Difference between revisions of "Mark 1-8 (Translated)"

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Revision as of 00:04, January 24, 2013

Chapter 1

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God: The Greek word ευαγγελιον or evangelion means literally "a good message." "Gospel" is an Old English word meaning "a good story." Today the best phrase is "good news."
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. As was written by Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I am sending My messenger before your face, who will prepare your way. The best manuscripts do in fact mention Isaiah directly.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. The voice of a messenger preaching among skeptics, 'Prepare for the way of the Lord and make straight His path.'" The wilderness is a metaphor for the unrepentant crowd. Why would he cry out in the wilderness, where none would hear? Too often taken as literal.
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. As it happened, John was baptizing in the desert, preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The Greek verb βαπτιζω or baptidzo means literally "I give someone a bath." The bath is a total-immersion bath.
5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. Everyone from the country of Judea and Jerusalem went to him, confessing their sins and receiving baptism in the Jordan River.
6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; John survived on bare necessities, wearing a camel's hair habit with a leather loin wrap; his food consisted of locusts and wild honey;
7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. He preached to the crowd, "There will be someone so much greater that I am not even fit to stoop and untie his sandal straps for him."
8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. "I have baptized you with water, but He shall baptize you with the Divine Guide." tentatively using "Divine Guide" per talk page. "With the power of the" does not appear.
9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. Jesus then came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And as soon as Jesus emerged from the water, the heavens opened and the Divine Guide descended like a dove upon Him: See 8.
11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. A voice came from heaven declaring, "You are my beloved Son whom I value greatly." Saying you 'love' a 'beloved' person may be poor english.
12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. The Divine Guide then led Jesus into the desert. it was more a desert than a wilderness. See 8 re. Guide.
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. He remained in the desert for forty days, where Satan tested Him; and He was with wild animals as the angels waited on Him. The Greek πειραζω or peiradzo means "I test." This "testing" is like an engineer's test. Matthew and Luke give far greater detail of Jesus's Final Examination.
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. Next, after John was arrested, Jesus arrived in Galilee and preached the good news of the kingdom of God, Consistency with verse 1
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. He said, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your hearts and believe the good news." Gospel (good news) is a literal translation of the Greek word ευαγγελιον.
16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. As He was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He Saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen, The "Sea of Galilee" is today known as Lake Tiberias.
17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. Dropping their nets at once, they followed him. straightway and forsook are largely unused. The word rendered "forsake" actually means to abandon or, in this case, to set aside.
19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. When He had traveled a little further, He saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in their boat, mending their nets. The Greek word πλοιον or ploion means any sailing vessel of any size. The vessels of Lake Tiberias were never of a size that deserves the designation of "ship" in modern English. Vessels of that size sailed the Mediterranean Sea, not the Sea of Galilee.

The use of the definite article with ploion means that the two brothers were on a particular boat. This is most likely the boat that their father owned; hence the possessive pronoun.

20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him. He called to them, and they left their father Zebedee and his crew aboard the boat, and went with Jesus. The Greek word μισθωτος or misthotos means one who works for hire; in this case a "hand," or member of a boat's crew.
21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. They went into Capernaum and as soon as He arrived He entered the synagogue on the holy day to teach. 'Holy day' rather than sabbath? - modern terminology
22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. There, the listeners were astonished by his doctrine, for He taught as a man of great authority, not as a scribe. "They" is a needlessly vague term for the audience
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, A man with an evil spirit was in the synagogue. The Greek πνευμα ακαθαρτης or pneuma akathartis means literally "unclean spirit." This refers to a spirit being having no relationship to God, i.e., a demon.
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. He shouted, "Leave us alone, Jesus of Nazareth, for we're none of your business. Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." The idiomatic phrase "what have I to do with you" or "what have we to do with you" is best expressed in modern English as "Mind your own business" or a similar phrase.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. Jesus then scolded the spirit, and said, "Stop moaning and pull out of him." Satan rarely possesses a man by himself; he sends his minions, called demons to do that "dirty work" for him.
26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. The evil spirit was then ripped away from the possessed man, cried out in a loud voice, and left him. Passive rather than active to indicate Jesus' role?
27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. The bystanders were all amazed, and asked each other, "What is happening? Is this a new doctrine? He acted with authority in ordering the evil spirits, and they obeyed him!"
28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee. The news about Jesus spread immediately throughout Galilee.
29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. As soon as Jesus's group left the synagogue, they entered the home of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. But Simon's mother-in-law was in bed sick with a fever, and Jesus was told.
31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. So he came and, taking her by her hand, helped her stand up; and when she did the fever immediately passed, and she waited on the others.
32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. At sundown the people brought to Jesus many sick people, and many demon-oppressed people,
33 And all the city was gathered together at the door. And all the city's people gathered at His door.
34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. Jesus healed many who were diseased, and He threw out many demons; he commanded the demons to be silent, and they obeyed because they knew Jesus as God. "Threw out many demons" sounds a bit strange. "Drove out" may be a better rendering of Greek εξεβαλεν.
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. In the early morning, long before dawn, He left to pray by himself.
36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. Simon and the others followed Him,
37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. And upon finding him they said, "Everyone is looking for You." Seems a bit awkward
38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. Jesus replied, "Let us travel to the other towns, so I may preach in them too, for that is the reason I came."
39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. And he preached in the synagogues and threw out demons throughout Galilee.
40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. A leper came to him, kneeling and imploring him, saying, "If you wish it, please cure my illness." "Make clean" replaced with the modern concept "cure." Does this change/mask the meaning?
41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. Jesus was moved by compassion, and putting out his hand to touch him, replied, "I will. Be cured." See 40.
42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. Immediately after Jesus had spoken, the leprosy departed the man, and he was cured. See 40.
43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; Jesus gave him strict orders to leave at once;
44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. And said to him, "Tell no one, but be on your way and show yourself to the priest, offering in thanks for your healing what Moses commanded. This will serve as testimony to others."
45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter. But the cured man immediately announced to all what had happened, and the publicity made it impossible for Jesus to enter any city openly. He withdrew to the desert, but the people still came to him from everywhere.

Chapter 2

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. He returned to Capernaum after several days, and the news spread that He was at home. The Greek literally reads "it was heard that he was in house."
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. A large crowd immediately filled the room to capacity, so many that the door was blocked to access by others, as He was speaking the Truth to them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. They brought him a paralyzed man, carried by four men.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. Finding they could not reach Him, because the crowd was so thick, they removed the roof above Him and, when they had done so, lowered the paralytic in his bed.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Seeing their faith in Him, He told the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Some scribes were sitting in the crowd. They thought to themselves,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? "Why is this Man speaking such blasphemy? Who can forgive our sins but God Himself?" Capitalized on account of Who He is, not on account of what the scribes thought He was.

A scribe was one having the specific job of copying out the Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament) from old copies that were falling apart. Scribes also commonly taught the Scriptures in the synagogues. The problem was that they taught from rote memory, and the clear implication, here and elsewhere, is that these scribes memorized the text as if for recital but never really read it for understanding, much less personal lifestyle application.

8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Jesus immediately perceived in His spirit what they were thinking, and he asked them, "Why are you so hostile to this? the hostility was to the forgiveness
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? "Is it easier to tell a paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven, or to pick up his bed and walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) "But to remove any doubt about the Son of man's power on earth to forgive sins," he next said to the paralyzed man,
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. "Get up, carry your bed, and go home!"
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. And he got up, carried his bed, and left, in plain sight of the crowd. Amazed, they all praised God, saying, "We've never seen such a thing before." The Greek idiom is very close to this.
13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. Jesus continued along the seaside, and all the crowds thronged around Him, and He taught them.
14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. He passed Levi, son of Alphaeus, at a tax office and told him, "Follow me." Levi arose and followed. Some manuscripts give this man's name as "James."
15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. As it happened, Jesus then dined at His house with a great many tax collectors and sinners who chose to follow Him. The English word publican is not from the Greek. It is the Latin word publicanus, meaning a private citizen commissioned to collect taxes for the Roman government and empowered to collect more than the tax from the people and keep the balance. This policy was controversial even in Rome itself, and especially in Judea Province, where tax collectors were regarded as the lowest form of scum in Jewish society.
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? Seeing him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees and scribes demanded of His students, "Why does he eat and drink with these tax collectors and sinners?"
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Hearing this, Jesus replied, "It is not the healthy but the sick that need a doctor. I did not come to call the just to change their hearts, but instead the sinners."
18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? The students of John and of the Pharisees used to fast. And so they came and asked Him, "Why do the students of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your students do not?"
19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. To this Jesus replied, "Why should the members of the wedding party fast, so long as the bridegroom is among them? While he remains, they have no cause to fast." "Cannot" implies impossibility, rather than lack of necessity. They have no cause to fast so long as the Son is with them.
20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. "Soon it will be that the bridegroom will be taken from them, and only then will they fast."
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. "No man patches old clothing with a new piece of cloth, as it will pull apart as it ages, making the tear worse.
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles. "And no man puts fresh grape juice into old bottles. The fresh juice will burst the bottles, spilling the juice and damaging the bottles. Fresh juice must be put into new bottles." The Greek word οινος, translated "wine," actually meant "fruit of the vine" and was not fermented, as it commonly is today. Repeated references in the Book of Proverbs tell their readers specifically to avoid fermented grape juice. Furthermore, at least five methods of preservation were known to the ancients, methods that avoided fermentation, long before Louis Pasteur would invent his pressure-cooking method.
23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. On one Sabbath day, He traveled through the corn fields, and His students started to pluck the ears of corn as they passed.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? The Pharisees cried, "Look! You're breaking Sabbath regulations!" The Pharisees were notorious for promulgating regulations about proper religious living. Half of those regulations weren't even in Scripture. The extensive body of regulations that they invented, on the theory of what constituted "working on the Sabbath," was a prize example.
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? To this Jesus replied, "Haven't you read what David and his allies did, when he was hungry and in need?"
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? "How he went into God's temple, in the times of the High Priest Abiathar, and ate the blessed bread - the bread which only priests are allowed to eat - and fed his allies with it?" Actually, the high priest at the time was Abiathar's father Ahimelech I. But Abiathar was present when this incident occurred, and continued to follow David after Ahimelech was assassinated.
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Jesus told them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, clarifies role of Sabbath, against slavish observation to the point of hurting man.
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. and therefore the Son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

Chapter 3

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. Jesus returned to the synagogue, and noticed man with a crippled hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. They were watching Jesus to see if they might catch and accuse him of healing on the Sabbath. Presumably "they" are the Pharisees. See talk.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. Jesus told the man with the crippled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: doing good or evil? Saving a life, or killing one?" And they didn't answer.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. Jesus looked around at them, feeling anger and pity for the hardness of their hearts, and said to the injured man, "Open your hand." He then opened and held out his hand, and it was as good as new.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. The Pharisees then fled from the scene to plot with the Herodians against Jesus, and plan how they might destroy him. The Herodians were a sect among the Jews who were political partisans of Herod Antipas. Normally the Pharisees had nothing to do with this faction. In this, as in many other contexts, "politics makes strange bedfellows."
7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, Jesus then departed for the quiet of a lake, but crowds from Galilee and Judea followed him, The body of water called the "Sea of Galilee" in the Greek is called Lake Tiberias today and was and is in fact a fresh-water lake, not an extension of the ocean system that a true "sea" would be.
8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. And crowds went to Jesus from Jerusalem, Idumea, Tyre and Sidon, and from beyond the Jordan River, after hearing of his great deeds for the sick. modernize spelling: Idumaea -> Idumea
9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. Jesus asked His students for a small boat that would enable him to keep a distance from pressing crowds.
10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. Jesus had healed many people, so that many diseased persons pressed on Him trying to touch Him. The word used here for "disease" is actually the Greek word μαστιξ or mastix, literally a whip or the beating one might receive from a whip. This is obviously a violent metaphor that Mark used for illness.
11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. Upon seeing Jesus, evil spirits fell down before him crying, "You are the Son of God!" need to add something to convey that these spirits possessed people
12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known. But Jesus strictly commanded them not to tell others who he was.
13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. He then walked up a mountain, calling whomever He wanted to follow him, and they did.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, He appointed twelve men as Apostles, to be with him, so he could send them to preach to the world, Some manuscripts, including the Byzantine, don't have the phrase "to be apostles." Apostle literally means "one sent out." These men were the first-ever missionaries.
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: and to have the authority to throw demons out of people.
16 And Simon he surnamed Peter; Jesus gave the surname of Peter to Simon.
17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: He also appointed James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, and called them "Boanerges," which means "The Sons of Thunder":
18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, His other apointees were Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, This might be the source of the confusion, by a later copyist, of this "James son of Alphaeus" with Levi son of Alphaeus, the tax collector. The other name of Levi, given here, is Matthew.
19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. And Judas Iscariot, who was to betray Jesus: and they all entered a house note how the KJV uses "which" for persons, rather than the more respectful "who"; the KJV also uses "an" rather than "a" before a word that begins with "h"
20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But the crowd pressed upon them so much that they could not even eat.
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. When Jesus's own family heard of this, they went to rescue him, saying, "He is out of his mind." note how even Jesus's own family felt less of him
22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. Some scribes from Jerusalem came also, smearing Jesus by saying "He has Beelzebub and throws out demons by calling on the leader of demons!" This Beelzebub (literally, Lord of the Flies) is another name for Satan, but was also a pagan Canaanite god during the time of Elijah.
23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? But Jesus called them together and taught in parables, and asked "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. "A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.
25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. "Nor can a house divided against itself stand."
26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. "So if Satan were divided against himself, he could not stand, and would perish."
27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. "No one can break into a well-armed man's house to destroy his property, unless he first tie the man down. Only then can he damage his home. "Strong" replaced with modern equivalent of defended
28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: "I tell you: all the sons of men will be forgiven their sins and their blasphemies, whatever they might be:
29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: "But any man who blasphemes against the Divine Guide will never be forgiven, but risks eternal damnation."
30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. This Jesus told them because they lied, "He has an evil spirit."
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. His mother and his brothers, who were standing outside, asked to see him.
32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. The crowd around Jesus said to him, "Your mother and brothers are outside, looking for you." Some manuscripts omit the brothers.
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? To which he responded, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"
34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! Then, looking around at the gathered crowed, he said, "You are My mother and My brothers!
35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. "Whoever does what God wants, qualifies as My brother, sister or mother."

Chapter 4

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. Jesus returned to teaching again on the seashore, but the crowd was so overwhelming that he turned a boat into a makeshift pulpit while the people pressed to the shoreline. The acoustics at many shore sites on Lake Tiberias are in fact good enough to allow this.
2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, He taught them many things, using parables. During one of His lessons, He said, The Greek διδαχη or didache can mean the subject being taught, the act of teaching, or a particular lesson.
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: "Listen. A farmer went out to sow a crop.
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. "As he sowed, some seed was scattered on the path, and birds came and ate it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: "Some fell on stony ground, which lacked deep soil. It grew quickly,
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. "But once the sun was out, it was scorched and withered away, as its roots were too shallow.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. "Some was scattered among weeds, which choked it, and it didn't produce fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. "But some seed fell upon good soil and produced a great deal of fruit, thirty, sixty, even one-hundred times the original investment." Clear language of "increase"
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Then Jesus said to them, "let any man who has ears hear."
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. Privately a few along with the twelve Apostles asked Jesus about the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: He said to them, "You have been granted insight into the secrets of the Kingdom of God, but to others these things are done in parables,
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. that they may see but not perceive and hear but not understand; otherwise they might convert, and then their sins would be forgiven." This verse, and the one preceding, is one of the earliest statements concerning the predestination and unconditional election of believers.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? Then He asked them, "Don't you understand this parable? If not, how will you understand any other parables?
14 The sower soweth the word. "The farmer plants the Truth.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. "As for the people who are on the roadside, where the seeds are scattered, Satan comes as soon they have heard the truth, and takes it from their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; "Likewise with those planted on the stony ground: when they hear the Truth, they receive It with joy,
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. "But they have little deep-down understanding of It, so they endure in the Truth only briefly. Afterward, when they must face oppression persecution for the sake of the Truth, all at once they have doubts about It. "Root in themselves" made clearer for modern english readers.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, "Then there are those planted among the thorns. They hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. "But because of worldly concerns, the deceit of wealth, and other desires, the Truth is suffocated and cannot bear fruit." The "deceit of wealth" is not the having of wealth but the trusting in wealth as a primary sustainer.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. "Finally are those planted in good ground. They hear the Truth, accept It, and produce good fruit in their turn, sometimes thirty, sixty, or even one hundred times more."
21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? Then he asked them, "Do we light candles only to hide them under a bushel basket or a bed, rather than to place them on candlesticks? The word rendered "bushel" is the Roman modius, the largest dry measure in use throughout the Roman Empire.
22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. "Nothing is hidden which will not be brought to light. Likewise any secret kept will soon become known.
23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. "If a man is willing to listen, let him hear the Truth."
24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. Then he said to them, "Be careful of what you listen to. Whichever measure you apply, you shall be measured accordingly, and those of you who listen will be given more."
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. "He who has will be given, while he doesn't will see that little which he has taken from him."
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; "The kingdom of God is the same way. If someone sows seed on the ground,
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. "And goes to sleep and waits several days, plants will spring from the seeds, though he doesn't know how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. "Because it is the earth that brings forth the fruit: first a blade, then an ear of corn, then the corn itself."
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. "And when the fruit has been produced, he brings out the sickle and harvests his produce."
30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? Then he said, "What will we say God's kingdom is like? What sort of metaphor will we use? Actually the Greek uses the word parable, which is a metaphorical story.
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: It's like a single mustard seed, which is smaller than all other seeds on earth when placed in the ground,
32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. But once planted, it grows larger than all the other herbs and grows large branches, so the birds can shelter under its shadow."
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. He used many parables like this one to preach God's word in a way that they could understand. Make clear that it's God's word, and that 'hear' means 'understand' in this context.
34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. But He never used parables when speaking to His own men. He explained everything to His own students. The Greek ιδιος means "one's own."
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. Later that day, around sunset, He said to them: "Let's cross over to the opposite shore." Modernized word choices.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. They dismissed the crowd, and then cast off in the boat where Jesus had been preaching, with Jesus still on board. Some other boats also went with them. 'even as he was' needs some explanation for the modern reader.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. Suddenly a fierce storm came, with strong winds. Waves started to break over the boat, so that it began to fill with water. Such squalls occur frequently on Lake Tiberias even today.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? Jesus was sleeping on a cushion in the stern of the boat. They woke him saying, "Master, don't you care that we'll capsize and drown?"
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He got up and disapproved of the wind, and laid down the sea to an orderly and controlled state. The wind then stopped, and there was complete calm. This is often mistranslated as Jesus saying a command, when the more straightforward translation is consistent with quantum mechanics: it was his observation and faith, not the spoken word, that ended the chaos. φιμόω: means to be kept in check, not a spoken command. Note that the similar descriptions in Matthew and Luke do not entail a spoken command.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? He asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Why haven't you any faith?"
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Filled with awe, they asked each other: "What kind of Man is He, such that even the wind and sea obey Him?

Chapter 5

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. They reached the other side of the lake, which was in the region where the Gadarenes lived. Most manuscripts say "Gerasenes," which is an alternative name for these people. They were the descendants of Gad, one of the twelve sons of Jacob.
2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, As Jesus disembarked the boat, he was immediately confronted by a possessed man,
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: who was homeless and slept in a cemetery; no man had the strength to restrain him, not even with chains: avoid feminist style of seeking gender neutrality by replacing "man" with "one"; the reference is obviously to men not being able to restrain him, not to women
4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. Many times, he had been restrained by leg irons and chains, but he had thrown off the chains and broken the leg irons to pieces. No man could control him. The word originally rendered "fetters" means "leg irons."
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. Day and night he roamed the mountains and tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, But when he glimpsed Jesus at a distance, he ran up to Him and fell down at His feet.
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. He cried out loudly, "What business do I have with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in God's name not to torment me." The Greek word υψιστος (hypsistos) literally means "highest."
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. Because Jesus had proclaimed, "Get out of that man, evil spirit."
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, "My name is 'Legion', because we are many."
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. He begged Jesus not to expel him from the region. The Greek word χωρα, meaning "country," does not mean a nation-state. If Mark had meant that, he would have used the word βασιλεια, or "kingdom."
11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. Near the mountains where they were, a large herd of pigs was feeding. Pigs more modern than archaic swine
12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. The demons all begged Jesus, "Send us to the pigs, so that we may possess them."
13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. Jesus then granted the demons the permission they sought. The demons left the man and possessed the pigs, and the herd rand violently down a steep embankment to drown in the sea, all two thousand of them.
14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. Those in charge of the pigs fled and told everyone in the town and countryside. People then went to see for themselves what had happened.
15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They saw Jesus and the man formerly possessed, who was in his right mind and sitting peacefully, fully dressed; the people became afraid upon seeing him.
16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. Witnesses to the episode described for the people what had happened to the possessed man, and about the pigs.
17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. The terrified people began to plead that Jesus leave their area.
18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. When Jesus got back aboard His boat, the man who had been possessed begged Jesus to let him join His company.
19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. Instead, Jesus told him, "Return home to your friends, and tell them how the Lord has done wonders for you with compassion." In contrast to the usual instructions that Jesus gives, He asks the Gadarene to tell everyone he meets what happened to him. This might be because the Gadarene region was opposite Lake Tiberias from Jerusalem.
20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. So the man left and began speaking publicly in Decapolis about Jesus's great works for him, and everyone who heard the story was very much amazed. The Greek word θαυμαζομαι (thaumadzomai) connotes the "Wow!" degree of amazement.
21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. A huge crowd was awaiting Jesus on the opposite coast as he crossed by boat, so He stayed on the seashore.
22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, One of the leaders of the synagogue, named Jairus, joined the crowd. When he saw Jesus, he threw himself at His feet, The usual Greek word ιδου ("Look!" or "Behold!") does not appear in the original.
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. and begged Him urgently, saying "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put Your hands on her, so that she will be healed; and then she will live." The Greek idiomatic phrase εσχατως εχω (eschatos echo, "I finally have") is best translated as "I am dying."
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. Jesus accompanied him; many people followed Jesus, pressing Him on all sides.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, One woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, and had suffered further from mistreatments by doctors, having spent all she had on them without any improvement; her condition even worsened. The "mistreatments" referred to here are conventional therapies that did more harm than good.
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. When she heard about Jesus she crowded behind Him and touched his clothes,
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. Because as she had said, "If I can just touch His clothes, I will be made well."
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. Instantly the hemorrhages ceased, and she felt cured of her illness.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? Jesus immediately realized that power had discharged from him, and turned to the pressing crowd to say, "Who touched my clothes?"
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? His students replied, "You see the huge crowd pressing against you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me'"? The astonishment of His students is self-evident.
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. Jesus turned and scanned the crowd to find her.
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. But the terrified, trembling woman, aware of the miracle, came and bowed at Jesus's feet, and told him the entire truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. Jesus said to her: "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go with peace of mind, and live a life free from that terrible disease." The actual Greek phrase is "saved you," not "made you well."
35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? While Jesus was speaking, people told the synagogue leader, "Your daughter has died. Why bother this teacher any more?"
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. But as soon as Jesus heard about this, he said to the father, "Don't be afraid; only believe."
37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. Jesus then allowed no one to follow Him, except Peter, James, and James' brother John.
38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. He came to the synagogue leader's home, and saw the mourning, and all those who wept and cried enormously.
39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. When Jesus entered the house, he said to them, "What is the reason for all this uproar and crying? The girl is not dead - she's just asleep!" The mourners were in fact exaggerating, as was the custom of the day.
40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. They laughed and ridiculed him. But after he evicted them all, he took the girl's mother and father with Him and His three students to where she was lying,
41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. and taking her by the hand, said, "talitha cumi", which means "girl, I tell you to rise."
42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. Immediately the 12-year-old girl got up and walked. The onlookers were positively astounded. In Greek (and also in Hebrew), repetition is sometimes done for emphasis, as in this case.
43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then commanded that the girl should be given something to eat.

Chapter 6

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. Jesus then traveled home, followed by his students.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? On the next Sabbath, Jesus began teaching in the synagogue. Many were amazed, and declared, "How does this Man know so much? What kind of wisdom has been given to Him, enabling Him to perform such wonderful deeds? The Greek word εκπλησομαι (ekplesomai, I am amazed) typically stands for a mild sort of amazement, something less than "Wow!"
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. Isn't this the carpenter we know, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judah and Simon? Don't we also know his sisters here?" So the public rejected Him. The Greek idiom σκανδαλιζομαι εν (skandalidzomai en) with the dative case means "I reject someone," or "I have doubts about someone."
4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. Jesus replied to their complaints, "A prophet lacks honor only in his own hometown, among his neighbors and in his own home." avoid compound negative
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. Jesus was unable to perform any marvelous works in that area, except for healing a few sick people by laying His hands on them. His power might have been withheld because the people lacked faith in Him. Usually, if Jesus does a miraculous favor for someone, that someone previously believed that He could do it.
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. He was in fact shocked at their lack of faith. He traveled around the villages in that area, teaching the people who lived there. Emphasize faith; superb use of faith here!
7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; He gathered the Twelve, and began to send them out in pairs, giving them the power to cast out evil spirits. The phrase pneumatoi acathartoi stands primarily for Satan's minions.
8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: He instructed them to take only a walking stick, and to bring nothing else: no bag, no bread, and no money in their belts, The Greek word used, χαλκον (chalcon) actually means small change, like the loose change that a modern Westerner keeps in his trouser pockets.
9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. and to wear only sandals, and not to wear two coats.
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. He told them, "Whichever house you stay in while in a town, stay there until you leave that town.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. "And if anyone will not take you in or listen to you, when leaving them, shake the dust from under your feet as an indictment against their conduct. I tell you truly, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will fare better on the day of judgment than that city." The "shaking of dust from the shoes" was a ritual in which a man took off his shoes and clapped them together.
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. Thus they went among the towns, preaching repentance.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. There they cast out many demons, anointed the ill with oil, and healed them of their afflictions.
14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad): and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. The tetrarch, Herod Antipas, heard news of this, as word of Jesus had spread fast and far. It was said that he was John the Baptist had risen from the dead, and miraculous powers were shown in his works. The impersonal construction is present in the best manuscripts. Why the Byzantine manuscripts use "He said" rather than "it was said" is unclear.
15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. Others rumored that he was Elijah, while others still called him a prophet like those of the Old Testament. "The prophets" was known to the audience of the time as the OT prophets, but this should be made clear to the modern reader.
16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. Herod succumbed to the rumors and opined, "He is John, who I had murdered, back from the dead."
17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. For it had been Herod who had sent his men to capture and imprison John on account of his brother Philip's wife, Herodias, who he had married.
18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. John used to tel Herod, "It is against the law for you to marry your brother's wife."
19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: And so Herodias was hostile to John, and she would have killed him had she been able.
20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Herod actually was afraid of John, realizing that he was a just and holy man, and followed John's preaching closely. Herod couldn't always understand what John said, but he was glad to listen. The better manuscripts are necessary to clarify the meaning.
21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; So Herodias waited for her opportunity, which came on Herod's birthday when he had a feast for his noblemen, ranking army officers, and high-ranking officials in Galilee. The Greek word χιλιαρχος (chiliarchos) means literally "leader of a thousand," therefore a Roman tribune or officer of similar rank in another army.
22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. Herodias's daughter entered the room and danced, so pleasing Herod and his guests that the king exclaimed to the little girl, "Ask me whatever you like, and I will grant it!" The Greek κορασιον is typically translated simply as "girl" or "damsel",[1] and in fact means a girl who is not even a teen-ager.[2] The spectacle of a pre-adolescent girl dancing lewdly in front of a bunch of leering adult men ought to convince anyone of the immoral overtones of this scene.
23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And he swore to her, "I will give you whatever you want from me, up to half of my kingdom."
24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. She went to ask her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The use of quotes makes the phrase easier to understand.
25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. So she returned quickly to the tetrarch and responded, "I want John the Baptist's head on a platter." Herod Antipas' title was, of course, Tetrarch of Galilee. The Greek word rendered "charger" is actually a large platter.
26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. Herod was very sorry. But because he had taken an oath and faced embarrassment in front of his guests if he declined, he complied.
27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, The king immediately sent an executioner, ordering him to bring John the Baptist's head. The executioner went to the prison and beheaded him.
28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. The executioner brought the head on a platter and gave it to the little girl, who gave it to her mother. See notes to verse 22 above.
29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb. When John's students heard what had happened, they came and claimed his body and placed it in a tomb.
30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. The Apostles gathered around Jesus and told him about all the things they had done and what they had taught.
31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Jesus told them, "Come with me privately to a desert place and rest". Because there were so many people coming and going, the apostles had not even had time to eat. The land was "desert" all around, but the use of "desert place" becomes appropriate in view of what happens next.
32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. They sailed in a boat to a desert place to meet in private.
33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. When people saw them leaving, many of them recognized Jesus, so they hurried from their cities and got there before Jesus and the apostles did. The people crowded around Jesus when he arrived.
34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. When Jesus got out of the boat He saw the large crowd of people, and felt sorry for them, because they reminded Him of a flock of sheep without a shepherd. So He started to teach them many things.
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: But when the day was nearly over, His students approached Jesus and said, "We're in the middle of nowhere and it is going to get dark. quotation continues to next verse; it must have been "getting dark" yet so the phrasing is this way
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. "Send this crowd into the surrounding villages in order to buy themselves bread to eat."
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? Jesus replied "You should give them something to eat," and the students asked Him, "Should we go and spend two hundred shillings and buy some bread for them to eat?" The "shilling" is the Roman denarius, which in fact was a day's wages for most men in the period.
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. Jesus answered, "How many loaves do you have? Go check." After the students found out, they told him that they had five loaves of bread and two fish.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. Jesus told them to have everyone sit in groups on the grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. After they did, everyone sat down in long rows, of fifty or a hundred people.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. When Jesus had the five loaves and two fish, he looked to heaven, blessed the food, and broke the loaves. He gave them to His students to feed the people, and split the two fish among everyone.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled. After everyone was finished eating, they were all full.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. The students picked up twelve small baskets full of crumbs and the leftovers of fish.
44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men. Five thousand men had filled their stomachs on those two loaves of bread and five fish.
45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. Then Jesus had his students board their boat, to go to Bethsaida ahead of him, while he bid the people farewell.
46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. After he sent the people away, he went to a mountain to pray.
47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. In the evening, the students' boat was in the middle of the lake, and he remained on the land alone.
48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. He saw them rowing hard, since they were traveling into the wind: about the fourth watch of the night, he walked on the surface of the lake and came to the boat, nearly passing it. "Fourth watch of the night" means between 3 AM and 6 AM.[3]
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: But when they saw him walking on water, they thought it must have been a ghost, and cried out.
50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. They all saw Him, and were terrified. He spoke to them right away, and said, "Fear not, for I am. Do not be afraid." The "I am" is what the Greek says, and it mirrors Exodus 3:14 (God speaking from the burning bush) and John 8:58 (affirming Jesus's divinity).
51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. He boarded the ship and the wind died down: they were very much amazed. The best manuscripts do not have the additional Greek word θαυμαζω.
52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. They had not understood the miracle of the loaves, because they had not opened their minds. The literal Greek phrase reads, "their heart was stubborn." The implication is simply that they were not yet ready to believe what they had seen.
53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore. After they crossed the lake, they came to the land of Gennesaret and pulled up to the shore.
54 And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, When they had come off the boat, everyone immediately recognized Jesus.
55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. They ran throughout the nearby area and carried all the sick people, in beds, to the place where Jesus was said to be.
56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. Wherever he went - villages, cities, or the countryside - people laid the sick in the streets, and begged Jesus to let them touch him, even just the edge of his coat. Everyone who touched him was healed.

Chapter 7

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. Jesus was approached by the Pharisees, and some of the scribes, who came from Jerusalem. "who" rather than "which"; a rare flaw in the style of the KJV is its use of "which" and "that" to refer to persons
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. They observed several of His students eating bread with ritually unclean, i.e., unwashed, hands, and used that to criticize Jesus. The Greek word used is κοινος (koinos), meaning "common." In fact the Pharisees suggested that hands that had not been ceremonially washed were ritually unclean, and chose an elitist metaphor ("common") to make their point.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. The reason for this was that the Pharisees, along with all the other Jews, had a tradition never to eat unless they had washed their hands.
4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. When they came from the public square, they did not eat unless they had washed first. They retained many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and tables. This is a small sample of the many ways in which the Pharisees sought to over-regulate and micro-manage Jewish life.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your students follow the traditions of the elders, instead of eating bread with unwashed hands?" Again, the Pharisees use tradition as regulation, a regulation to which they give the force of written law.
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. He responded to them, "Isaiah had you hypocrites dead to rights, when he wrote: 'These people speak respectful words to Me, by their hearts are not with Me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. They worship Me in vain, and their teachings are nothing more than rules made by men.'
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. After turning away from the law of God, you cling to the rules of mere men. The Byzantine manuscripts add the details about the cup and pot-washing regulations, but those are probably redundant interpolations.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Isaiah also told them, 'You turn your backs on the commandment of God, in order to cling to your own customs.' Clarify the reference to Isaiah, which is ambiguous in most translations.
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: For example: Moses said, 'Honor your father and mother; and whoever curses his father or mother should receive the death penalty'; should outer quotations be added? Use the "death penalty"
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. But you allow a man to say to his father or mother, 'Whatever help I might have given you was instead given to God as a temple offering,' difficult to translate; more improvement welcome; issue of outside quotations remains; Corban replaced by "temple offering"
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; and excused him from helping his father or mother any further. The Greek phrase means "permit not to do" rather than "not permit to do." Thus, "excuse" is correct.
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. "You have made God's word and law useless with your tradition of revision, and many other actions like it."
14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: When Jesus had called the people together around him, he said, "Listen to me, each of you, and know the truth."
15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. "Nothing outside a man can enter him and corrupt him. Instead, that which comes from within can corrupt him." Interesting as this is also a doctrine in Plato (see the apology). Was he inspired by God, or perhaps did Jesus know earlier doctrines?
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. "So if anyone wishes to know the truth, let him listen." "ears to hear" denotes the open minded listener
17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. Afterward, when he had left the people and entered the house, His students asked Him about the parable.
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; To this he responded, "Are you also so ignorant? Don't you see that anything which enters a man from outside cannot corrupt him,"
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? "Because it enters his stomach, not his heart, and then is eliminated?" Literally, "gets thrown down the toilet."
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. To this he added, "Anything that comes out of a man, it is that which corrupts him."
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, "Because, from inside of the heart come evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, murder,"
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: "theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lustfulness, an evil eye, blasphemy, uncontrolled pride, and foolishness."
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. "All of these wicked things come from inside a man and corrupt him."
24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. Then He left that place, and traveled to the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He wanted to keep the place where He was staying a secret, but He had become so well-known that this was impossible. The Greek verb θελω (thelo) means "I want to do something." The "I will" construct is obsolete.
25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: A woman whose daughter had been possessed by a demon heard the news of Him, came to Him and fell down before Him.
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. She was Greek, a Syrophenician, and begged that he would throw the demon out of her daughter.
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. Jesus replied to her, "The children must first be fed, for it is wrong to take their bread and cast it among the dogs." Especially since dogs were scavengers in those days, at least in that region, because they were chthonic or "bad-luck" animals.
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. To this she answered, "Yes, Lord, but the dogs under the table can eat the children's crumbs."
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. So Jesus replied, "Go on your way; you have proved your faith, and the demon has been cast out of your daughter."
30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. When she returned to her home, she found that her daughter was lying upon her bed and Satan had left her.
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. Leaving the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus reached Lake Tiberias, among the coasts of Decapolis. Sea->lake as per previous instances
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. The people brought him a deaf man with a speech impediment, praying that he would lay hands upon him. Some deaf people do try to speak, but because they cannot hear themselves talk, their speech is sometimes difficult for a hearing person to understand.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; Jesus took him away privately from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man's ears, spit, then touched his tongue.
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means "be opened."
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. The man's ears were immediately opened, and the muscles of his tongue healed, letting him speak clearly and understandably.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; Jesus ordered the people not to tell this story, but the more he ordered this, the more they spread the news.
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. They were completely blown away, and said, "He has wielded great power in all things. He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak." "Done all things well" has lost its emphatic meaning

Chapter 8

Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis
1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, The crowd that followed Jesus was enormous and had little to eat, so Jesus gathered His students and said,
2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: "I have great love and empathy for the people, who have been following Me for three days and now have nothing to eat."
3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. I am responsible for them, for if I send them away to their homes, they will collapse along the way, as many of them have come a great distance." Making the sentiment of responsibility clear.
4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? The students responded, "How can we feed these people bread out in the desert where food is scarce?"
5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. Jesus asked them, "how many loaves do you have?" They replied, "seven."
6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. So he told the crowd to sit down, and taking the seven loaves and giving thanks unto God, he broke them and gave them to His students to distribute, and they did.
7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. They also had a few small fish, which he also blessed and had distributed. Plural "fishes" antiquated
8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. The people ate and were filled, and the students found that a surplus of seven large baskets of meat remained. The basket used at this feeding of the second multitude was larger than the one used at the first.
9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away. Four thousand people had eaten, and Jesus sent them on their way.
10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. Jesus went into a boat with the students and traveled into Dalmanutha.
11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. The Pharisees came to Him and began to try to test Him with their questions, demanding a sign from heaven.
12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. In his soul he sighed deeply at their lack of faith, and he replied, "Why does this generation want a sign? I'll tell you the truth: you will not be given a sign."
13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. So he left them, returned to the boat and traveled across the lake.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. The students had neglected to bring bread on board, and had not so much as one loaf aboard.
15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And Jesus warned them, "I caution you, beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." "Yeast" is the modern translation of the Greek word ζυμης (zymes, whence "enzyme").
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. They discussed this among themselves and decided, "He says this because we didn't bring bread."
17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? And Jesus knew this and said, "Why do you think this is about bread? Do you still not perceive or understand the message? Have your minds been closed?" The "heart" in ancient culture was much more connected with reason, thought, and the mind than in present culture. The Greek idiom refers to stubborn refusal to believe, not deliberate rebellion.
18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? "You have eyes and ears, but do you see, hear, or even remember?"
19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. "When I distributed the five loaves among five thousand people, how many small baskets of remainders did you collect?" "Twelve."
20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. "And of the seven loaves given to the four thousand, how many large baskets remained?" "Seven."
21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? "Why do you still not understand?"
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. Jesus arrived at Bethsaida, where people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. Jesus took the hand of the blind man, and led him outside the village; Jesus spit on the man's eyes, and laid His hands upon him, asking if he could see.
24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. The man looked up and declared, "I only see men that look like walking trees." The truth of this description of the initial perception of a blind man who suddenly sees was only confirmed nearly 2000 years later by modern ophthalmologists.
25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. Jesus put His hands on the blind man's eyes again, and then told him to look up. The man's sight was restored, so that he could see every man around him clearly. Modernizing language.
26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. Jesus sent him home and told him, "Do not enter the village or tell anyone there about this." The "or tell anyone there about this" is missing from some ancient manuscripts, but it is consistent with Jesus's concern.
27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? Jesus and the students then went to the towns around Caesarea Philippi, and while walking He asked them, "Whom do men say that I am?" avoid emasculation of "men" as "people" or other gender neutral term
28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. The students replied, "'John the Baptist.' But some say 'Elijah', and others say, 'One of the prophets.'"
29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And He asked, "Who do you say I am?" to which Peter answered, "you are Christ."
30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. And He told them not to tell anyone about his true nature.
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He taught them of things that must pass, that the Son of Man would suffer great trials, be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the scribes, and would be killed, only to rise again to life in three days time.
32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. He said this openly, but Peter took him aside and began to protest.
33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. But Jesus turned and, looking at His students, rebuffed Peter. "Begone, Satan. You aren't thinking about Godly things, but the things of men."
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Then calling the people to Himself and the students, Jesus said, "Anyone who wants to follow Me must lay aside all thought for himself, pick up his cross, and follow Me. An expression of total commitment, no turning back, and being pepared to die if necessary.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For he who seeks to save his life will lose it, while anyone persecuted to death for the sake of myself and the gospels will be saved.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? For what good is it for a man to win the whole world if he condemns his soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Or What will a man pay in exchange for his soul?
38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. If anyone is ashamed of Me or My teaching to this adulterous, sinful generation, I, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when I return with the glory of My Father and His Holy Messengers." The word αγγελος (angelos) means "messenger" and described what the angels were.

Mark 9-16 (Translated)

References

  1. See talk page.
  2. Definition of κορασιον in the Oxford Pocket Greek-English Dictionary
  3. http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Facts-For-Everybody/Roman-Division-Of-Time.html