Part 8

004:022 And they all spoke well of Him, wondering at the sweet words of kindness which fell from His lips, while they asked one another, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

004:023 "Doubtless," said He, "you will quote to me the proverb, `Physician, cure yourself: all that we hear that you have done at Capernaum, do here also in your native place.'"

004:024 "I tell you in solemn truth," He added, "that no Prophet is welcomed among his own people.

004:025 But I tell you in truth that there was many a widow in Israel in the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three years and six months and there came a severe famine over all the land;

004:026 and yet to not one of them was Elijah sent: he was only sent to a widow at Zarephath in the Sidonian country.

004:027 And there was also many a leper in Israel in the time of the Prophet Elisha, and yet not one of them was cleansed, but Naaman the Syrian was."

004:028 Then all in the synagogue, while listening to these words, were filled with fury.

004:029 They rose, hurried Him outside the town, and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to throw Him down the cliff;

004:030 but He passed through the midst of them and went His way.

004:031 So He came down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, where He frequently taught the people on the Sabbath days.

004:032 And they were greatly impressed by His teaching, because He spoke with the language of authority.

004:033 But in the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of a foul demon. In a loud voice he cried out,

004:034 "Ha! Jesus the Nazarene, what have you to do with us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!"

004:035 But Jesus rebuked the demon. "Silence!" He exclaimed; "come out of him." Upon this, the demon hurled the man into the midst of them, and came out of him without doing him any harm.

004:036 All were astonished and awe-struck; and they asked one another, "What sort of language is this? For with authority and real power He gives orders to the foul spirits and they come out."

004:037 And the talk about Him spread into every part of the neighbouring country.

004:038 Now when He rose and left the synagogue He went to Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from an acute attack of fever; and they consulted Him about her.

004:039 Then standing over her He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she at once rose and waited on them.

004:040 At sunset all who had friends suffering from any illness brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on them all, one by one, and cured them.

004:041 Demons also came out of many, loudly calling out, "You are the Son of God." But He rebuked them and forbad them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.

004:042 Next morning, at daybreak, He left the town and went away to a solitary place; but the people flocked out to find Him, and, coming to the place where He was, they endeavoured to detain Him that He might not leave them.

004:043 But He said to them, "I have to tell the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because for this purpose I was sent."

004:044 And for some time He preached in the synagogues in Galilee.

005:001 On one occasion the crowd was pressing on Him and listening to God's Message, while He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

005:002 He, however, saw two fishing-boats drawn up on the beach (for the men had gone away from them and were washing the nets),

005:003 and going on board one of them, which was Simon's He asked him to push out a little from land. Then He sat down and taught the crowd of people from the boat.

005:004 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Push out into deep water, and let down your nets for a haul."

005:005 "Rabbi," replied Peter, "all night long we have worked hard and caught nothing; but at your command I will let down the nets."