ST. MARK, the disciple and interpreter of St. Peter, (saith St. Jerome,) according to what he heard from Peter himself, wrote at Rome a brief Gospel at the request of the Brethren, about ten years after our Lord's Ascension; which when Peter had heard, he approved of it, and with his authority published it to the church to be read. Baronius and others say, that the original was written in Latin: but the more general opinion is that the Evangelist wrote it in Greek.
Chapters:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Christ casts out a legion of devils: he heals the issue of blood, and raises the daughter of Jairus to life.
1 And they came over the strait of the sea into the country of the Gerasens.
2 And as he went out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the monuments a man with an unclean spirit,
3 Who had his dwelling in the tombs, and no man now could bind him, not even with chains.
4 For having been often bound with fetters and chains, he had burst the chains, and broken the fetters in pieces, and no one could tame him.
5 And he was always day and night in the monuments and in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones.
6 And seeing Jesus afar off, he ran and adored him.
7 And crying with a loud voice, he said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus the Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him: Go out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him: What is thy name? And he saith to him: My name is Legion, for we are many.
10 And he besought him much, that he would not drive him away out of the country.
11 And there was there near the mountain a great herd of swine, feeding.
12 And the spirits besought him, saying: Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13 And Jesus immediately gave them leave. And the unclean spirits going out, entered into the swine: and the herd with great violence was carried headlong into the sea, being about two thousand, and were stifled in the sea.
14 And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the fields. And they went out to see what was done:
15 And they came to Jesus, and they see him that was troubled with the devil, sitting, clothed, and well in his wits, and they were afraid.
16 And they that had seen it, told them, in what manner he had been dealt with who had the devil; and concerning the swine.
17 And they began to pray him that he would depart from their coasts.
18 And when he went up into the ship, he that had been troubled with the devil, began to beseech him that he might be with him.
19 And he admitted him not, but saith to him: Go into thy house to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had mercy on thee.
20 And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men wondered.
21 And when Jesus had passed again in the ship over the strait, a great multitude assembled together unto him, and he was nigh unto the sea.
22 And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus: and seeing him, falleth down at his feet.
23 And he besought him much, saying: My daughter is at the point of death, come, lay thy hand upon her, that she may be safe, and may live.
24 And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him.
25 And a woman who was under an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things from many physicians; and had spent all that she had, and was nothing the better, but rather worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind him, and touched his garment.
28 For she said: If I shall touch but his garment, I shall be whole.
29 And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the evil.
30 And immediately Jesus knowing in himself the virtue that had proceeded from him, turning to the multitude, said: Who hath touched my garments?
31 And his disciples said to him: Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou who hath touched me?
32 And he looked about to see her who had done this.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said to her: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole: go in peace, and be thou whole of thy disease.
35 While he was yet speaking, some come from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying: Thy daughter is dead: why dost thou trouble the master any further?
36 But Jesus having heard the word that was spoken, saith to the ruler of the synagogue: Fear not, only believe.
37 And he admitted not any man to follow him, but Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
38 And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he seeth a tumult, and people weeping and wailing much.
39 And going in, he saith to them: Why make you this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
40 And they laughed him to scorn. But he having put them all out, taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
41 And taking the damsel by the hand, he saith to her: Talitha cumi, which is, being interpreted: Damsel (I say to thee) arise.
42 And immediately the damsel rose up, and walked: and she was twelve years old: and they were astonished with a great astonishment.
43 And he charged them strictly that no man should know it: and commanded that
something should be given her to eat.
Christ teaches at Nazareth: he sends forth the twelve apostles: he feeds five thousand with five loaves; and walks upon the sea.
1 And going out from thence, he went into his own country; and his disciples followed him.
2 And when the sabbath was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were in admiration at his doctrine, saying: How came this man by all these things? and what wisdom is this that is given to him, and such mighty works as are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and Jude, and Simon? are not also his sisters here with us? And they were scandalized in regard of him.
4 And Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and in his own house, and among his own kindred.
5 And he could not do any miracles there, only that he cured a few that were sick, laying his hands upon them.
6 And he wondered because of their unbelief, and he went through the villages round about teaching.
7 And he called the twelve; and began to send them two and two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
8 And he commanded them that they should take nothing for the way, but a staff only: no scrip, no bread, nor money in their purse,
9 But to be shod with sandals, and that they should not put on two coats.
10 And he said to them: Wheresoever you shall enter into an house, there abide till you depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you; going forth from thence, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony to them.
12 And going forth they preached that men should do penance:
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
14 And king Herod heard, (for his name was made manifest,) and he said: John the Baptist is risen again from the dead, and therefore mighty works shew forth themselves in him.
15 And others said: It is Elias. But others said: It is a prophet, as one of the prophets.
16 Which Herod hearing, said: John whom I beheaded, he is risen again from the dead.
17 For Herod himself had sent and apprehended John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her.
18 For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
19 Now Herodias laid snares for him: and was desirous to put him to death, and could not.
20 For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man: and kept him, and when he heard him, did many things: and he heard him willingly.
21 And when a convenient day was come, Herod made a supper for his birthday, for the princes, and tribunes, and chief men of Galilee.
22 And when the daughter of the same Herodias had come in, and had danced, and pleased Herod, and them that were at table with him, the king said to the damsel: Ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23 And he swore to her: Whatsoever thou shalt ask I will give thee, though it be the half of my kingdom.
24 Who when she was gone out, said to her mother, What shall I ask? But she said: The head of John the Baptist.
25 And when she was come in immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying: I will that forthwith thou give me in a dish, the head of John the Baptist.
26 And the king was struck sad. Yet because of his oath, and because of them that were with him at table, he would not displease her:
27 But sending an executioner, he commanded that his head should be brought in a dish.
28 And he beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a dish: and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother.
29 Which his disciples hearing came, and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
30 And the apostles coming together unto Jesus, related to him all things that they had done and taught.
31 And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat.
32 And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart.
33 And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking thither on foot from all the cities, and were there before them.
34 And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him, saying: This is a desert place, and the hour is now past:
36 Send them away, that going into the next villages and towns, they may buy themselves meat to eat.
37 And he answering said to them: Give you them to eat. And they said to him: Let us go and buy bread for two hundred pence, and we will give them to eat.
38 And he saith to them: How many loaves have you? go and see. And when they knew, they say: Five, and two fishes
39 And he commanded them that they should make them all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves, and the two fishes: looking up to heaven, he blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave to his disciples to set before them: and the two fishes he divided among them all.
42 And they all did eat, and had their fill.
43 And they took up the leavings, twelve full baskets of fragments, and of the fishes.
44 And they that did eat, were five thousand men.
45 And immediately he obliged his disciples to go up into the ship, that they might go before him over the water to Bethsaida, whilst he dismissed the people.
46 And when he had dismissed them, he went up to the mountain to pray.
47 And when it was late, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and himself alone on the land.
48 And seeing them labouring in rowing, (for the wind was against them,) and about the fourth watch of the night, he cometh to them walking upon the sea, and he would have passed by them.
49 But they seeing him walking upon the sea, thought it was an apparition, and they cried out.
50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he spoke with them, and said to them: Have a good heart, it is I, fear ye not.
51 And he went up to them into the ship, and the wind ceased: and they were far more astonished within themselves:
52 For they understood not concerning the loaves; for their heart was blinded.
53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Genezareth, and set to the shore.
54 And when they were gone out of the ship, immediately they knew him:
55 And running through that whole country, they began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
56 And whithersoever he entered, into towns or into villages or cities, they laid
the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch but the hem of his
garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.
Christ rebukes the Pharisees. He heals the daughter of the woman of Chanaan; and the man that was deaf and dumb.
1 And there assembled together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem.
2 And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews eat not without often washing their hands, holding the tradition of the ancients:
4 And when they come from the market, unless they be washed, they eat not: and many other things there are that have been delivered to them to observe, the washings of cups and of pots, and of brazen vessels, and of beds.
5 And the Pharisees and scribes asked him: Why do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the ancients, but they eat bread with common hands?
6 But he answering, said to them: Well did Isaias prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 And in vain to they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men.
8 For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these.
9 And he said to them: Well do you make void the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.
10 For Moses said: Honor thy father and thy mother; and He that shall curse father or mother, dying let him die.
11 But you say: If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban, (which is a gift,) whatsoever is from me, shall profit thee.
12 And further you suffer him not to do any thing for his father or mother,
13 Making void the word of God by your own tradition, which you have given forth. And many other such like things you do.
14 And calling again the multitude unto him, he said to them: Hear ye me all, and understand.
15 There is nothing from without a man that entering into him, can defile him. But the things which come from a man, those are they that defile a man.
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 And when he was come into the house from the multitude, his disciples asked him the parable.
18 And he saith to them: So are you also without knowledge? understand you not that every thing from without, entering into a man cannot defile him:
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but goeth into the belly, and goeth out into the privy, purging all meats?
20 But he said that the things which come out from a man, they defile a man.
21 For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile a man.
24 And rising from thence he went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon: and entering into a house, he would that no man should know it, and he could not be hid.
25 For a woman as soon as she heard of him, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, came in and fell down at his feet.
26 For the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophenician born. And she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27 Who said to her: Suffer first the children to be filled: for it is not good to take the bread of the children, and cast it to the dogs.
28 But she answered and said to him: Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat under the table of the crumbs of the children.
29 And he said to her: For this saying go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30 And when she was come into her house, she found the girl lying upon the bed, and that the devil was gone out.
31 And again going out of the coasts of Tyre, he came by Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 And they bring to him one deaf and dumb; and they besought him that he would lay his hand upon him.
33 And taking him from the multitude apart, he put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he touched his tongue:
34 And looking up to heaven, he groaned, and said to him: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened.
35 And immediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke right.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man. But the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal did they publish it.
37 And so much the more did they wonder, saying: He hath done all things well; he
hath made both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
Christ feeds four thousand. He gives sight to a blind man. He foretells his passion.
1 In those days again, when there was a great multitude, and had nothing to eat; calling his disciples together, he saith to them:
2 I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat.
3 And if I shall send them away fasting to their home, they will faint in the way; for some of them came from afar off.
4 And his disciples answered him: From whence can any one fill them here with bread in the wilderness?
5 And he asked them: How many loaves have ye? Who said: Seven.
6 And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke, and gave to his disciples for to set before them; and they set them before the people.
7 And they had a few little fishes; and he blessed them, and commanded them to be set before them.
8 And they did eat and were filled; and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets.
9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand; and he sent them away.
10 And immediately going up into a ship with his disciples, he came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, asking him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12 And sighing deeply in spirit, he saith: Why doth this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, a sign shall not be given to this generation.
13 And leaving them, he went up again into the ship, and passed to the other side of the water.
14 And they forgot to take bread; and they had but one loaf with them in the ship.
15 And he charged them, saying: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying: Because we have no bread.
17 Which Jesus knowing, saith to them: Why do you reason, because you have no bread? do you not yet know nor understand? have you still your heart blinded?
18 Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? neither do you remember.
19 When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? They say to him, Twelve.
20 When also the seven loaves among four thousand, how many baskets of fragments took you up? And they say to him, Seven.
21 And he said to them: How do you not yet understand?
22 And they came to Bethsaida; and they bring to him a blind man, and they besought him that he would touch him.
23 And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town; and spitting upon his eyes, laying his hands on him, he asked him if he saw any thing.
24 And looking up, he said: I see men as it were trees, walking.
25 After that again he laid his hands upon his eyes, and he began to see, and was restored, so that he saw all things clearly.
26 And he sent him into his house, saying: Go into thy house, and if thou enter into the town, tell nobody.
27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And in the way, he asked his disciples, saying to them: Whom do men say that I am?
28 Who answered him, saying: John the Baptist; but some Elias, and others as one of the prophets.
29 Then he saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Peter answering said to him: Thou art the Christ.
30 And he strictly charged them that they should not tell any man of him.
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients and by the high priests, and the scribes, and be killed: and after three days rise again.
32 And he spoke the word openly. And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him.
33 Who turning about and seeing his disciples, threatened Peter, saying: Go behind me, Satan, because thou savorest not the things that are of God, but that are of men.
34 And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 For he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
39 And he said to them: Amen I say to you, that there are some of them that stand here, who shall not taste death, till they see the kingdom of God coming in power.
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