001:001 The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
001:002 As it is written in Isaiah the Prophet, "See, I am sending My
messenger before Thee, Who will prepare Thy way";
001:003 "The voice of one crying aloud: 'In the Desert prepare a road
for the Lord: Make His highways straight.'"
001:004 So John the Baptizer came, and was in the Desert proclaiming
a baptism of the penitent for forgiveness of sins.
001:005 There went out to him people of all classes from Judaea,
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem of all ranks, and were
baptized by him in the river Jordan, making open confession
of their sins.
001:006 As for John, his garment was of camel's hair, and he wore
a loincloth of leather; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
001:007 His announcement was, "There is One coming after me mightier
than I--One whose sandal-strap I am unworthy to stoop
down and unfasten.
001:008 I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit."
001:009 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized
by John in the Jordan;
001:010 and immediately on His coming up out of the water He saw
an opening in the sky, and the Spirit like a dove coming
down to Him;
001:011 and a voice came from the sky, saying, "Thou art My Son dearly loved:
in Thee is My delight."
001:012 At once the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the Desert,
001:013 where He remained for forty days, tempted by Satan; and He
was among the wild beasts, but the angels waited upon Him.
001:014 Then, after John had been thrown into prison, Jesus came
into Galilee proclaiming God's Good News.
001:015 "The time has fully come," He said, "and the Kingdom of God
is close at hand: repent, and believe this Good News.
001:016 One day, passing along the shore of the Lake of Galilee, He saw
Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, throwing their nets in the Lake;
for they were fisherman.
001:017 "Come and follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you
fishers for men."
001:018 At once they left their nets and followed Him.
001:019 Going on a little further He saw James the son of Zabdi and his
brother John: they also were in the boat mending the nets,
and He immediately called them.
001:020 They therefore left their father Zabdi in the boat with
the hired men, and went and followed Him.
001:021 So they came to Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath He went
to the synagogue and began to teach.
001:022 The people listened with amazement to His teaching--
for there was authority about it: it was very different
from that of the Scribes--
001:023 when all at once, there in their synagogue, a man under the power
of a foul spirit screamed out:
001:024 "What have you to do with us, Jesus the Nazarene? Have you
come to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One."