2 As it is written in {Isaiah the prophet},^c “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way [[before you]]^d;”^e

3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make {his paths straight}.^f’”^g

4 [[And]]^h John {the baptizer came about in the wilderness, and was preaching}ⁱ a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the Judean countryside and all the Jerusalemites were going out to him, [and]^j they were being baptized {by him in the Jordan River},^k confessing their sins.

6 And John was clothed with camel's hair [and wore a leather belt around his waist]^l and ate locusts and wild honey.

7 And {he preached, saying},^m “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to [stoop down and]ⁿ untie. 8 [[Indeed]]^o I baptize you with water, {but he will baptize}^p [you]^q in the Holy Spirit.”^r

9 And it happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

10 And [immediately,]^s as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove [[and coming]]^t [in]^u him. 11 And a voice [came]^v from {the heavens},^w “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.”

12 And immediately the [[Holy]]^x Spirit drives him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was [[there]]^y in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

14 {But}^z After John was handed over,^a Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the good news^b [[of the kingdom]]^c of God 15 [and]^d [saying],^e “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.”

16 And passing by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting {a net}^f into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Come after^g me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 And immediately, leaving {the nets},^h they followed him.

19 And going on [[from there]]ⁱ a little further, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, and they were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately he called them; and leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went after him.

21 And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath {he entered the synagogue and taught [[them]]^j}.^k 22 And they were astonished at his teaching; for he was teaching them as one having authority, [and]^l not as the scribes.

23 And [immediately]^m there was in {their}ⁿ synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24 saying, “{What is there between us and you},^o Jesus of Nazareth? [[Ha!]]^p Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

25 And {Jesus}^q rebuked it, [saying,]^r “Be silent, and come out of {him}.”^s 26 And the unclean spirit, {convulsing him}^t and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.

27 And they were all amazed, so as to discuss [among themselves, saying],^u “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands}^v [even]^w the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

28 And his fame spread [immediately]^x [everywhere]^y throughout the whole region of {Galilee}.^z

29 {And immediately}^a after leaving the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying down, suffering from a fever, and they [immediately]^b told him about her. 31 And approaching, he raised her up, taking her by the hand; and [[immediately]]^c the fever left her, and she served them.

32 And when evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed; 33 and the whole city was gathered together [at {the}^d door. 34 And he healed many]^e who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons [[from those who had them]];^f and he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him [[to be the Christ]].^g

35 And [very]^h early in the morning, [while it was still dark,]ⁱ he [got up and]^j went out and departed to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

36 And Simon and those with him pursued him, 37 and {they found him and said to him}^k [that],^l “Everyone is looking for you.”

38 And he said to them, “Let us go [elsewhere,]^m to the neighboring towns, so that I may preach [there also];ⁿ for this is why I came out.”

39 And he went, preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee [and casting out demons].^o

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him [kneeling down]^p [[to him]]^q and saying [to him],^r “[[Lord,]]^s If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 And [[Jesus,]]^t {moved with compassion},^u he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said [to him],^v “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And [[when he had spoken]]^w immediately the leprosy left him [, and he was cleansed].^x

43 And he sternly warned him, [he immediately sent him away,]^y 44 and he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

45 But he went out and began to proclaim [much]^z and spread the word, so that he could no longer enter a city openly, but [was]^a in deserted places; and they came to him [from everywhere].^b