



4. John the Baptist was in the desert, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.



7. In the course of his preaching he said, 'After me is coming someone who is more powerful than me, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals.





12. And at once the Spirit drove him into the desert


14. After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the gospel from God saying,

15. 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.'

16. As he was walking along by the Lake of Galilee he saw Simon and Simon's brother Andrew casting a net in the lake -- for they were fishermen.

17. And Jesus said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you into fishers of people.'


19. Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending the nets.

20. At once he called them and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.



23. And at once in their synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he shouted,


25. But Jesus rebuked it saying, 'Be quiet! Come out of him!'

26. And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him.


28. And his reputation at once spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.





33. The whole town came crowding round the door,



36. Simon and his companions set out in search of him,

37. and when they found him they said, 'Everybody is looking for you.'


39. And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out devils.



42. And at once the skin-disease left him and he was cleansed.

43. And at once Jesus sternly sent him away and said to him,

44. 'Mind you tell no one anything, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your cleansing prescribed by Moses as evidence to them.'

45. The man went away, but then started freely proclaiming and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but stayed outside in deserted places. Even so, people from all around kept coming to him.
