Mark 1:16-39

16One day, Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee. He saw two brothers called Simon and Andrew. Their job was to catch fish. They were throwing their nets into the lake to catch fish.

17Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me and be my disciples. Then I will teach you how to catch people, instead of fish.’

18Simon and Andrew immediately put down their nets and they went with Jesus.

19Jesus continued to walk along the shore. Soon he saw two more men who were brothers. They were called James and John. They were the sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat and they were mending their nets.

20Immediately, Jesus asked them to come with him. They left their father and his workers in the boat, and they went with Jesus to be his disciples.

21Then Jesus and those disciples went into a town called Capernaum. On the next Jewish day of rest, Jesus went into the Jews' meeting place. He began to teach the people there.

22The people were very surprised at the things that Jesus taught them. When he taught them, he showed his authority. That was not like the way that the teachers of God's Law taught people.

23In the meeting place, there was a man who had a bad spirit. The bad spirit caused the man to shout.

24He said, ‘Jesus from Nazareth, leave us alone! Do not kill us! I know who you are. You are the Holy One and God has sent you.’

25Jesus said to the bad spirit, ‘Be quiet! Come out of the man!’

26The bad spirit caused the man to shake and to fall down. It shouted loudly and then it came out of the man.

27All the people were very surprised and they said to each other, ‘This is very strange. This man Jesus is teaching us something new and he speaks with authority. He can tell bad spirits what they must do. Then they do it.’

28Immediately, people began to hear the news about Jesus. Everywhere in Galilee, people were talking about him.

29Then Jesus left the meeting place. He took James and John with him to the home of Simon and Andrew.

30The mother of Simon's wife was ill in bed. Her body was very hot. Immediately, Simon and Andrew told Jesus about her.

31So Jesus went to her and he held her hand. Then he helped her to sit up and she was well again. Immediately she prepared food for her visitors.

32That evening, when the sun had gone down, people in the town came to Jesus. They brought to him everyone who was ill. And they brought people with bad spirits in them. All these people were standing together near the door of the house.

34Jesus caused many sick people to become well. They had many different kinds of illness. He also caused many bad spirits to leave people. The spirits knew who he was. So Jesus did not let them speak.

35Jesus got up very early the next morning, while it was still dark. He went to a place where he could be alone. He prayed there.

36Simon and the other disciples went to look for him.

37When they found him, they said, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’

38Jesus replied, ‘We should go to other towns near here. Then I can teach the people there too. That is the reason why I came here.’

39So Jesus travelled everywhere in Galilee. He taught the people in the Jewish meeting places. He caused bad spirits to come out of people.