1 [1:1]THE beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, [1:2]as it is written in Isaiah the prophet; Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way. [1:3]A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight. 2 [1:4]John baptized in the wilderness, preaching the baptism of a change of mind for the forgiveness of sins. [1:5]And all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 3 [1:6]And John was clothed with camel's hairs and a leather girdle about his loins, and he eat locusts and wild honey, [1:7]and preached, saying, After me comes one mightier than I, the strings of whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie; [1:8]I have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. 4 [1:9]In those days came Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized in the Jordan by John; [1:10]and going up immediately out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit descend like a dove upon him; [1:11]and there was a voice from heaven, You are my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. [1:12]And the Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness, [1:13]and he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the beasts; and the angels waited on him. 5 [1:14]And after John was delivered up Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of God, [1:15]saying, The time is completed, and the kingdom of God is at hand; change your minds and believe in the good news. [1:16]And passing along by the lake of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting [a net] into the lake, for they were fishermen. [1:17]And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishermen of men. [1:18]And immediately leaving their nets they followed him. [1:19]And proceeding a little further on he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; and they were in the ship mending the nets; [1:20]and he immediately called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired men, they went away after him. 6 [1:21]And they entered into Capernaum, and immediately on the sabbath he taught in the synagogues. [1:22]And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.