Mark 1:36-45 ▼

36 Simon and his companions searched frantically for him.

37 When they found him, they told him, |Everyone's looking for you.|

38 |Let's go to the neighboring town,| he replied, |so I can preach there, too, because that's why I came.|

39 So he went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

40 Then a leper came to Jesus and began pleading with him. He fell on his knees and told him, |If you want to, you can make me clean.|

41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and told him, |I do want to. Be made clean!|

42 Instantly the leprosy left him, and he was clean.

43 Then Jesus sternly warned him and encouraged him to go at once.

44 He told the man, |Be sure that you don't tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.|

45 But when the man left, he began to proclaim it freely. He spread the news so widely that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in deserted places. Still, people kept coming to him from everywhere.