Bilingual reading

The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you:

the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.

He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.

I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.

He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.

Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom,

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”

Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.

Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.

Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught.

They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,

saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!”

Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.

They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What can this new doctrine be? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!”

The report of him went out immediately into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

He came and took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her immediately, and she served them.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons.

All the city was gathered together at the door.

He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.

Simon and those who were with him searched for him.

They found him and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.”

He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”

Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.”

When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was made clean.

He strictly warned him and immediately sent him out,

and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.

بَدءُ بِشارَةِ يسوعَ المسيحِ ٱبنِ الله

كُتِبَ في سِفرِ النَّبِيِّ أَشَعْيا: «هاءَنذا أُرسِلُ رَسولي قُدَّامَكَ لِيُعِدَّ طَريقَكَ

صَوتُ مُنادٍ في البَرِّيَّة: أَعِدُّوا طَريقَ الرَّبّ وَٱجعَلوا سُبُلَه قَويمة»

تَمَّ ذٰلكَ يَومَ ظَهَرَ يَوحَنَّا المَعمَدانُ في البَرِّيَّة، يُنادي بِمَعمودِيَّةِ تَوبَةٍ لِغُفرانِ الخَطايا

وكانَت تَخرُجُ إِليه بِلادُ اليَهودِيَّةِ كُلُّها وجَميعُ أَهلِ أُورَشَليم، فيَعتَمِدونَ عن يَدِه في نَهرِ الأُردُنِّ مُعتَرِفينَ بِخطاياهم

وكان يوحَنَّا يَلبَسُ وَبَرَ الإِبِل وزُنَّارًا مِن جِلْد حَولَ وَسَطِه، وكانَ يَأكُلُ الجَرادَ والعَسَلَ البَرِّيّ

وكانَ يُعلِنُ فيَقول: «يَأتي بَعدي مَن هو أَقوى مِنِّي، مَن لَستُ أَهلًا لِأَن أَنْحَنِيَ فَأَفُكَّ رِباطَ حِذائِه

أَنا عَمَّدتُكم بِالماء، وأَمَّا هُوَ فيُعَمِّدُكم بِالرُّوحِ القُدُس»

وفي تلكَ الأَيَّام جاءَ يسوعُ مِن ناصِرَةِ الجَليل، وٱعتَمَدَ عن يَدِ يوحَنَّا في الأُردُنّ

وبَينَما هو خارِجٌ مِنَ الماء رأَى السَّمَواتِ تَنشَقّ، والرُّوحَ يَنزِلُ علَيه كَأَنَّه حَمامة

وٱنطَلَقَ صَوتٌ مِنَ السَّمٰواتِ يقول: «أَنتَ ٱبنِيَ الحَبيب، عَنكَ رَضيت»

وأَخرَجَه الرُّوحُ عِندَئِذٍ إِلى البرِّيَّة

فأَقامَ فيها أَربَعينَ يَومًا يُجَرِّبُه الشَّيطان وَكانَ معَ الوُحوش، وكانَ المَلائِكَةُ يَخدمُونَه

وبَعدَ ٱعتِقالِ يوحَنَّا، جاءَ يسوعُ إِلى الجَليل يُعلِنُ بِشارَةَ الله، فيَقول

«حانَ الوَقتُ وَٱقْتَرَبَ مَلَكوتُ الله. فَتوبوا وآمِنوا بِالبِشارة»

وكانَ يسوعُ سائرًا على شاطِئِ بَحرِ الجَليل، فرأَى سِمعانَ وأَخاهُ أَندَراوس يُلقِيانِ الشَّبَكَةَ في البَحر، لِأَنَّهما كانا صَيَّادَيْن

فقالَ لَهما: «إِتبَعاني أَجعَلْكما صَيّادَي بَشَر»

فتَركا الشِّباكَ لِوَقتِهما وتَبِعاه

وتَقَدَّمَ قَليلًا فرَأَى يَعقوبَ بْنَ زَبَدى وأَخاهُ يوحَنَّا، وهُما أَيضًا في السَّفينَةِ يُصلِحانِ الشِّباك

فدَعاهُما لِوَقتِه فتَركا أَباهُما زَبَدى في السَّفينَةِ معَ الأُجَراءِ وتَبِعاه

ودَخلوا كَفَرناحوم. وما إِن أَتى السَّبْتُ حتَّى دَخَلَ المَجمَعَ وأَخَذَ يُعَلِّم

فأُعجِبوا بِتَعليمِه، لِأَنَّه كانَ يُعَلِّمُهم كَمَن له سُلْطان، لا مِثلَ الكَتَبَة

وكانَ في مَجمَعِهِم رَجُلٌ فيهِ رُوحٌ نَجِس، فصاحَ

«ما لَنا ولكَ يا يسوعُ النَّاصِريّ؟ أَجِئتَ لِتُهلِكَنا؟ أَنا أَعرِفُ مَن أَنتَ: أَنتَ قُدُّوسُ الله»

فٱنتَهَرَه يسوعُ قال: «إِخْرَسْ وٱخرُجْ مِنه!»

فخَبَطَه الرُّوحُ النَّجِس، وصرَخَ صَرخَةً شَديدة، وخرَجَ مِنه

فدَهِشوا جَميعًا حتَّى أَخذوا يَتَساءَلون: «ما هٰذا؟ إِنَّهُ لتَعليمٌ جَديدٌ يُلْقى بِسُلْطان! حتَّى الأَرواحُ النَّجِسَةُ يأمُرُها فَتُطيعُه!»

وذاعَ ذِكرُه لِوَقتِه في كُلِّ مَكانٍ من ناحِيَةِ الجَليلِ كُلِّها

ولَمَّا خَرَجوا مِنَ المَجمَع، جاؤُوا إِلى بَيتِ سِمعانَ وأَندَراوس ومعَهم يَعقوبُ ويوحَنَّا

وكانَت حَماةُ سِمعانَ في الفِراشِ مَحمومة، فأَخبَروه بأَمرِها

فدنا مِنها فأَخَذَ بِيَدِها وأَنهَضَها، ففارَقَتْها الحُمَّى، وأَخَذَت تَخدُمُهم

وعِندَ المَساء بَعدَ غُروبِ الشَّمْس، أَخَذَ النَّاسُ يَحمِلونَ إِلَيه جَميعَ المَرْضى والمَمْسوسين

وَٱحتَشَدَتِ المَدينةُ بِأَجمَعِها على الباب

فَشَفى كثيرًا مِنَ المَرْضى المُصابينَ بِمُختَلِفِ العِلَل، وطرَدَ كثيرًا مِنَ الشَّياطين، ولَم يَدَعِ الشَّياطينَ تَتَكَلَّم لِأَنَّها عَرَفَتهُ

وقامَ قَبلَ الفَجْرِ مُبَكِّرًا، فخرَجَ وذهَبَ إِلى مَكانٍ قَفْر، وأَخَذَ يُصَلِّي هُناك

فَٱنطَلَقَ سِمْعانُ وأَصْحابُه يَبحَثونَ عَنه

فوَجَدوه. وقالوا له: «جَميعُ النَّاسِ يَطلُبونَكَ»

فقالَ لَهم: «لِنَذْهَبْ إِلى مَكانٍ آخَر، إِلى القُرى المُجاوِرَة، لِأُبَشِّرَ فيها أَيضًا، فَإِنِّي لِهٰذا خَرَجْت»

وسارَ في الجَليلِ كُلِّه، يُبَشِّرُ في مَجامِعِهم ويَطرُدُ الشَّياطين

وأَتاه أَبرَصُ يَتَوَسَّلُ إِليه، فجَثا وقالَ له: «إِن شِئتَ فأَنتَ قادِرٌ على أَن تُبرِئَني»

فأَشفَقَ عليهِ يسوع ومَدَّ يَدَه فلَمَسَه وقالَ له: «قد شِئتُ فَٱبرَأ»

فزالَ عَنهُ البَرَصُ لِوَقتِهِ وبَرئَ

فصَرَفَه يسوعُ بَعدَ ما أَنذَرَه بِلَهْجَةٍ شَديدَة

فقالَ له: «إِيَّاكَ أَن تُخبِرَ أَحَدًا بِشَيء، بَلِ ٱذهَبْ إِلى الكاهِن فَأَرِهِ نَفْسَك، ثُمَّ قَرِّبْ عن بُرئِكَ ما أَمَرَ بِه موسى، شَهادةً لَدَيهم»

أَمَّا هو، فَٱنصَرَفَ وَأَخَذَ يُنادي بِأَعلى صَوتِه ويُذيعُ الخَبَر، فصارَ يسوعُ لا يَستَطيعُ أَن يَدخُلَ مَدينةً عَلانِيَةً، بل كانَ يُقيمُ في ظاهِرِها في أَماكِنَ مُقفِرَة، والنَّاسُ يَأتونَه مِن كُلِّ مَكان