- And Jesus went forth again by the seaside, and all the multitude went unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the place where they receive tribute, as was customary in those days. And he said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
- And it came to pass that as Jesus sat at a meal in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with him and his disciples (for there were many) and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard this, he says unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
- And they came and said unto him, The disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast. And why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. No man also sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment, else the new piece that filled it up takes away from the old and the rent is made worse. And no man puts new wine into old bottles, else the new wine does burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled and the bottles will be marred. But new wine must be put into new bottles.
- And it came to pass that he went through the grainfields on the Sabbath day. And his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do your disciples on the Sabbath day do that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry? He and they who were with him? How he went into the House of God, in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread which is not lawful to eat but for the priests? And gave also to them who were with him? And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Wherefore, the Sabbath was given unto man for a day of rest, and also that man should glorify God, and not that man should not eat. For the Son of Man made the Sabbath day; therefore, the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
- And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there that had a withered hand. And they watched him to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. And he said unto the man who had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he said unto the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched out his hand, and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
- But Jesus withdrew himself, with his disciples, to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed him. And from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan, and those about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him, because of the multitude, lest they should crowd him; for he had healed many, insomuch that they pressed upon him in order to touch him. As many as had plagues and unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried, saying, You are the Son of God! And he earnestly charged them that they should not make him known.
- And he goes up into a mountain and calls whom he intends, and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. And Simon he surnamed Peter; and Jacob the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of Jacob, and he surnamed them Boanerges — which is, the sons of thunder; and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and Jacob the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
- And they went into a house, and the multitude comes together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard him speak, they went out to lay hold on him; for they said, He is beside himself. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils he casts out devils. Now Jesus knew this, and he called them, and he said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom should be divided against itself, how can that kingdom stand? And if a house should be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but speedily has an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s house and spoil his goods except he will first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house.
- And then came certain men unto him, accusing him, saying, Why do you receive sinners, seeing you make yourself the Son of God? But he answered them and said, Truly I say unto you, all sins which men have committed, when they repent, shall be forgiven them; for I came to preach repentance unto the sons of men. And blasphemies of any kind with which they shall blaspheme shall be forgiven them that come unto me and do the works which they see me do. But there is a sin which shall not be forgiven: he that shall blaspheme against the holy ghost never has forgiveness, but is in danger of being cut down out of the world. And they shall inherit Eternal damnation. And this he said unto them because they said, He has an unclean spirit.
- While he was yet with them, and while he was yet speaking, there came then some of his brethren and his mother, and, standing outside, sent unto him, calling unto him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, your mother and your brethren outside seek for you. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother? Or who are my brethren? And he looked round about on them who sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren; for whoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
- And he began again to teach by the seaside. And there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship and sat in the sea. And the whole multitude was by the sea, on the land. And he taught them many things by parables.
- And he said unto them in his teachings, Listen. Behold, there went out a sower to sow. And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other seed fell on good ground and did yield fruit, that sprang up and increased and brought forth — some thirtyfold, and some sixty, and some a hundred. And he said unto them, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
- And when he was alone with the twelve and they that believed in him, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are outside, all things are done in parables; that seeing, they may see and not perceive, and hearing, they may hear and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them.
- And he said unto them, Do you not know this parable? And how then will you know all parables? The sower sows the word. And these are they by the wayside where the word is sowed: but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sowed in their hearts. And these are they likewise, who receive the word on stony ground: who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, and have no root in themselves and so endure but for a time; and afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they who receive the word among thorns: such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, entering in, choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. And these are they who receive the word on good ground: such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit — some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.
- And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed, and not to be set on a candlestick? I say unto you, nay. For there is nothing hidden which shall not be manifested, neither was anything kept secret but that it should in due time come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
- And he said unto them, Take heed what you hear, for with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you, and unto you that continue to receive, shall more be given; for he that receives, to him shall be given. But he that continues not to receive, from him shall be taken even that which he has.
- And he said, So is the kingdom of God: as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up. He knows not how, for the earth brings forth fruit of herself — first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
- And he said, Unto what shall I liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sowed in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth. But when it is sowed, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
- And with many such parables spoke he the word unto them, as they were able to bear. But without a parable spoke he not unto them. And when they were alone, he expounded all things unto his disciples.
- And the same day, when the evening had come, he said unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat over into the ship. And he was in the stern of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him and said unto him, Master, do you not care that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace; be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
- And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he came out of the ship, immediately there met him, out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit, who had been dwelling among the tombs. And no man could bind him — no, not with chains, because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broken in pieces. Neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones.
- But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice and said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, son of the Most High God! I adjure you by God that you torment me not! For he said unto him, Come out of the man, unclean spirit; and he commanded him, saying, Declare your name. And he answered, saying, My name is Legion, for we are many. And he implored him much, that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there, near to the mountains, a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils implored him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And immediately Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine. And the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and they were about two thousand, and were drowned in the sea.
- And they that fed the swine fled and told the people in the city and in the country all that was done unto the swine. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they came to Jesus, and saw him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And they that saw the miracle told them that came out how it befell him that was possessed with the devil, and how the devil was cast out, and concerning the swine. And they began immediately to ask him to depart out of their region.
- And when he had come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil spoke to Jesus and asked him that he might be with him. Nevertheless, Jesus suffered him not, but said unto him, Go home to your friends, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for you, and has had compassion on you. And he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him. And all that heard him did marvel.
Chapter 2