A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Mark 1
Mark 1 is the opening chapter of the forty-first book of the Bible. The 45-verse chapter moves rapidly through the opening of Jesus's public ministry, covering more events than the corresponding chapter in any other gospel.
The chapter opens with a simple declaration: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." There is no birth narrative and no genealogy.
The first scene is John the Baptist. He appears in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He wears camel-hair clothing and eats locusts and wild honey. He announces that someone more powerful than himself is coming, whose sandals he is not worthy to untie.
Jesus then arrives from Nazareth in Galilee. John baptizes him in the Jordan River. As Jesus comes up out of the water, heaven opens, the Spirit descends like a dove, and a voice from heaven says: "You are my beloved Son; with You I am well pleased."
The Spirit immediately drives Jesus into the wilderness, where he is tempted by Satan for forty days. Mark covers this in two verses. Then Jesus returns to Galilee and begins his public ministry.
The rest of the chapter is a rapid sequence of events. Jesus calls his first disciples: Simon and Andrew, then James and John, who leave their fishing nets to follow him. He teaches in the synagogue at Capernaum with an authority that astonishes the crowd. He drives out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue. He heals Simon's mother-in-law of a fever. By evening, the whole town gathers at the door, and Jesus heals many. Early the next morning he leaves to pray alone, then travels through Galilee preaching and driving out demons.
The chapter closes with Jesus healing a man with leprosy. The man, despite being told to keep quiet, spreads the news everywhere, so that Jesus can no longer enter towns openly and has to stay in remote places.
Verse 1. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Verse 2. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”
Verse 3. “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
Verse 4. John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Verse 5. People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Verse 6. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
Verse 7. And he proclaimed: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
Verse 8. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Verse 9. In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Verse 10. As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.
Verse 11. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
Verse 12. At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness,
Verse 13. and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.
Verse 14. After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God.
Verse 15. “The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
Verse 16. As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
Verse 17. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Verse 18. And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
Verse 19. Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.
Verse 20. Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Verse 21. Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.
Verse 22. The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
Verse 23. Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue:
Verse 24. “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Verse 25. But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!”
Verse 26. At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.
Verse 27. All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”
Verse 28. And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee.
Verse 29. As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
Verse 30. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and they promptly told Jesus about her.
Verse 31. So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
Verse 32. That evening, after sunset, people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed,
Verse 33. and the whole town gathered at the door.
Verse 34. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Verse 35. Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
Verse 36. Simon and his companions went to look for Him,
Verse 37. and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You!”
Verse 38. But Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns so I can preach there as well, for that is why I have come.”
Verse 39. So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Verse 40. Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Verse 41. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!”
Verse 42. And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed.
Verse 43. Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning:
Verse 44. “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Verse 45. But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter.
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