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 foretells the destruction of the temple, and the signs that shall forerun the day of judgment.
1 And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him: Master, behold what manner of stones and what buildings are here.
2 And Jesus answering, said to him: Seest thou all these great buildings? There shall not be left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat on the mount of Olivet over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him apart:
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall begin to be fulfilled?
5 And Jesus answering, began to say to them, Take heed lest any man deceive you.
6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and they shall deceive many.
7 And when you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, fear ye not. For such things must needs be, but the end is not yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and famines. These things are the beginning of sorrows.
9 But look to yourselves. For they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues you shall be beaten, and you shall stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony unto them.
10 And unto all nations the gospel must first be preached.
11 And when they shall lead you and deliver you up, be not thoughtful beforehand what you shall speak; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye. For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
12 And the brother shall betray his brother unto death, and the father his son; and children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death.
13 And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved.
14 And when you shall see the abomination of desolation, standing where it ought not: he that readeth let him understand: then let them that are in Judea, flee unto the mountains:
15 And let him that is on the housetop, not go down into the house, nor enter therein to take any thing out of the house:
16 And let him that shall be in the field, not turn back to take up his garment.
17 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.
18 But pray ye, that these things happen not in winter.
19 For in those days shall be such tribulations, as were not from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, neither shall be.
20 And unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect which he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; lo, he is here: do not believe.
22 For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, and they shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce (if it were possible) even the elect.
23 Take you heed therefore; behold I have foretold you all things.
24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.
25 And the stars of heaven shall be falling down, and the powers that are in heaven, shall be moved.
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.
27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
28 Now of the fig tree learn ye a parable. When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves are come forth, you know that summer is very near.
29 So you also when you shall see these things come to pass, know ye that it is very nigh, even at the doors.
30 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, until all these things be done.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.
32 But of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray. For ye know not when the time is.
34 Even as a man who going into a far country, left his house; and gave authority to his servants over every work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefor, (for you know not when the lord of the house cometh: at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning,)
36 Lest coming on a sudden, he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch.
The first part of the history of the passion of Christ.
1 Now the feast of the pasch, and of the Azymes was after two days; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him, and kill him.
2 But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people.
3 And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard: and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head.
4 Now there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made?
5 For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6 But Jesus said: Let her alone, why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me.
7 For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good: but me you have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for burial.
9 Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memorial of her.
10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them.
11 Who hearing it were glad; and they promised him they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
12 Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the pasch?
13 And he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith to them: Go ye into the city; and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him;
14 And whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The master saith, Where is my refectory, where I may eat the pasch with my disciples?
15 And he will shew you a large dining room furnished; and there prepare ye for us.
16 And his disciples went their way, and came into the city; and they found as he had told them, and they prepared the pasch.
17 And when evening was come, he cometh with the twelve.
18 And when they were at table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of you that eateth with me shall betray me.
19 But they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one: Is it I?
20 Who saith to them: One of the twelve, who dippeth with me his hand in the dish.
21 And the Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born.
22 And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye. This is my body.
23 And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it.
24 And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many.
25 Amen I say to you, that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.
26 And when they had said an hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives.
27 And Jesus saith to them: You will all be scandalized in my regard this night; for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed.
28 But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
29 But Peter saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I.
30 And Jesus saith to him: Amen I say to thee, to day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shall deny me thrice.
31 But he spoke the more vehemently: Although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner also said they all.
32 And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray.
33 And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy.
34 And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here, and watch.
35 And when he was gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground; and he prayed, that if it might be, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt.
37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour?
38 Watch ye, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
39 A going away again, he prayed, saying the same words.
40 And when he returned, he found them again asleep, (for their eyes were heavy,) and they knew not what to answer him.
41 And he cometh the third time, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Rise up, let us go. Behold, he that will betray me is at hand.
43 And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve: and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients.
44 And he that betrayed him, had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; lay hold on him, and lead him away carefully.
45 And when he was come, immediately going up to him, he saith: Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed him.
46 But they laid hands on him, and held him.
47 An one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear.
48 And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me?
49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me. But that the scriptures may be fulfilled.
50 Then his disciples leaving him, all fled away.
51 And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him.
52 But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked.
53 And they brought Jesus to the high priest; and all the priests and the scribes and the ancients assembled together.
54 And Peter followed him from afar off, even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself.
55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death, and found none.
56 For many bore false witness against him, and their evidences were not agreeing.
57 And some rising up, bore false witness against him, saying:
58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another not made with hands.
59 And their witness did not agree.
60 And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men?
61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said to him: Art thou the Christ the Son of the blessed God?
62 And Jesus said to him: I am. And you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming with the clouds of heaven.
63 Then the high priest rending his garments, saith: What need we any further witnesses?
64 You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? Who all condemned him to be guilty of death.
65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him: Prophesy: and the servants struck him with the palms of their hands.
66 Now when Peter was in the court below, there cometh one of the maidservants of the high priest.
67 And when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
68 But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court; and the cock crew.
69 And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers by: This is one of them.
70 But he denied again. And after a while they that stood by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them; for thou art also a Galilean.
71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying; I know not this man of whom you speak.
72 And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus
had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to
weep.
The continuation of the history of the passion.
1 And straightway in the morning, the chief priests holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2 And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, saith to him: Thou sayest it.
3 And the chief priests accused him in many things.
4 And Pilate again asked him, saying: Answerest thou nothing? behold in how many things they accuse thee.
5 But Jesus still answered nothing; so that Pilate wondered.
6 Now on the festival day he was wont to release unto them one of the prisoners, whomsoever they demanded.
7 And there was one called Barabbas, who was put in prison with some seditious men, who in the sedition had committed murder.
8 And when the multitude was come up, they began to desire that he would do, as he had ever done unto them.
9 And Pilate answered them, and said: Will you that I release to you the king of the Jews?
10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy.
11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
12 And Pilate again answering, saith to them: What will you then that I do to the king of the Jews?
13 But they again cried out: Crucify him.
14 And Pilate saith to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more: Crucify him.
15 And so Pilate being willing to satisfy the people, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
16 And the soldiers led him away into the court of the palace, and they called together the whole band:
17 And they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him.
18 And they began to salute him: Hail, king of the Jews.
19 And they struck his head with a reed: and they did spit on him. And bowing their knees, they adored him.
20 And after they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own garments on him, and they led him out to crucify him.
21 And they forced one Simon a Cyrenian who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross.
22 And they bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place of Calvary.
23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but he took it not.
24 And crucifying him, they divided his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26 And the inscription of his cause was written over: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: And with the wicked he was reputed.
29 And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days buildest it up again;
30 Save thyself, coming down from the cross.
31 In like manner also the chief priests mocking, said with the scribes one to another: He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour.
34 And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of the standers by hearing, said: Behold he calleth Elias.
36 And one running and filling a sponge with vinegar, and putting it upon a reed, gave him to drink, saying: Stay, let us see if Elias come to take him down.
37 And Jesus having cried out with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.
38 And the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom.
39 And the centurion who stood over against him, seeing that crying out in this manner he had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this man was the son of God.
40 And there were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joseph, and Salome:
41 Who also when he was in Galilee followed him, and ministered to him, and many other women that came up with him to Jerusalem.
42 And when evening was now come, (because it was the Parasceve, that is, the day before the sabbath,)
43 Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
44 But Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And sending for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead.
45 And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking him down, wrapped him up in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.
47 And Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of Joseph, beheld where he was
laid.
Christ's resurrection and ascension.
1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus.
2 And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.
3 And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished.
6 Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you.
8 But they going out, fled from the sepulchre. For a trembling and fear had seized them: and they said nothing to any man; for they were afraid.
9 But he rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10 She went and told them that had been with him, who were mourning and weeping.
11 And they hearing that he was alive, and had been seen by her, did not believe.
12 And after that he appeared in another shape to two of them walking, as they were going into the country.
13 And they going told it to the rest: neither did they believe them.
14 At length he appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again.
15 And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues.
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.
19 And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God.
20 But they going forth preached every where: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.
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