mark 8:31-33

31 Then Jesus began to teach them, “Even though I am the one who came from heaven, it is necessary that I suffer very much. It is also necessary that I be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the men who teach the Jewish laws {that the elders, the chief priests, and the men who teach the Jewish laws reject me}, and that I be killed {they kill me}. But on the third day after I am killed I will become alive again.” 32 He said this to them clearly. But Peter took Jesus aside and then, because he assumed that the Messiah would never die, he started to rebuke Jesus for talking about dying. 33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples. Then he rebuked Peter, saying, “Stop thinking like that! Satan is causing you to talk like that! Instead of wanting what God wants me to do, you are wanting me to do only what most people would want me to do.”

Jesus explained to the crowd and his disciples what is required if anyone wants to be Jesus’ disciple.

Mark 8:34—9:1

34 Then he summoned the crowd along with his disciples so that they might listen to him. He told them, “If any one of you wants to be my disciple, you must not do only what you yourself want to do. Specifically, you must be willing to allow people to hurt you and to disgrace you. That is what they do to criminals who are forced to carry crosses [MET] to the places where they will be crucified. That is what anyone who wants to be my disciple must do. 35 You must do that, because those who try to save their lives by denying that they belong to me when people want to kill them for believing in me will not live eternally, but those who are killed because of being my disciples and because of telling others my good message will live forever with me. 36 People might get everything they want in this world, but ◄they are really gaining nothing if they do not get eternal life because they do not become my disciples!/what will they gain if they do not get eternal life because they do not become my disciples?► [RHQ] 37 ◄Think carefully about the fact that there is absolutely nothing that people can give to God that would enable them to gain eternal life!/Is there anything that a person can give to God in order to gain eternal life?► [RHQ] 38 And think about this: Those who refuse to say that they belong to me and who reject what I say in these days when many people have turned away from God and are very sinful, I, the one who came from heaven, will also refuse to say that they belong to me when I come back with the holy angels and have the glorious brightness that my Father has!”

9 He also said to his disciples, “Listen carefully! Some of you who are here now will see God ruling powerfully in many ways. You will see it before you die!”

Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain where his appearance changed, and Moses and Elijah appeared and talked to Jesus.

Mark 9:2-8

2 A week later Jesus took Peter, James and James’ younger brother John and led them up a high mountain. While they were alone up there, he appeared very different to them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white. They were whiter than anyone on earth could make them by bleaching them. 4 Two prophets who had lived long ago, Moses and Elijah, appeared to them. Then the two of them began talking with Jesus. 5 After a short time, Peter interrupted by exclaiming, “Teacher, it is wonderful to be here! So allow us to make three shelters. One will be for you, one will be for Moses, and one will be for Elijah!” 6 He said this because he wanted to say something, but he did not know what to say, because he and the other two disciples were very awestruck. 7 Then a shining cloud appeared that covered them. God [EUP] spoke to them from the cloud saying, “This is my Son. I love him. Therefore, listen to him!” 8 When the three disciples looked around, they saw that suddenly Jesus was alone with them, and that there was no longer anyone else there.

Jesus told them that the one like Elijah has already come and been evilly treated, but that the Messiah would also be evilly treated.

Mark 9:9-13

9 While they were coming down the mountain, Jesus told them that they should not tell anyone yet what had just happened to him. He said, “You may tell them after I, the one who came from heaven, ◄rise from the dead/become alive again► after I die.” 10 So they did not tell others about it for a long time. But they discussed among themselves what it meant when he said that he would ◄rise from the dead/become alive again► after he died.

11 The three disciples had just seen Elijah, but Elijah had not done anything to prepare people to accept Jesus. So they asked Jesus, “The men who teach the Jewish laws say that Elijah must come back to the earth before the Messiah comes to earth. But you have been here a long time and Elijah came just today. So is what they are teaching wrong?” 12-13 12-13Jesus wanted them to know that John the Baptizer was the one who represented Elijah. So he answered them, “It is true that God promised to send Elijah to come first so that people would be ready when I came. Elijah’s representative has already come, and our leaders treated him very badly, just like they wanted to do, just like it was prophesied {the prophets prophesied} long ago. But, ◄I also want you to consider what is written {what the prophets wrote} in the Scriptures about me, the one who came from heaven./why have you not thought about what is written {what the prophets wrote} about me, the one who came from heaven?► [RHQ] It is written {They wrote} that I would suffer much and that I would be rejected {that many people would reject me}.”

Jesus expelled an evil spirit and later explained to the disciples why they had failed to do that.

Mark 9:14-29

14 Jesus and those three disciples returned to where the other disciples were. They saw a large crowd around the other disciples and some men who taught the Jewish laws arguing with them. 15 As soon as the crowd saw Jesus, they were very surprised to see him come. So they ran to him and greeted him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about?” 17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son here in order that you would heal him. There is an evil spirit in him that makes him unable to talk. 18 Whenever the spirit attacks him, it throws him down. He foams at the mouth, he grinds his teeth together, and he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to expel the spirit, but they were not able to do it.” 19 Jesus replied by saying to those people, “◄I am very disappointed that although you have observed how I help people, you do not believe that you are able to do anything!/Why is it that although you have observed how I help people, you do not believe that you are able to do anything?► [RHQ] ◄I have been with you a long time, and you still cannot do what I do!/How long do I have to be with you before you can do what I do?► [RHQ] Bring the boy to me!” 20 So they brought the boy to Jesus. As soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it shook the boy severely, and the boy fell on the ground. He rolled around, and he foamed at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” He replied, “This started to happen when he was a child. 22 The spirit does not only do this, but he also often throws him into the fire or into the water in order to kill him. But, pity us and help us, if you can!” 23 Jesus exclaimed to him, “Do not say [RHQ] ‘If you can’, for God/I can do anything for people who believe in him/me!” 24 Immediately the child’s father shouted, “I believe that you can help me, but I do not believe strongly. Help me to believe more strongly!” 25 Because Jesus wanted to heal the boy before the crowd got bigger, he rebuked the evil spirit, saying, “You evil spirit, you who are causing this boy to be deaf and unable to talk! I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 The evil spirit shouted, it shook the boy violently, and then it left the boy. The boy did not move. He seemed like a dead body. So many of the people there said, “He is dead!” 27 However, Jesus took him by the hand and helped him get up. Then the boy stood up. He was healed! 28 Later, when Jesus and his disciples were alone in a house, one of them asked him, “Why were we not able to expel the evil spirit?” 29 He said to them, “You can expel this kind of evil spirit only by your praying that God will give you the power to do it. There is no other way that you can expel them.”

Jesus was teaching his disciples that he would be handed over to other men, killed, and become alive again; but they did not understand what he was saying.

Mark 9:30-32

30 After Jesus and his disciples left that district, they traveled through Galilee district. Jesus did not want anyone else to know that he was in their area; he did not want 31 anyone to interrupt him as he taught his disciples. He was telling them, “Some day my enemies [SYN] will seize [MTY] me, the one who came from heaven, and I will be handed over to other men. Those men will kill me. But on the third day after I am killed {after they kill me}, I will become alive again!” 32 But they did not understand what he was telling them. Also, they were afraid to ask him about what he had said.

Jesus taught his disciples by illustration about what kind of person God considers important.

Mark 9:33-37

33 Jesus and his disciples returned to Capernaum town. When they were in the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing while we were traveling on the road?” 34 But they did not reply. They were ashamed to reply because, while they were traveling, they had been arguing with each other about which one of them would be the most important when Jesus became king. 35 He sat down, he summoned the twelve disciples to come close to him, and then he said to them, “If anyone wants God to consider him to be the most important person of all, he must consider himself to be the least important person of all, and he must serve everyone else.” 36 Then he took a child and placed him among them. He took the child in his arms and then he said to them, 37 “Those who, because they love me, welcome a child like this one, God considers that they are welcoming me. So it is as though they are also welcoming God, who sent me.”

Jesus taught his disciples about who is for him and who is against him.

Mark 9:38-41

38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone who was expelling demons, ◄claiming he had authority from you to do that/while telling people that you have told him to do it►. So we told him to stop doing it because he was not one of us disciples.” 39 Jesus said, “Do not tell him not to do that! For no one will speak evilly about me just after he performs a miracle while saying that I have told him to do it. 40 Furthermore, those who are not opposing us are trying to achieve the same goals that we are. 41 Also think about this: Those who belong to me who help you in any way, even if they just give you a cup of water to drink because you follow me, the Messiah, will certainly be rewarded by God!”

Jesus taught his disciples about sin and its result.

Mark 9:42-48

42 Jesus also said, “But if you cause someone who believes in me to sin, God will severely punish you, even if that person is socially unimportant like this little child. If someone tied a heavy stone around your neck and you were thrown {and threw you} into the sea, you would consider that was a severe punishment. But God will punish you more severely than that if you cause a person who believes in me to sin. 43-44 43-44So, if you are wanting to use one of [MTY, PRS] your hands to sin, stop using your hand! Even if you have to cut your hand off and throw it away to avoid sinning, do it [HYP]! It is good that you not sin and that you live eternally, even though you lack one of your hands while you are here on earth. But it is not good that you sin and as a result God throws your whole body into hell. There the fires never go out! 45-46 45-46If you are wanting to use one of [PRS] your feet to sin, stop using your foot! Even if you have to cut off your foot to avoid sinning, do it [HYP]! It is good that you not sin and live eternally, even though you lack one of your feet while you are here on earth. But it is not good that you sin and go to hell. 47 If because of what you see [MTY, PRS] you are tempted to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out your eye and throw it away [HYP] to avoid sinning, do it! It is good that you not sin and live eternally, even though you lack one of your eyes while you are here on earth. But it is not good that you sin and, as a result, God puts your whole body in hell. 48 In that place people suffer forever and the fires are never put out {never go out}.”

Jesus taught that we must endure trials to remain useful to God.

Mark 9:49-50

49 “You must endure difficulties in order that God will be pleased with you. Your difficulties are like a fire that makes things pure [MET]. Your enduring is also like [MET] salt being put on {people putting salt on their} sacrifices to make them pure. 50 Salt is useful to put on food, but you cannot [RHQ] make salt to taste salty again if it becomes flavorless [MET]. Similarly, you must remain useful to God, because no one can make you useful to God again if you become useless. You must also live peacefully with each other.”

Some Pharisees asked him if the law permitted a man to divorce his wife. Jesus answered and supported his answer from Scripture.

Mark 10:1-12

10 Jesus left ◄that place/Capernaum► with his disciples, and they went through Judea district and on across to the east side of the Jordan River. When crowds gathered around him again, he taught them again, as he customarily did. 2 While he was teaching them, some Pharisees approached him and asked him, “Does our Jewish law permit a man to divorce his wife?” They asked that in order to be able to criticize him whether he answered “yes” or “no”. 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command your ancestors about a man divorcing his wife?” 4 One of them replied, “Moses permitted that a man may write on paper his reason for divorcing his wife, give this paper to her, and then send her away.” 5 Jesus said to them, “It was because your ancestors stubbornly wanted just what they desired that Moses wrote that law for your ancestors, and you are just like them! 6 Remember that he also wrote that, when God first created people, he made one man, and one woman to become that man’s wife. 7 That explains why God said, ‘When a man and woman marry, they should no longer live with their fathers and mothers after they marry. 8 Instead, the two of them shall live together, and they shall become so closely united [MET] that they are like one person.’ Therefore, although the people who marry were two separate persons before, God regards them as one person now, so he wants them to remain married. 9 Because that is true, a man must not separate from his wife whom God has joined to him, because God’s plan is for them to remain together!”

10 When Jesus and his disciples were alone in a house, they asked him again about this. 11 He said to them, “God considers that a marriage lasts until either the husband or the wife dies, so he considers that any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery, even if he divorces his first wife. 12 God also considers a woman who divorces her first husband to be committing adultery if she marries another man.”

Jesus became indignant when he saw his disciples scolding people for bringing children for him to bless them.

Mark 10:13-16

13 One day, some people were bringing children to Jesus in order that he would touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded those people because they thought that Jesus ◄did not want to be bothered spending time with/was not concerned about► children. 14 When Jesus saw that, he became angry. He said to the disciples, “Allow the children to come to me! Do not forbid them [DOU]! It is people who are humble and trust as they do who can experience ◄God’s rule in their lives/God taking care of them► [MET]. 15 Note this: Those who do not trustingly allow God to direct their lives, as children do, will not enter the place where God rules.” 16 Then he embraced the children. He also put his hands on them and asked God to bless them.

After a man asked Jesus what he should do in order to live eternally, Jesus told him to sell all his possessions, which astonished the disciples.

Mark 10:17-31

17 As Jesus was starting to travel again with his disciples, a young man ran up to him. He knelt before Jesus and then he asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to have eternal life/in order to live with God eternally?” 18 Jesus said to him, “◄You should consider carefully what you are implying (OR, that you are implying that I am God) by calling me good, because only God is good!/Do you realize what you are implying (OR, that you are implying that I am God) by calling me good, because only God is good?► [RHQ] No other person is good 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments of Moses, which will cause you to live eternally if you obey them perfectly. He commanded things such as ‘do not murder anyone, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not ◄testify falsely/lie►, do not cheat anyone, and honor your father and mother’.” 20 The man said to him, “Teacher, I have obeyed all those commandments ever since I was young. So is ◄that enough/there something else that I have not done►?” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. He said to him, “There is one thing that you have not yet done. You must go home, sell all that you possess, and then give the money to poor people. As a result, you will be spiritually rich in heaven. After you have done what I have told you, come with me and be my disciple!” 22 The man became disappointed when he heard that. He went away sad, because he was very rich and he did not want to give away everything. 23 Jesus looked around at the people. Then he exclaimed to his disciples, “It is very difficult for people who are wealthy to decide to let God rule their lives!” 24 The disciples were surprised at what he said. They thought that God favored the rich people, so if God did not save them, he would not save anyone. So Jesus replied again to them, “My dear friends, it is very difficult for anyone to decide to let God rule his life. 25 It is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is almost as difficult [HYP] for rich people to decide to let God rule their lives.” 26 The disciples were very astonished. So they said to each other, “If that is so, ◄it will be unlikely that anyone will be saved {that God will save anyone}!/will God save anyone?► [RHQ]” 27 Jesus looked at them and then he said, “Yes, it is impossible for people to save themselves! But God certainly can save them, because God can do anything!” 28 Peter exclaimed, “You know that we have left behind everything and we have become your disciples. So, ◄what about us/will God ►?” 29 Jesus replied, “I want you to know this: Those who have left their houses, their brothers, their sisters, their father, their mother, their children, or their plots of ground, to be my disciples and to proclaim the good news, 30 will receive in this life 100 times as much as they left behind. That will include houses and people as dear as brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and plots of ground. Furthermore, although people will persecute them here on earth because they believe in me, in the future age they will ◄have eternal life/live with God eternally►. 31 But I warn you all: Many of you who now consider yourselves to be very important will be unimportant at that future time, and many of you who now consider yourselves to be unimportant will be very important at that future time!”

As they were traveling toward Jerusalem, Jesus took the disciples aside and began to tell them again about what was going to happen to him.

Mark 10:32-34

32 Some days later as they continued to travel, Jesus and his disciples were walking on the road that leads up to Jerusalem city. Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples/apostles were astonished that he was going to where there were many people who opposed him, and the other people who were with them were afraid about what would happen to him in Jerusalem. Along the way he took the twelve disciples to a place by themselves. Then he began to tell them again about what was going to happen to him, saying, 33 “Listen carefully! We are going up to Jerusalem. There the chief priests and the men who teach the Jewish laws will be enabled {someone will help the chief priests and those who teach our Jewish laws} to seize me. Then they will declare that I must die, even though I am the one who came from heaven. Then they will take me to the Roman authorities. 34 Those men will ridicule me. They will spit on me. They will ◄scourge me/whip me with a leaded whip.► Then they will kill me. But on the third day after that, I will become alive again!”

After James and John requested to sit on the right and left of Jesus when he rules, Jesus told them what will happen and how they should act.

Mark 10:35-45

35 Along the way, James and John, who were the two sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and they said to him, “Teacher, please do for us what we will ask you to do!” 36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 They said to him, “When you rule gloriously, let us rule with you. Let one of us sit at your right side and one sit at your left side.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not understand what you are asking for.” Then he asked them, “Can you endure suffering [MTY] like I am about to suffer? Can you endure being killed [MTY] as I will be killed {people killing you as they will kill me}?” 39 They said to him, “Yes, we are able to do that!” Then Jesus said to them, “It is true that you will endure suffering [MTY] like I will suffer, and you will endure being killed as I will be killed {people killing you as they will kill me}. 40 But I am not the one who chooses the ones who will sit next to me and rule with me. God will give those places to the ones he appoints.”

41 The other ten disciples later heard about what James and John had requested. As a result, they were angry with them because they also wanted to rule with Jesus in the highest positions. 42 Then, after Jesus called them all together, he said to them, “You know that those who rule the non-Jews enjoy showing that they are powerful. You also know that officials enjoy commanding others. 43 But do not be like them! On the contrary, all those among you who want God to consider them great must become like servants to the rest of you. 44 Furthermore, if anyone among you wants God to consider him to be the most important, he must act like a servant for the rest of you. 45 You should imitate me. Even though I am the one who has come from heaven, I did not come to be served {for others to serve me}. On the contrary, I came in order to serve others and to allow others to kill me, in order that my dying for people would be like a payment to rescue many people from being punished {God punishing them} for their sins.”

After a blind man called out and asked Jesus to have mercy on him, Jesus healed him.

Mark 10:46-52

46 On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus and the disciples came to Jericho town. Afterwards, while they were leaving Jericho along with a great crowd, a blind man who habitually begged for money was sitting beside the road. His name was Bartimaeus and his father’s name was Timaeus. 47 When he heard people say that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by, he shouted, “Jesus! You who are the Messiah descended from King David, ◄be merciful to/help► me!” 48 Many people rebuked him and told him that he should be quiet. But he shouted even more, “You who are the Messiah descended from King David, ◄be merciful to/help► me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him to come over here!” They summoned the blind man, saying, “Jesus is calling you! So cheer up and get up and come!” 50 He threw aside his cloak as he jumped up, and he came to Jesus. 51 Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Sir, I want to be able to see again!” 52 Jesus said to him, “I am healing you because you believed in me. So you may go home!” He could see immediately. And he went with Jesus along the road.

They brought a young donkey to Jesus; then Jesus mounted it and rode to Jerusalem with people shouting and praising him as they went along.

Mark 11:1-11

11 When they came near to Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany villages near Olive Tree Hill. Then Jesus summoned two of his disciples. 2 He said to them, “Go to that village just ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey that no one has ever ridden, that has been tied {people have tied} up. Untie it, and then bring it to me. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing that?’, say, ‘Jesus, our Lord, needs to use it. He will send it back here with someone as soon as he no longer needs it.’ ” 4 So the two disciples went and they found the young donkey. It was tied close to the door of a house, which was beside the street. Then they untied it. 5 Some of the people who were there said to them, “Why are you untying the donkey?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said. So the people permitted them to take the donkey. 7 They brought the donkey to Jesus. The disciples put some of their clothes on it in order to make something for him to sit on. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road to honor him as a king. Others, in order to honor him, spread along the road branches that they cut from palm trees in the fields beside the road. 9 The people who were going in front of him and behind him were all shouting things like, “Praise God!” “May God bless this one who comes ◄with his authority/as his representative► [MTY].” 10 “May you be blessed {May God bless you} when you rule like our ancestor King David ruled!” “Praise God who is in the highest heaven!”

11 He entered Jerusalem with them, and then he went into the Temple courtyard. After he looked around at everything there, he left the city because it was already late in the afternoon. He returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples and slept there.

Jesus cursed a fig tree as a sign of what would happen to the people of Israel.

Mark 11:12-14

12 The next day, as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 He saw from a distance a fig tree with all its leaves, so he went to it to see if he could find any figs on it. But when he came to it, he found only leaves on it. This was because it was not yet time when normal fig trees have ripe figs. 14 But to illustrate how God would punish the nation of Israel, he said to the tree, “No one shall ever eat from you again because you will no longer bear figs.” The disciples heard what he said.

Jesus expelled those who were buying and selling goods in the Temple, and taught that the Temple was to be a place of prayer. These actions angered the priests and scribes who, then, looked for a way to kill Jesus.

Mark 11:15-19

15 Jesus and his disciples went back to Jerusalem. He entered the Temple courtyard. He saw people who were selling and buying animals for sacrifices. They were spoiling the place of worship. He chased those people from the Temple courtyard. He also overturned the tables of those who were giving Temple tax money in exchange for Roman coins. He overturned the seats of the men who were selling doves for sacrifices, 16 and he would not allow anyone who was carrying anything to sell to go through the Temple area. 17 Then as he taught those people, he said to them, “It is written {One of the prophets wrote} in the Scriptures that God said, ‘I want my house to be called {people to call my house} a house where people from all nations may pray’, but you bandits have made it like a cave where you can hide! ◄You know that!/Do you not know that?► [RHQ]” 18 The chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws later heard about what he had done. So they planned how they might kill him, but they knew that it would be difficult, because they realized that the crowd was amazed at what he was teaching and they feared that the people would soon decide that Jesus had more authority over the Temple than they did (OR, feared what the people would do if they tried to arrest Jesus). 19 That evening, Jesus and his disciples left the city and again slept in Bethany.

When Jesus and his disciples passed the fig tree that Jesus had cursed, they saw that it had withered. Jesus used this as an illustration for trusting that God would answer prayer.

Mark 11:20-25

20 The next morning, while they were going along the road toward Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed had withered completely. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the fig tree and he exclaimed to Jesus, “Teacher, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!” 22 Jesus replied, “You should not be surprised that God did what I asked! You must trust that God will do whatever you ask him to do! 23 Also note this: If anyone says to this hill, ‘Be raised up {Rise up} and then be thrown {throw yourself} into the lake!’ and if he does not doubt that what he asks for will happen, that is, if he believes that what he asks for will happen, God will do it for him. 24 So I tell you, whenever you ask God for something when you pray, believe that you will receive it, and, if you do, God will do it for you. 25-26 25-26Now, I tell you this also: Whenever you are praying, if you have a grudge against people because they have harmed you, forgive them, in order that your Father in heaven will likewise forgive your sins.”

The chief priests, scribes and elders asked Jesus by what authority he was doing these things. He, then, asked them a question that they would not answer; so he did not answer theirs.

Mark 11:27-33

27 Jesus and his disciples arrived in the Temple courtyard in Jerusalem again. While Jesus was walking there, a group consisting of chief priests, some men who taught the Jewish laws, and elders came to him and they said to him, 28 “By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things like those you did here yesterday?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do those things. 30 Did God [MTY] or people authorize John to baptize those who came to him?” 31 They debated among themselves as to what they should answer. They said to each other, “If we say that it was God who authorized him, he will say to us, ‘Therefore, ◄you should have believed what John said!/why did you not believe what John said?► [RHQ]’ 32 On the other hand, if we say that it was people who authorized John, then what will happen to us?” They were afraid to say that about where John got his authority, because they knew that the people would be very angry with them. They knew that all the people truly believed that John was a prophet whom God had sent. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know where John got his authority.” Then Jesus said to them, “Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you who authorized me to do those things here yesterday.”

After Jesus told the Jewish leaders a parable, they realized that he was accusing them of wanting to kill him, but they feared how the people would react if they arrested Jesus.

Mark 12:1-12

12 Then Jesus told those Jewish leaders a parable. He wanted to show what God would do to those who rejected the former prophets and himself. He said, “A certain man planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it in order to protect it. He made a stone tank to collect the juice that they would press out of the grapes. He also built a tower for someone to sit in to guard his vineyard. Then he leased the vineyard to some men to care for it and to give him some of the grapes in return. Then he went away to another country. 2 When the time came to harvest the grapes, he sent a servant to the men who were taking care of the vineyard in order to receive from them his share of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. 3 But after the servant arrived, they grabbed him and beat him, and they did not give him any fruit. Then they sent him away. 4 Later the one who owned the vineyard sent another servant to them. But they beat that one on his head, and they insulted him. 5 Later he sent another servant. That man they killed. They mistreated many other servants whom he sent. Some they beat and some they killed. 6 The man still had one other person with him. It was his son. He loved him very much. So, finally he sent his son to them because he thought that they would respect him and give him some of the grapes. 7 But when they saw his son coming, those men who were looking after the vineyard said to each other, ‘Look! Here comes the man who will some day inherit the vineyard! So let’s kill him in order that this vineyard will be ours!’ 8 They seized him and killed him. Then they threw his body outside the vineyard. 9 So ◄do you know what the man who owns the vineyard will do?/I will tell you what the man who owns the vineyard will do [RHQ]►. He will come, and he will kill those evil men who were taking care of his vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it. 10 Now think carefully about these words, which you have read in the Scriptures:

The men who were building the building rejected one stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone in the building [MET]! 11 The Lord has done this, and we marvel as we look at it.”

12 Then the Jewish leaders realized that he was accusing them when he told this story about what those wicked people did. So they wanted to seize him. But they were afraid of what the crowds would do if they did that. So they left him and went away.

Jesus foiled the Jewish leaders’ attempt to trap him by their question of whether they should pay taxes to the Roman government.

Mark 12:13-17

13 The Jewish leaders sent to Jesus some Pharisees who thought that the Jews should pay only the tax that their own Jewish authorities required people to pay. They also sent some members of the party that supported Herod Antipas and the Roman government. They wanted to make Jesus say something wrong that would make one of those groups very angry with him. 14 After they arrived, they said to him deceivingly, “Teacher, we know that you teach the truth. We also know that you are not concerned about what people say about you, even if an important person does not like what you say. Instead, you teach truthfully what God wants us to do. So tell us what you think about this matter: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government, or not [MTY]? Should we pay the taxes, or should we not pay them?” 15 Jesus knew that they did not really want to know what God wanted them to do. So he said to them, “◄I know that you are just trying to make me say something wrong for which you can arrest me./Why are you just trying to make me say something wrong for which you can arrest me?► [RHQ] But I will answer your question anyway. Bring me a coin so that I might ask you something after I look at it.” 16 After they brought him a coin, he asked them, “Whose picture is on this coin? And whose name is on it?” They replied, “It is a picture and the name of Caesar, the man who rules the Roman government.” 17 Then Jesus said to them, “That is correct, so give to the government [MTY] what they require, and give to God what he requires.” They were frustrated at his answer but amazed at what he said, because they were not able to accuse him of anything because of what he said.

Jesus showed from Scripture that the Sadducees were wrong in ridiculing the idea of life after death.

Mark 12:18-27

18 Men who belong to the Sadducee sect deny that people become alive again after they die. In order to discredit Jesus by ridiculing the idea that people will live again, some of them came to him and asked him, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us Jews that if a man who has no children dies, his brother should marry the dead man’s widow. Then if those two bear children, everyone will consider that those children are the children of the man who died, and in that way the dead man will continue to have descendants. 20 So here is an example. There were seven boys in one family. The oldest one married a woman, but he and his wife did not bear any children. Then he later died. 21 The second brother followed this law and married that woman and he, too, did not bear any children. Then he later died. The third brother did like his other brothers did. But he also did not bear any children, and later died. 22 Eventually all seven brothers married that woman, one by one, but they had no children, and one by one they died. Afterwards the woman died, too. 23 Therefore, if it were true what some people say, that people will become alive again after they die, whose wife do you think that woman will be when people become alive again? ◄Keep in mind that she was married to all seven brothers!/She was married to all seven brothers, so how can anyone decide [RHQ]?►” 24 Jesus replied to them, “You are certainly wrong [RHQ]. You do not know what they have written in the Scriptures about this. You also do not understand God’s power to make people alive again. 25 That woman will not be the wife of any of them, because when people have become alive again, instead of men having wives and women having husbands, they will be like the angels in heaven, who do not marry. 26 But as to people becoming alive again after they die, in the book that Moses wrote, he said something about people who have died that I am sure that you have read [RHQ]. When Moses was looking at the bush that was burning, God said to him, ‘I am the God whom Abraham worships and the God whom Isaac worships and the God whom Jacob worships.’ 27 It is not dead people who worship God. It is living people who worship him. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died long before Moses lived, but God said that they were still worshipping him, so we know their spirits were still alive! So your claim that dead people do not become alive again is very wrong.”

Jesus commended a scribe who accepted Jesus’ assessment of the two greatest commandments, after which they asked Jesus no more questions to trap him.

Mark 12:28-34

28 A man who taught the Jewish laws heard their discussion. He knew that Jesus answered the question well. So he stepped forward and asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the most important?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, you people of Israel! You must worship the Lord, our God, our only Lord. 30 You must show that you love him in all the ways that you live Show it in all that you want and feel, in all that you think, and in all that you do!’ 31 The next most important commandment is: ‘You must love people you come in contact with as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these two!” 32 The man said to Jesus, “Teacher, you have answered well. You correctly said that he is the only God and that there is no other God we must worship/obey. 33 You have also said correctly that we ◄should/must show that we► love God by all that we are, by all that we think, and by the way that we live. And you have said correctly that we must love ◄people with whom we come in contact/others► as much as we love ourselves. And you have also implied that doing these things pleases God more than offering/giving animals to him or burning other sacrifices.” 34 Jesus realized that this man had answered wisely. So he said to him, “I perceive that you will soon decide to let God rule your life.” After that, the Jewish leaders were afraid to ask him any more questions like that to try to trap him.

Jesus showed from Scripture that the Messiah must be David’s Lord as well as his descendant.

Mark 12:35-37

35 Later, while he was teaching in the Temple courtyard, Jesus said to the people, “These men who teach the Jewish laws, ◄they must be wrong when they say that the Messiah is merely a descendant of King David!/why do they say that the Messiah is merely a descendant of King David?► [RHQ] 36 The Holy Spirit caused David himself to say about the Messiah,

God said to my Lord, ‘Sit here beside me at the place where I will highly honor you! Sit here while I completely defeat your enemies! [MTY]’

37 Therefore, because David himself calls the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ ◄the Messiah cannot be just a man who descended from King David!/how can the Messiah be just a man who descended from King David?► [RHQ] He must be much greater than David”! Many people listened to him gladly as he taught those things.

Jesus warned them about the scribes’ hypocritical actions.

Mark 12:38-40

38 While Jesus was teaching the people, he said to them, “Beware that you do not act like the men who teach our Jewish laws. They like people to honor them, so they put on long robes and walk around in order to show people how important they are. They also like people to greet them respectfully in the marketplaces. 39 They like to sit in the most important seats in our ◄synagogue/Jewish meeting place►. At festivals, they like to sit in the seats where the most honored people sit. 40 They ◄swindle/take for themselves► the houses and property of widows by cheating them. Then they pretend that they are good by praying long prayers publicly. God will certainly punish them severely!”

Jesus told them that a poor widow’s tiny sacrificial offering was worth more in God’s sight than large amounts of money from rich people.

Mark 12:41-44

41 Later, Jesus sat down in the Temple courtyard opposite the boxes in which people put offerings. As he was sitting there, he watched as all the people put money in the box. Many rich people put in large amounts of money. 42 Then a poor widow came along and put in two small copper coins, which had a very small value. 43-44 43-44He gathered his disciples around him and said to them, “The truth is that these other people have a lot of money, but they gave only a small part of it. But this woman, who is very poor, has put in all the money that she had to pay for the things she needs. So God considers that this poor widow has put more money into the box than all the other people!”

Jesus prophesied that the Temple would be completely destroyed.

Mark 13:1-2

13 While Jesus was leaving the Temple area, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at how marvelous these huge stones in the walls are and how wonderful these buildings are!” 2 Jesus said to him, “Yes, these buildings that you are looking at [RHQ] are wonderful, but I want to tell you something about them. They will soon be destroyed {Foreign invaders will destroy them} completely, with the result that no stone here in this Temple area will be left on top of another stone.”

Jesus taught his disciples about the events that will precede his coming again.

Mark 13:3-37

3 After they arrived on Olive Tree Hill across the valley from the Temple, Jesus sat down. When Peter, James, John, and Andrew were alone with him, they asked him, 4 “Tell us, when will that happen to the buildings of the Temple? Tell us what will happen that will show us that all these things that God has planned are about to be finished {that God is about to finish all these things that he has planned}.” 5 Jesus replied to them, “I cannot give you a simple answer to your questions. All I will say is, beware that no one deceives you concerning what will happen! 6 Many people will come and say ◄that I sent them/that they have my authority► [MTY]. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah!’ They will deceive many people. 7 Whenever people tell you about wars that are close or wars that are far away, do not be troubled. God has said that those things must happen. But when they do happen, do not think that God will finish all that he has planned at that time! 8 Groups who live in various countries will fight each other, and various governments will fight each other. There will also be big earthquakes in various places; and there will be famines. Yet, when these things happen, people will have only just begun to suffer. The first things that they suffer will be like the first pains a woman suffers who is about to bear a child. They will suffer much more after that.

9 Be ready for what people will do to you at that time. Because you believe in me, they will arrest you and put you on trial before the religious councils. ◄In the synagogues/In the Jewish meeting places►, you will be beaten {others will beat you}. You will be put {People will put you} on trial in the presence of high government authorities. As a result, you will be able to tell them about me. 10 My good message must be proclaimed {You must proclaim my good message} to people in all people-groups before God finishes all that he has planned. 11 And when people arrest you in order to prosecute you because you believe in me, do not worry before that happens about what you will say. Instead, say what God puts into your mind at that time. Then it will not be just you who will be speaking. It will be the Holy Spirit who will be speaking through you. 12 Other evil things will happen: People who do not believe in me will ◄betray/help others seize► their brothers and sisters in order that the government can execute them. Parents will betray their children, and children will betray their parents so that the government will kill their parents. 13 In general, you will be hated by most [HYP] people {most [HYP] people will hate you} because you believe in me. But all you who continue to trust in me strongly until your life is finished will be saved {God will save all you who continue to trust in me strongly until your life ends}.

14 During that time the disgusting thing/person that the prophet Daniel described will enter the Temple. It/He will defile the Temple when he enters it and will cause people to abandon it. When you see it/him standing there where it/he should not be, you should run away quickly (May everyone who is reading this pay attention to this warning from Jesus!) At that time those people who are in Judea district must flee to higher hills. 15 Those people who are outside their houses must not enter their houses in order to get anything before they run away. 16 Those who are working in a field must not return to their houses in order to get additional clothes before they flee. 17 But I feel very sorry for women who will be pregnant and women who will be nursing their babies in those days, because it will be very difficult for them to run away 18-19 18-19In those days people will suffer very severely. People have never suffered like that since the time when God first created the world until now; and people will not suffer that way again. So pray that this painful time will not happen in ◄winter/the rainy season►, when it will be hard to travel. 20 If the Lord God had not decided that he would shorten that time when people suffer so much, everyone would die. But he has decided to shorten that time because he is concerned about you people whom he has chosen [DOU]. 21-22 21-22At that time people who will falsely say that they are Messiahs and prophets will appear. Then they will perform many kinds ◄of miracles/of things that ordinary people cannot do► [DOU]. They will even try to deceive you people whom God has chosen, but they will not be able to do that. So at that time if someone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or if someone says, ‘Look, he is over there!’ do not believe it! 23 Be alert! Remember that I have warned you about all this before it happens.

24 After the time when people suffer like that, the sun will become dark, the moon will not shine, 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and all things in the sky will be shaken {God will cause all things in the sky to shake}. 26 Then people will see me, the one who came from heaven, coming through the clouds powerfully and gloriously. 27 Then I will send out my angels in order that they gather together the people whom God has chosen from everywhere, and that includes all the most remote places on earth [IDM, DOU].

28 Now I want you to learn something from this parable about the way fig trees grow. In this area, when their buds become tender and their leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 29 Similarly, when you see what I have just described happening, you yourselves will know that it is very near the time for me to return [MTY]. It will be as though I am already at the door [HEN]. 30 Keep this in mind: You have observed the things that I have done and said, but all of those events that I have just told you about will happen before all of you will die. 31 You can be certain that these things that I have prophesied will happen. You can be more certain of that than you can be certain that the earth and what is in the sky will stay in place. 32 But no one knows the exact time when I will return. The angels in heaven also do not know. Even I do not know. Only my Father knows. 33 So be ready, like people who are waiting for an important man to come, because you do not know when that time will come when all these events will happen! 34 When a man who wants to travel to a distant place is about to leave his house, he tells his servants that they should manage the house. He tells each one what he should do. Then he tells the doorkeeper to be ready for his return. 35 That man must always be ready, because he does not know whether his master will return in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn. Similarly, you also must always be ready, because you do not know when I will return. 36 May it not happen that when I come suddenly, I will find that you are not ready! 37 These words that I am saying to you disciples I am saying to everyone who believes in me: Always be ready!” That is what Jesus warned his disciples.

The Jewish leaders planned how they could arrest Jesus without starting a riot.

Mark 14:1-2

14 It was only two days before the people ◄celebrated/started to celebrate► for one week the festival which they called Passover. During those days they also celebrated the festival of ◄Unleavened Bread/eating bread that had no yeast in it►. The chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws were planning how they could seize Jesus secretly. They wanted to accuse him in front of the Roman authorities so that they would execute him. 2 But they were saying to one another, “We must not do it during the celebration, because, if we do it then, the people will be very angry with us and riot!”

Jesus commended a woman who extravagantly anointed Jesus in anticipation of his death. The chief priests agreed to pay Judas if he would help them seize Jesus.

Mark 14:3-11

3 Jesus was at Bethany town in the house of Simon, whom Jesus had healed from leprosy. While they were eating, a woman came to him. She was carrying a stone jar that contained expensive fragrant perfume called nard. She opened the jar and then she poured the perfume on Jesus’ head. 4 One of the people who were present became angry and said to the others, “◄It is terrible that she wasted that perfume!/Why did she waste that perfume?► [RHQ] 5 It could have been sold {We could have sold it} for ◄a huge amount of money/an amount of money for which a person works for a year►, and then the money could have been given {we could have given the money} to poor people!” So he rebuked her. 6 But Jesus said, “Stop scolding her! She has done to me what I consider to be very appropriate/delightful. So ◄you should not bother her!/why do you bother her?► [RHQ] 7 You will always have poor people among you. So you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here among you much longer. So it is good for her to show now that she appreciates me. 8 It is appropriate that she has done what she was able to do. It is as if she knew that I was going to die soon and has anointed my body for their burying it. 9 I will tell you this: Wherever the good message about me is preached {people preach the good message} throughout the world, what she has done will be told {people will tell others what she has done to me}, and as a result people will remember her.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth Town) went to the chief priests in order to talk to them about helping them to seize Jesus. He did that even though he was one of the twelve disciples 11 When they heard what he was willing to do for them, they were very happy. They promised that they would give him a large amount of money for doing that. Judas agreed, so they gave him the money. As a result, he began watching for an opportunity ◄to betray Jesus/to enable Jesus’ enemies to seize him►.

Two disciples followed Jesus’ instructions and prepared the Passover meal.

Mark 14:12-17

12 Two days later, when they killed the lambs for the festival at the beginning of the week when people ate bread that had no yeast in it, Jesus’ disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the meal for the Passover celebration in order that you can eat it with us?” 13 So he chose two of his disciples to prepare everything. He said to them, “Go into Jerusalem city. A man will meet you, who will be carrying a large jar full of water. Follow him. 14 When he enters a house, say to the man who owns the house, ‘Our teacher wants us to prepare the meal of the Passover celebration so that he can eat it with us his disciples. ◄Please show us the room that he arranged with you about./Where is the room that he arranged with you about?► [RHQ]’ 15 He will show you a large room that is on the upper floor of the house. It will be furnished and ready for us to eat a meal in it. Then prepare the meal there for us.” 16 So the two disciples left. They went into the city and found everything to be just like he had told them. They prepared the meal for the Passover celebration, and then returned to Jesus and the other disciples. 17 When it was evening, Jesus arrived at that house with the twelve disciples.

During the Passover meal, Jesus prophesied that one disciple would betray him, and he gave them the bread and wine which he said represented his body and blood which would be sacrificed.

Mark 14:18-26

18 As they were all sitting there and eating, Jesus said, “Listen carefully to this: One of you will enable my enemies to seize me. Specifically, it is one of you who will do this in spite of the fact that he is eating with me right now!” 19 The disciples became very sad and they said to him one by one, “Surely ◄it is not I!/I am not the one, am I?► [RHQ]” 20 Then he said to them, “It is one of you twelve disciples, the one who is dipping bread into the sauce in the dish along with me. 21 It is certain that I, the one who came from heaven, will die, because that is what has been {what the prophets have} written about me. But there will be terrible punishment for the man by whom I will be betrayed {who will ◄betray me/help my enemies to seize me►}! In fact, it would be better for that man if he had never been born!”

22 While they were eating, he took a flat loaf of bread and thanked God for it. Then he broke it into pieces and gave it to them and said to them, “This bread represents [MET] my body. Take it and eat it.” 23 Afterwards, he took a cup that contained wine and thanked God for it. Then he gave it to them, and then, as they all drank from it, 24 he said to them, “This wine represents [MET] my blood, which is about to be shed {which is about to flow from my body} when my enemies kill me. With this blood I will sign the agreement that God has made to forgive the sins of many people. 25 I want you to know this: I will not drink any more wine in this way until the time when I drink it with a new meaning when I begin to rule as a king.” 26 After they sang a hymn, they went out toward Olive Tree Hill.

Jesus predicted that Peter would deny three times that he knew Jesus.

Mark 14:27-31

27 While they were on their way, Jesus said to them, “It has been {The prophets have} written in the Scriptures that God said about me, ‘I will kill the shepherd and his sheep will scatter.’ Those words will come true. When they are about to capture me, all of you will leave me and run away. 28 But after I have been made {God has made me} alive again, I will go ahead of you to Galilee district and meet you there.” 29 Then Peter said to him, “Perhaps all the other disciples will leave you, but not I! I will not leave you!” 30 Then Jesus said to him, “The truth is that this very night, before the rooster crows a second time, you yourself will deny three times that you know me!” 31 But Peter replied strongly, “Even if they kill me as I defend you, I will never deny that I know you!” And all the other disciples said the same thing.

While the disciples slept, Jesus prayed that God would spare him from the coming suffering.

Mark 14:32-42

32 On the way, Jesus and the disciples came to the place that people call Gethsemane. Then he said to some/eight of his disciples, “Stay here while I pray!” 33 Then he took Peter, James, and John with him. He became extremely distressed, and he said to them, 34 “I [SYN] am very sorrowful. It is as if I were about to die. You men remain here and stay awake!” 35 He went a bit further and threw himself on the ground. Then he prayed that if it were possible, he would not have to suffer [MTY]. 36 He said, “O my Father, because you are able to do everything, rescue me so that I do not have to suffer now [MTY]! But do not do what I want. Instead, do what you want!” 37 Then he returned and found his disciples sleeping. He woke them up and said, “Simon! ◄I am disappointed that you fell asleep and that you were not able to stay awake for just a short time!/Why is it that you fell asleep and that you were not able to stay awake for just one hour?► [RHQ]” 38 And he said to them, “You want to do what I say, but you are not strong enough [MTY] to actually do it. So keep awake and pray in order that you can resist when something like this tempts you!” 39 Then he went away again and prayed again what he prayed before. 40 When he returned, he found that they were sleeping again because they were so sleepy that they could not keep their eyes open. Because they were ashamed, they did not know what to say to him when he awakened them. 41 Then he went and prayed again. He returned a third time; and he found them sleeping again. He woke all of them and said to them, “◄I am disappointed that you are sleeping again!/Why are you sleeping again?► [RHQ] You have slept enough. The time for me to suffer is about to begin. Look! Someone is about to enable sinful men to seize me, the one who came from heaven. 42 So get up! Let’s go toward him Look! Here comes the one who is enabling them to seize me!”

Judas betrayed Jesus.

Mark 14:43-49

43 While he was still speaking, Judas arrived. Even though he was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, he came to enable Jesus’ enemies to seize him. A crowd who carried swords and clubs was with him. The leaders of the Jewish Council had sent them. 44 Judas, who was ◄betraying Jesus/helping Jesus’ enemies to seize him►, had previously told this crowd, “The man whom I kiss is the one whom you want. When I kiss him, seize him and lead him away while you guard him carefully.” 45 So, when Judas arrived, he immediately went to Jesus and said, “My teacher!” Then he kissed Jesus on his neck/cheek. 46 Then the crowd seized Jesus. 47 But one of the disciples who was standing nearby drew his short sword. He struck the servant of the high priest with it to kill him, but he only cut off his ear. 48-49 48-49Jesus said to them, “◄It is ridiculous that you come here to seize me with swords and clubs, as if I were a bandit!/Have you come here to seize me with swords and clubs, as if I were a bandit [RHQ]?► Day after day I was with you in the Temple courtyard teaching the people Why did you not seize me then? But this is happening in order that what the prophets have written in the Scriptures about me may be fulfilled {may happen}.”

Mark ran away.

Mark 14:50-52

50 All the disciples at once left him and ran away. 51 At that time, ◄a young man/I► was following Jesus. He/I was wearing only a linen cloth around his/my body. The crowd seized him/me. 52 But, as he/I pulled away from them, he/I left behind the linen cloth in their hands, and then he/I ran away naked.

After witnesses accusing Jesus contradicted each other, Jesus said that he was the man who was also God, the Messiah, after which they decided that Jesus must die.

Mark 14:53-65

53 The men who had seized Jesus led him away to the house where the supreme priest lived. All of the Jewish Council were gathering there. 54 Peter followed Jesus at a distance. He went into the courtyard of the house where the supreme priest lived, and sat there with the men who guarded the house of the supreme priest. He was warming himself beside a fire. 55 The chief priests and all the rest of the Jewish council had already tried to find people who would tell lies about Jesus in order that they could convince the Roman authorities to execute him. But they did not succeed, 56 because, although many people spoke lies about him, they contradicted each other. 57 Finally, some stood up and accused him falsely by saying, 58 “We heard him when he said, ‘I will destroy this Temple that was built by men, and then within three days I will build another temple ◄without help from anyone else/that human hands will not build►.’ ” 59 But, what some of these men said also did not agree with what others of them said.

60 Then the supreme priest himself stood up in front of them and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to reply? What do you say about all the things that they are saying in order to accuse you?” 61 But Jesus was silent and did not reply [DOU]. Then the supreme priest tried again. He asked him, “Are you the Messiah? Do you say that you are ◄the Son of God/the man who is also God►?” 62 Jesus said, “I am. Furthermore, you will see me, the one who came from heaven, ruling beside God, who is completely powerful. You will also see me coming down through the clouds in the sky!” 63 In response to Jesus’ words, the supreme priest tore his outer garment. That was their custom to show that he was shocked that Jesus had said that he was equal to God. Then he said, “We certainly do not [RHQ] need any more people who will testify against this man, 64 because you have heard what he said against God! He claimed to be equal with God Therefore, what have you decided?” They all said that Jesus was guilty and deserved ◄to be executed/that they should kill him►. 65 Then some of them began spitting on Jesus. They put a blindfold on him, and then they began striking him and saying to him, “If you are a prophet, tell us who hit you!” And those who were guarding Jesus struck him with their hands.

As Jesus predicted, Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus.

Mark 14:66-72

66 While Peter was outside in the courtyard of the supreme priest’s house, one of the girls who worked for the supreme priest came near him. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself beside the fire, she looked at him closely. Then she said, “You also were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth town!” 68 But he denied it by saying, “I do not know or understand [DOU] what you are talking about!” Then he went away from there to the gate of the courtyard. 69 The servant girl saw him there and said to the people who were standing nearby, “This man is one of those who have been with that man they arrested.” 70 But he denied it again. After a little while, one of those who were standing there said to Peter again, “The way you speak shows that you also are from Galilee district. So it is certain that you are one of those who accompanied Jesus!” 71 But he began to exclaim, “I do not know the man that you are talking about! Because God knows that I am speaking truthfully, may he punish me if I am lying!” 72 Immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him before, “Before the rooster crows a second time, you will deny three times that you know me.” When he realized that he had denied it three times, he started crying.

In the governor Pilate’s presence Jesus refused to answer accusations against him.

Mark 15:1-5

15 Very early in the morning the chief priests met together with the rest of the Jewish council, in order to decide how to accuse Jesus before the Roman governor. Their guards tied Jesus’ hands again. They took him to the house of Pilate, the governor, and they started to accuse him, saying “Jesus is claiming that he is a king!!” 2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Do you claim to be the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “You yourself have said so.” 3 Then the chief priests claimed that Jesus had done many bad things. 4 So Pilate asked him again, “Don’t you have anything to say? Listen to how many bad things they are saying that you have done!” 5 But even though Jesus was not guilty, he did not say anything more. The result was that Pilate was very much surprised.

At the crowd’s insistence, Pilate released a criminal, and gave orders that Jesus should be crucified.

Mark 15:6-15

6 It was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one person who was in prison. He customarily released whichever prisoner the people requested. 7 At that time there was a man called Barabbas who had been {whom the soldiers had} put in prison with some other men. Those men had murdered some soldiers when they rebelled against the Roman government. 8 A crowd approached Pilate and asked him to release someone, just like he customarily did for them during the Passover celebration. 9 Pilate answered them, “Would you like me to release for you the man whom you Jewish people say is your king?” 10 He asked this because he realized what the chief priests were wanting to do. They were accusing Jesus because they were jealous of him because many people were becoming his disciples. 11 But the chief priests urged the crowd to request that Pilate release Barabbas for them instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate said to them again, “If I release Barabbas, what do you want me to do with the man whom some of you Jews say is your king?” 13 Then they shouted again, “Command that your soldiers crucify him!” 14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they shouted even louder, “Command your soldiers to crucify him!” 15 So, because Pilate wanted to please the crowd, he released Barabbas for them. Then, after his soldiers had whipped Jesus with leather straps into which they had fastened metal pieces, Pilate told the soldiers to take him away in order that he would be crucified {they would crucify him}.

The soldiers ridiculed Jesus as being a king.

Mark 15:16-20

16 The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the palace where Pilate lived. That place was the government headquarters. Then they summoned the whole ◄cohort/group of soldiers► who were on duty there. 17 After the soldiers gathered together, they put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they placed on his head a crown that they made from branches of thornbushes. They did those things in order to ridicule him by pretending that he was a king. 18 Then they greeted him like they would greet a king, in order to ridicule him, saying, “Hooray for the King who rules the Jews!” 19 They repeatedly struck his head with a reed and spat on him. By kneeling down, they pretended to honor him. 20 When they had finished ridiculing him, they pulled off the purple robe. They put his own clothes on him, and then they led him outside of the city in order to nail him to a cross.

After they crucified Jesus the soldiers gambled for his clothing.

Mark 15:21-24

21 After Jesus carried his cross a short distance, a man named Simon from Cyrene city came along. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. He was passing by while he was returning home from outside the city. The soldiers compelled Simon to carry the cross for Jesus. 22 They brought them both to a place that they call Golgotha. That name means, ‘a place like a skull’. 23 Then they tried to give Jesus wine that was {that they} mixed with medicine called myrrh. They wanted him to drink it so that he would not feel so much pain when they crucified him. But he did not drink it. 24 Some of the soldiers took his clothes. Then they nailed him to a cross. Afterwards, they divided his clothes among themselves by gambling with something like dice. They did this in order to determine which piece of clothing each one would get.

People passing by, as well as the Jewish leaders and two criminals crucified with Jesus, insulted him.

Mark 15:25-32

25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 They attached to the cross above Jesus’ head a sign on which it had been written {someone had written} the reason why they were nailing him to the cross. But all that it said was, “The King of the Jews.” 27-28 27-28They also nailed to crosses two men who were bandits. They nailed one to a cross at the right side of Jesus and one to a cross at the left side of Jesus. 29 The people who were passing by insulted him by shaking their heads as if here were an evil man. They said, “Aha! You said that you would destroy the Temple and then you would build it again within three days. 30 If you could do that, then rescue yourself by coming down from the cross!” 31 The chief priests, along with the men who taught the Jewish laws, also wanted to make fun of Jesus. So they said to each other, “He claims to have saved others from their sicknesses [IRO] but he cannot save himself! 32 He said, ‘I am the Messiah, I am the King who rules the people of Israel.’ If his words are true, he should come down now from the cross! Then we will believe him!” The two men who were crucified beside him also insulted him.

As several women who had accompanied Jesus watched, he died, after which the Temple curtain split into two parts, and the Roman officer pronounced that Jesus was the Son of God.

Mark 15:33-41

33 At noon the whole land became dark, and it stayed dark until three o’clock in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus shouted loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” That means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” 35 When some of the people who were standing there heard the word ‘Eloi’, misunderstanding it, they said, “Listen! He is calling for the prophet Elijah!” 36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He placed it on the tip of a reed, and then he held it up for Jesus to suck out the wine that was in it. While he was doing that, someone said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah will come to take him down from the cross!” 37 And then, after Jesus shouted loudly, he stopped breathing and died. 38 At that moment the heavy thick curtain that closed off the most holy place in the Temple split into two pieces from top to bottom. That showed that ordinary people could now go into the presence of God. 39 The officer who supervised the soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross was standing in front of Jesus. When he saw how Jesus died, he exclaimed, “Truly, this man was the man who was also God!” 40-41 40-41There were also some women there, watching these events from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus when he was in Galilee district, and they had provided what he needed. They had come with him to Jerusalem. Among those women was Mary from Magdala town. There was another Mary, who was the mother of the younger James and of Joses. There was also Salome.

Several women watched as Joseph and others buried Jesus’ body in a cave after getting permission from Pilate.

Mark 15:42-47

42-43 42-43When evening was near, a man named Joseph from Arimathea town came there. He was a member of the Jewish council, one whom everyone respected. He was also one of those who had been waiting expectantly for the time when God would send his king to begin to rule. He knew that, according to Jewish law, people’s bodies had to be buried {someone had to bury people’s bodies} on the day they died. He also realized that it was the day when people prepared things for ◄the Jewish day of rest/the Sabbath►, and that the Sabbath would start when the sun set. So he became courageous and went to Pilate and asked Pilate to permit him to take the body of Jesus down from the cross and bury it immediately. 44 Pilate was surprised when he heard that Jesus was already dead. So he summoned the officer who was in charge of the soldiers who crucified Jesus, and he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When the officer told Pilate that Jesus was dead, Pilate allowed Joseph to take away the body. 46 After Joseph bought a linen cloth, he and others took Jesus’ body down from the cross. They wrapped it in the linen cloth and laid it in a tomb that previously had been dug out of the rock cliff. Then they rolled a huge flat stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary from Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where Jesus’ body was placed {where they placed Jesus’ body}.

Two days later several women were astonished to find Jesus’ tomb empty.

Mark 16:1-8

16 On Saturday evening when ◄the Sabbath/the Jewish day of rest► had ended, Mary from Magdala, Mary the mother of the younger James, and Salome bought fragrant ointment. The Jews had a custom of anointing bodies before they buried them, and the women wanted to follow this custom. 2 So very early on Sunday, just after the sun rose, they took the fragrant ointment and started toward the tomb. 3 While they were going there, they were saying to each other, “Who will roll away for us the stone that blocks the entrance of the tomb?” 4 After they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone had already been rolled away {that someone had already rolled away the stone}. They were surprised because it would have been difficult to move such a huge stone. 5 They entered the tomb and saw an angel who looked like a young man. He was sitting at the right side of the cave. He was wearing a shining white robe. As a result, they were astonished. 6 The young man said to them, “Do not be astonished! I know that you are looking for Jesus, the man from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross {whom they nailed to a cross}. But he has become alive again! He is not here! Look! Here is the place where they placed his body. 7 But, instead of remaining here, go and tell his disciples. Particularly be sure that you tell Peter. Tell them, ‘Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee district, and you will see him there, just like he told you previously’!” 8 The women went outside and ran from the tomb. They were trembling because they were afraid, and they were astonished. But they did not say anything to anyone about this while they were going, because they were afraid.

Jesus rebuked the disciples for not believing the reports of his being alive again.

Mark 16:9-14

9 [When Jesus became alive again early on Sunday morning, he appeared first to Mary from Magdala town. She was the woman from whom he had previously expelled seven evil spirits. 10 She went to those who had been with Jesus, while they were mourning and crying. She told them what she had seen. 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive again and that she had seen him, they refused to believe it. 12 Later that day, Jesus appeared to two of his disciples while they were walking from Jerusalem to their homes in the surrounding area. But they did not recognize him quickly because he looked very different. 13 After they recognized him, those two went back to Jerusalem. They told his other followers what had happened, but they did not believe it. 14 Later he appeared to the eleven apostles while they were eating. He rebuked them because they had stubbornly refused to believe the reports of those who saw him after he had become alive again.

Miracles began to happen after Jesus instructed his disciples to preach the gospel everywhere and he told them that miracles would accompany their ministry.

Mark 16:15-20

15 Later he said to them, “Go into the whole world and preach the good message to everyone! 16 Everyone who believes your message and who is baptized will be saved {God will save}. But everyone who does not believe it will be condemned {God will condemn}. 17 Those who believe my good message will perform miracles. Specifically, by my power they will expel evil spirits. They will speak in languages that they have not learned. 18 If they pick up snakes accidentally or if they drink any poisonous liquid accidentally, they will not be hurt. Whenever they put their hands on sick people in order that God will heal them, those sick people will become well.”

19 After the Lord Jesus had said this to the disciples, he was taken {God took him} up into heaven. Then he sat down on his throne beside God to rule with him. 20 As for the disciples, they went out from Jerusalem, and then they preached everywhere. Wherever they went, the Lord enabled them to perform miracles. By doing that, he showed people that God’s message is true.