Mar 1:2-45 | ESV | STEP | As it is written in Isaiah the prophet , Behold , I send my messenger before your face , who will prepare your way ,

2 ^aAs it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts in the prophets}

^c“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 ^dthe voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^e‘Prepare ^{▼▼Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness} the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
4 ^gJohn appeared, baptizing in ^hthe wilderness and proclaiming ⁱa baptism of ^jrepentance ^kfor the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^lconfessing their sins. 6 Now John was ^mclothed with camel’s hair and ⁿwore a leather belt around his waist and ate ^olocusts and ^pwild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, ^q“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 ^rI have baptized you with water, but ^she will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

9 ^tIn those days Jesus ^ucame from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he ^vsaw ^wthe heavens being torn open ^xand the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And ^ya voice came from heaven, ^z“You are my beloved Son; ^{▼▼Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved} with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

12 ^abThe Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 ^acAnd he was in the wilderness forty days, being ^adtempted by ^aeSatan. And he was with the wild animals, and ^afthe angels were ministering to him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 ^agNow after John was arrested, Jesus ^ahcame into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, ^ai“The time is fulfilled, and ^ajthe kingdom of God is at hand; ^akrepent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 ^alPassing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become ^amfishers of men.” ^{▼▼The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women} 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 ^aoAnd they went into Capernaum, and immediately ^apon the Sabbath ^aqhe entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And ^arthey were astonished at his teaching, ^asfor he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 ^at“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? ^auI know who you are— ^avthe Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus ^awrebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, ^axconvulsing him and ^aycrying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all ^azamazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? ^baA new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many

29 ^bbAnd immediately he ^{▼▼Some manuscripts they} ^bdleft the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now ^beSimon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and ^bftook her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or ^bgoppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 ^bhAnd he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And ^bihe would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

35 ^bjAnd rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and ^bkthere he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, ^bl“Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for ^bmthat is why I came out.” 39 ^bnAnd ^bohe went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

40 ^bpAnd a leper ^{▼▼Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13} came to him, imploring him, and ^brkneeling said to him, ^bs“If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And ^btJesus ^{▼▼Greek he; also verse 45} sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, ^bv“See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, ^bwshow yourself to the priest and ^bxoffer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, ^byfor a proof to them.” 45 ^bzBut he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter ^caa town, but was out in ^cbdesolate places, and ^ccpeople were coming to him from every quarter.