Mark 1
The full text of Mark 1 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you."
3 A voice shouts in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.'
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 And he was proclaiming, "After me comes one mightier than I, whose sandal straps I am not fit to stoop down and untie.
8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 And immediately, coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him.
11 And a voice came from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.
13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels attended him.
14 After John was handed over, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming God's good news,
15 and saying, "The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news."
16 As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
17 Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me,a and I will make you become fishers of people.b"
18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 Going on a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in their boat, mending their nets.
20 Right away he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
21 They went into Capernaum, and right away on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and began teaching.
22 They were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not like the scribes.
23 Suddenly, in their synagogue, a man with an unclean spirit shouted out,
24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!"
25 And Jesus rebuked him, "Be silent! Come out of him!"
26 The unclean spirit threw him into convulsions and, with a loud cry, came out of him.
27 They were all stunned, so they began debating with each other, saying, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits, and they obey him."
28 News about him spread quickly everywhere, throughout the whole region of Galilee.
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went to the home of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 Simon's mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her right away.
31 He went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening, after sunset, people brought to him all who were sick and those possessed by demons.
33 The whole city was gathered at the door.
34 He healed many who were suffering from various diseases and drove out many demons. He would not let the demons speak, because they knew him.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
36 Simon and those with him went looking for him,
37 When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is looking for you."
38 He said to them, "Let's go on to the nearby towns so I can preach there too. That's what I came out to do."
39 So he went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
40 A man with leprosy came to him, fell to his knees, and begged him, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."
41 Moved with compassion,a he reached out his hand and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean."
42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
43 And sternly warning him, he drove him out at once,
44 And he said to him, "Make sure you don't tell anyone. Just go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."
45 But he went out and began to proclaim it widely and spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. Instead, he stayed out in remote places, and people came to him from everywhere.
Translation notes (42)
- Mark 1:1a Some early manuscripts do not include the phrase 'the Son of God.' While the majority of strong early manuscripts contain this phrase, it is absent from a few, meaning the manuscript evidence is divided.
- Mark 1:1b The Greek word Christou can be translated as 'Christ' (as a name) or as 'the Messiah / Anointed One' (as a title). Mark uses the term as a title, as seen in Mark 8:29; translating it as 'Messiah' keeps this meaning.
- Mark 1:1c The Greek grammatical form 'of Jesus the Messiah' is unclear: it can mean either the good news concerning Jesus, or the good news that Jesus himself proclaims. While the English word 'about' tends to suggest the former, the Greek text leaves both possibilities open.
- Mark 1:2a Some manuscripts read 'in the prophets' instead of 'in Isaiah the prophet.' The reading that includes 'Isaiah' is supported by the earliest witnesses (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bezae Cantabrigiensis, Regius Parisiensis) and is considered the more difficult reading, which often suggests it is original. This is because the quotation that follows blends Malachi 3:1 (which echoes Exodus 23:20) with Isaiah 40:3 in verse 3.
- Mark 1:3a Or 'A voice shouts: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord' — the Hebrew of Isa 40:3 attaches 'in the wilderness' to the preparation; the LXX and Mark's syntax most naturally attach it to the voice, but the earliest Greek manuscripts are unpunctuated and both readings are defensible.
- Mark 1:3b Greek kyriou (Lord) renders Hebrew YHWH in Isa 40:3. Mark applies the title to Jesus.
- Mark 1:4a This can also be translated as 'John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness.' The Greek phrase ho baptizōn means 'the one baptizing,' functioning almost as a title; translating it as a participle keeps the sense of an ongoing action.
- Mark 1:4b The Greek phrase eis aphesin hamartiōn is genuinely ambiguous, meaning it could express purpose ('aimed at forgiveness'), result ('leading to forgiveness'), or reference ('with reference to forgiveness'). Both nouns in the Greek are without the definite article 'the'.
- Mark 1:7a The Greek word ischyroteros means 'mightier, more powerful.' The same root word, ischyros, is used to describe 'the strong man' bound by Jesus in Mark 3:27.
- Mark 1:7b The Greek word hikanos means 'sufficient, fit, qualified,' which is a different word from axios, meaning 'worthy,' used in the parallel accounts in Luke 3:16 and John 1:27. Unstrapping a master's sandals was considered the lowest task for a slave; rabbinic tradition taught that a disciple should do anything for his teacher except this.
- Mark 1:8a The Greek changes from a simple dative case (hydati) to the preposition en plus the dative case (en pneumati hagiō). The translation 'in' preserves the sense of location or sphere, similar to its use in Acts 1:5.
- Mark 1:10a The Greek word schizomenous, meaning 'being torn apart,' is a stronger term than 'parting.' Mark uses this same verb to describe the tearing of the temple curtain in Mark 15:38.
- Mark 1:10b The Greek text literally reads 'into him' (eis auton), which is distinct from Matthew 3:16 and Luke 3:22, which read 'upon him' (ep' auton).
- Mark 1:11a This can also be translated as 'my Son, the Beloved,' understanding the Greek ho agapetos as a title, 'the Beloved,' rather than a description.
- Mark 1:11b The Greek verb eudokēsa is in the aorist tense, which describes a completed action. It could also be rendered 'in you I have delighted,' emphasizing a decisive moment rather than an ongoing state.
- Mark 1:12a The Greek uses the historic present tense, 'drives him out,' which is a stylistic feature of Mark's Gospel, appearing approximately 150 times.
- Mark 1:13a Greek πειράζω can mean 'test' or 'tempt'; with Satan as agent, 'tempt' (solicit to evil) is the dominant sense. Cf. Matt 4:1; Heb 4:15.
- Mark 1:13b Mark alone among the Synoptics mentions the wild animals; possible echoes of Eden (Gen 2) or eschatological peace (Isa 11:6–8).
- Mark 1:14a The Greek word paradothēnai means 'handed over.' Mark uses this same verb to describe Jesus' fate in Mark 9:31, 10:33, and 14:10-11, 21, 41, deliberately linking John's arrest to Jesus' suffering. Mark 6:17 later specifies Herod's imprisonment.
- Mark 1:14b Some later manuscripts (A D W f¹·¹³), including later Byzantine manuscripts, add 'of the kingdom' (tēs basileias), resulting in 'the gospel of the kingdom of God,' as found in the King James Version. The critical Greek text omits this phrase, following manuscripts ℵ B L.
- Mark 1:14c This can also be translated as 'the gospel of God.' The Greek genitive case here is ambiguous, meaning it could refer to God as the source ('news from God') or as the content ('news about God'). The translation 'God's good news' preserves both possible meanings.
- Mark 1:15a This can also be translated as 'has drawn near.' The Greek verb ēggiken is in the perfect tense, and its meaning is debated—whether it signifies that the kingdom has already arrived or is imminent. The translation 'at hand' preserves both possibilities.
- Mark 1:15b The Greek phrase pisteuete en tō euangeliō is an unusual construction, using the verb pisteuō ('believe') with the preposition en ('in'), possibly reflecting a Hebrew or Aramaic way of speaking. The translation 'believe' conveys the meaning without adding a nuance of personal trust that the message itself does not require.
- Mark 1:17a Greek: δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, lit. 'come after me' — a Semitic/rabbinic idiom for walking behind a teacher as a disciple (cf. Mark 8:34; 1 Kgs 19:20–21).
- Mark 1:17b The Greek phrase halieis anthrōpōn literally means 'fishers of men.' The word anthrōpōn is the generic term for human beings, not the gender-specific word andrōn. Mark's phrase poiēsō hymas genesthai, meaning 'I will make you become,' is more drawn out than the parallel in Matthew.
- Mark 1:23a This verse literally says "a man in (en) an unclean spirit." This Greek phrasing is similar to Hebrew and can be understood in two ways: either the man is associated with the spirit, or he is controlled by it; compare Mark 5:2.
- Mark 1:24a Greek 'τί ἡμῖν καί σοί' (lit. 'what to us and to you') is a Semitic idiom (cf. LXX Judg 11:12; 1 Kgs 17:18) carrying both dissociation ('leave us alone') and inquiry ('what do you want with us').
- Mark 1:24b The words "us" and "we" translate Greek plural forms (hemin, hemas), while "you" translates Greek singular forms (soi, se). This suggests that the demon is speaking for many, anticipating Mark 5:9.
- Mark 1:24c The phrase "Of Nazareth" translates the Greek word Nazarenos, which is Mark's unique way of referring to Jesus (also in Mark 10:47; 14:67; 16:6). Other Gospels typically use the Greek word Nazoraios.
- Mark 1:25a The Greek word phimotheti literally means "be muzzled." This same verb is used of the sea in Mark 4:39, which is an intentional echo by Mark to show Jesus' authority over chaotic powers.
- Mark 1:27a This can also be translated as, "What is this new teaching? With authority he even commands unclean spirits..." The way the Greek text is punctuated is debated, and both interpretations are valid.
- Mark 1:34a Some early manuscripts (A D Theta f¹ f¹³ M) add the phrase "to be Christ" after "him," which makes this verse similar to Luke 4:41. The shorter reading (Aleph B L W 33) is followed in this translation.
- Mark 1:38a This can also be translated as "market-towns." The Greek word komopolis appears only once in the New Testament and refers to a settlement that is larger than a village but smaller than a city.
- Mark 1:38b The Greek word exelthon, translated "came out," can mean either "left [Capernaum]" or "came forth [from the Father]"; compare Luke 4:43, "I was sent."
- Mark 1:40a The Greek word lepros refers to a variety of skin diseases, not just what is known today as Hansen's disease (leprosy).
- Mark 1:40b Some early manuscripts (B D W) do not include the phrase "fell to his knees." However, this phrase is included in the critical Greek text.
- Mark 1:41a A few early sources, including Codex Bezae and some Old Latin manuscripts, read "indignant" (orgistheis). However, the majority of Greek manuscripts, including Aleph, A, B, C, L, W, read "moved with compassion" (splagchnistheis), which is what the critical Greek text prints.
- Mark 1:43a The Greek word embrimesamenos is a strong verb indicating deep emotion, meaning to sternly warn, to charge, or to snort with displeasure (compare Mark 14:5; John 11:33, 38).
- Mark 1:43b The Greek word exebalen is the same verb Mark uses when describing Jesus casting out demons (Mark 1:34, 39) and when the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness (Mark 1:12). The forceful meaning is intentional.
- Mark 1:44a This can also be translated as "as a testimony against them." The Greek phrase eis martyrion autois is truly ambiguous because the grammatical form (the dative case) allows for two interpretations: either a witness for the priests' benefit or evidence against their unbelief.
- Mark 1:44b The phrase "the sacrifices Moses commanded" refers to the offerings for a cleansed leper that are prescribed in Leviticus 14, which include two birds, a lamb, and oil.
- Mark 1:45a The Greek phrase ton logon can mean "the word," "the matter," or "the report." Mark uses the word logos in several different ways (compare Mark 2:2; 4:14–20), and translating it as "the word" here maintains its connection to those other uses.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own translation of Scripture, made directly from the original Greek rather than revised from an older English Bible. Completed in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation available, and it is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Reading the TBV here on the web is free — the full study edition, with original-language tools and notes on every verse, lives in the Trinity Bible app.
Continue: Mark 2 → · All of Mark · About the TBV · Read Mark 1 in the KJV
Get the app: iOS · Android · Trinity Plus