Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 The beginning of the Good News of Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of God.
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The good news of Jesus Christ - the Message! - begins here,
2 As it is written in the prophets, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, Who will prepare your way before you.
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following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Watch closely: I'm sending my preacher ahead of you; He'll make the road smooth for you.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"
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Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!
4 Yochanan came immersing in the wilderness and preaching the immersion of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
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John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins.
5 All the country of Yehudah and all those of Yerushalayim went out to him. They were immersed by him in the Yarden river, confessing their sins.
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People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life.
6 Yochanan was clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt around his loins. He ate locusts and wild honey.
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John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.
7 He preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.
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As he preached he said, "The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life.
8 I immersed you in water, but he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh."
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I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism - a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit - will change you from the inside out."
9 It happened in those days, that Yeshua came from Natzeret of the Galil, and was immersed by Yochanan in the Yarden.
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At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
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The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God's Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him.
11 A voice came out of the sky, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
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Along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."
12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.
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At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild.
13 He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Hasatan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels ministered to him.
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For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by Satan. Wild animals were his companions, and angels took care of him.
14 Now after Yochanan was taken into custody, Yeshua came into the Galil, preaching the Good News of the kingdom of God,
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After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God:
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News."
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"Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message."
16 Passing along by the sea of the Galil, he saw Shim`on and Andrai the brother of Shim`on casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen.
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Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work.
17 Yeshua said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men."
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Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass."
18 Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.
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They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.
19 Going on a little further from there, he saw Ya`akov the son of Zavdai, and Yochanan, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.
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A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets.
20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zavdai, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.
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Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed.
21 They went into Kafar-Nachum, and immediately on the day of Shabbat he entered into the synagogue and taught.
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Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching.
22 They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the Sofrim.
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They were surprised at his teaching - so forthright, so confident - not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars.
23 Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
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Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out,
24 saying, "Ha! What do we have to do with you, Yeshua, you Natzri? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!"
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"What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you're up to! You're the Holy One of God, and you've come to destroy us!"
25 Yeshua rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"
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Jesus shut him up: "Quiet! Get out of him!"
26 The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
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The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly - and got out.
27 They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!"
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Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. "What's going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!"
28 The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of the Galil and its surrounding area.
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News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee.
29 Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Shim`on and Andrai, with Ya`akov and Yochanan.
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Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John.
30 Now Shim`on's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.
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Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus.
31 He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.
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He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.
32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons.
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That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him,
33 All the city was gathered together at the door.
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the whole city lined up at his door!
34 He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn't allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
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He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word.
35 Early in the night, he rose up and went out, and departed into a desert place, and there prayed.
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While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.
36 Shim`on and those who were with him followed after him;
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Simon and those with him went looking for him.
37 and they found him, and told him, "Everyone is looking for you."
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They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you."
38 He said to them, "Let's go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for to this end I came forth."
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Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come."
39 He went into their synagogues throughout all Galil, preaching and casting out demons.
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He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons.
40 There came to him a leper, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."
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A leper came to him, begging on his knees, "If you want to, you can cleanse me."
41 Being moved with compassion, he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, and said to him, "I want to. Be made clean."
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Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, "I want to. Be clean."
42 When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.
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Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy.
43 He strictly charged him, and immediately sent him out,
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Jesus dismissed him with strict orders:
44 and said to him, "See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the Kohen, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moshe commanded, for a testimony to them."
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"Say nothing to anyone. Take the offering for cleansing that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest. This will validate your healing to the people."
45 But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Yeshua could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.
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But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he told everyone he met what had happened, spreading the news all over town. So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places, no longer able to move freely in and out of the city. But people found him, and came from all over.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.