1 This word is good, I am teaching you about Jesus. He is God's own child.

2-3 Long ago God spoke to a man, his name was Isaiah. God told him, “I will send a boss to people. I will send another one ahead of that boss with a word for them. That first man will be in the desert. He will tell them, 'Our boss will come. Fix up a straight road for him.'” In that way God spoke to Isaiah. That man Isaiah wrote that word for them on paper. 4-5 After a very long time that man now came. His name was John. 6 His poor sort of clothes were made from camel hair. He tied his waist with a leather belt. He used to eat food from the desert, grasshoppers and honey. Very many people were coming to John to listen to him. They were coming to him from the country Judea, and from the big town Jerusalem also. He was telling them, “You have been ignoring God. Be ashamed. You have been doing bad things. Stop it! Come close, come to God! Then God will not look at you with anger, he will become pleased with you. After that I will baptise you.” In that sort of way John was talking to them. After hearing John's words one by one they were saying to God, “Truly I have been ignoring you. I am ashamed of myself. I want to return to you.” In that sort of way they were talking to God. After that John baptised them in the river, in Jordan. 7 John was saying to them, “About now another man will come. He is a really big boss. Not like me, I am really unimportant, a scrap. This other one is an important boss. I truly should not touch his shoes. 8 I only baptised you in water. This other one will send to you God's Spirit.” In that way John was talking to them.

9 After that Jesus came to John from the town of Nazareth, in the country of Galilee. At that time John baptised Jesus in that river Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up from the water he looked up. While he was looking God split the sky. God's spirit came down to Jesus like a dove, he sat on him. 11 God spoke to Jesus from above, “You are truly my own child. I love you. I am pleased with you.”

12 After that God's Spirit sent Jesus to the desert, to country that was truly without people. 13 He was there 40 days and nights. While he was there truly the big evil spirit was trying in vain to persuade him to ignore God's word. Nothing. Jesus was without evil all the time. Wild and biting animals were there. God sent angels from above to take care of him.

14a The big boss for the Jews, King Herod became angry with John. He told soldiers, “Tie John up and put him in gaol.”

14b After that Jesus left that country, Judea, he went north to the country of Galilee. There he was telling many people God's word. 15 He was saying to them, “Listen! I am telling you a good word from God. You have been ignoring God, you did not listen to him. Be ashamed! You have been doing bad things. Stop it! Believe his good word. In return he will be happy with you. He will make you his people. For this very word our old people who died long ago truly were waiting a long time. For this same word you also have been waiting.” In that sort of way Jesus was talking to them.

16 He was going along the edge of the water, the water-hole Galilee. That is a large amount of water. He saw two people who habitually got fish, Simon and his younger brother Andrew. They used to get fish with nets. 17 Jesus said to them, “Follow me. I will teach you about God. Then you will tell others about God. They will believe in God as a result of your word, they will become God's people. Before you used to bring fish to the land with nets. From now with a word you will bring people to God.” 18 Right then in response to his word they left the nets, they followed him. 19 Very soon after that Jesus went a little way, he saw two others, James and his younger brother John. The father of those two was named Zebedee. Those two were sitting in a dinghy with their father and his workers. They were fixing a torn net. 20 Right then Jesus called James and John. Right then in response to his word they left their father in the dinghy and they left the workers, they followed Jesus.

21 After that they went with Jesus towards that town, towards Capernaum. They arrived there. Saturday came. On Saturday the Jewish people did not work. That was their law. Saturday was for them to think about God's word. In the towns they used to gather in a meeting house to listen to God's word and to talk to God. There in Capernaum Saturday came for them, Jesus entered their meeting house. He was teaching them about God. The people were listening to him. 22 They were puzzling about his word. “Truly it is different. This man truly talks correctly. Not like our teachers. They are just talkers of other peoples' words. This Jesus teaches us with a correct word. Truly God told him to talk like that.” 23 Right then a man entered the meeting house. An evil spirit was making him crazy. 24 He was afraid, he called out loudly, “Jesus from Nazareth! What do you want for us spirits? Having come will you hit us to kill us? I know you. God sent you. You are God's one who is truly without evil.” 25 Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, “Be quiet! Leave the man! Go elsewhere!” 26 The spirit really made that man thrash around, then it called out loudly, it left, it went away for good. 27 All the people were puzzling about Jesus. They said to each other, “Who is this? This is a different kind of word. He talks correctly. He might say a word, and in response to his word whatever it is the evil spirits also do it.” 28 At that time they kept telling each other Jesus' words everywhere in the country of Galilee.

29 After leaving that meeting house Jesus went to the camp of Simon and Andrew. Two also went, those other two, James and John. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was sick. She was lying down in the house with a fever. As soon as Jesus came they told him that. 31 Jesus went to her, he held her hand, the woman stood up. Right then the sickness left her, she walked around well, she brought food for them. 32 Soon after the sunset, after twilight, they were bringing many people to Jesus, some of them sick, others crazy from evil spirits. 33 The people gathered there, they all came to him at the door of the house. 34 Jesus made many with various sickness well, and from many he sent away evil spirits. They knew him. Because of that Jesus stopped the spirits from talking.

35 In the morning, before sunrise, Jesus got up from sleep, he left the house. After that he left the town, he went outside the town to the desert alone. There he talked to God. 36 Simon and others were searching for Jesus. 37 When they saw him they said to him, “Everyone has been looking for you.” 38 He said to them, “We will not return to Capernaum now. We will go to other towns, I will tell them about God. God sent me to do that.” 39 He was going around to them in Galilee, in the meeting places he was teaching many about God and was sending away evil spirits.

40 One day a man came to Jesus. He was sick, his skin was very bad. According to the law of the Jews all with that sickness should stay far away, truly alone. They should not enter a camp. That man when he came kneeled down to him, he begged Jesus, “Please make me well, make my skin good. What do you wish?” 41 Jesus was sorry for him. After stretching out his hand he touched the sick one. “Yes, I want to make you well. I will make you really smooth.” 42 Straightaway that sickness disappeared (lit. 'it became nothing for him'), that man's skin became smooth. 43 Jesus told him sternly, “Listen! 44 Do not tell them I made you well. Go straight to the ceremonial leader. He will look at your body all over, your skin is smooth. You know that law about your sickness. A long time ago God told Moses to write it in a book. In accordance with his word take a live sheep to the ceremonial leader. That leader will cook it till it is dry, right to ashes. Because of that when other people see that they will know about you, you are smooth, without sickness. After that you can again enter the camp.” In that way Jesus talked to him. Then he sent him to the ceremonial leader. 45 That man did not stay quiet. He ignored Jesus. As he was going about he was continually telling people everywhere, “Jesus made my skin well.” Because of that talk Jesus did not go to the towns, he did not enter (them) so as to avoid many people. He was staying out in the country. Still people were coming to him from everywhere.