Victorian King James Version: "Selection" for the Gospel of Mark, with Source Information for Chapters 1-4

 Original Frontispiece for the Authorized "King James" Version of 1611.

Read the Introduction for an explanation of this New Testament "selection" (rather than translation).



The Gospel According to
MARK

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. [Mal 3:1]CHAPTER 2
And again he entered into Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that he was in the house;

CHAPTER 3
And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. CHAPTER 4
  
CHAPTER 5
And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And as soon as he stepped out of the boat a man from the tombs came to meet him, a man with an unclean spirit 3 who had his dwelling in the tombs, and no man now could bind him, not even with chains. 4 For having been often bound with fetters and chains, he had burst the chains, and broken the fetters in pieces, and no one could tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 shrieking aloud, Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? By God, I adjure you, do not torment me. 8 (For he had said, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.) 9 And he was questioning him, What is your name? and he answered, saying, Legion is my name, because we are many. 10 And they begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 And there was there near the mountain a great herd of swine, feeding. 12 And the spirits besought him, saying: Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And Jesus immediately gave them leave. And the unclean spirits going out, entered into the swine: and the herd with great violence was carried headlong into the sea, being about two thousand, and were drowned in the sea. 14 The herdsmen fled and reported it to the town and the hamlets. So the people came to see what had happened, 15 and when they reached Jesus they saw the demoniac sitting down, clothed and in his right mind — the man who had been possessed by Legion, and they were afraid. CHAPTER 6
And going out from thence, he went into his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, Where did he get all this? and what wisdom is this that is given to him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? CHAPTER 7
And there assembled together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem. 2 And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews eat not without often washing their hands, holding the tradition of the ancients: 4 And when they come from the market, unless they be washed, they eat not: and many other things there are that have been delivered to them to observe, the washings of cups and of pots, and of brazen vessels, and of beds. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes put this question to him, Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders? Why do they take their food with common hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. CHAPTER 8
In those days, when a large crowd had again gathered and when they had nothing to eat, he called the disciples and said to them, CHAPTER 9
[Verses 44 and 46 are not found in the best ancient manuscripts, and merely repeat verse 48]
CHAPTER 10
On leaving that place, Jesus went into the district of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered about him again; and again, as usual, he began teaching them. 2 Presently some Pharisees came up and, to test him, asked, Has a husband the right to divorce his wife? 3 And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you? CHAPTER 11
And when they were drawing near to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sent forth two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, Go to the village in front of you. As soon as you enter it you will find a colt tethered, on which no one has ever sat; untether it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, Why are you doing that? Say that the Lord needs it, and he will send it back immediately. 4 So they went and found a young colt tied up at the front door of a house. They untethered it;5 but some of the bystanders said to them, What do you mean by untethering that colt? 6 So they answered as Jesus had told them, and the men allowed them to go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus; and they lay their garments on him, and he sat upon him. 8 Then many spread their outer garments to carpet the road, and others leafy branches which they had cut down in the fields; 9 and both those in front and those who followed cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. [Ps 118:26]10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David: Hosanna in the highest. 11 And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple: and having viewed all things round about, it now being evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. 12 And the next day when they came out from Bethany, he was hungry, 13 and noticing a fig tree in leaf some distance away he went to see if he could find anything on it; but when he reached it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the time for figs. 14 Then he said to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you after this! The disciples heard him say it. 15 Then they came to Jerusalem, and entering the temple he proceeded to drive out those who were buying and selling inside the temple; he overthrew the tables of the money-changers and the stools of those who sold doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry a vessel through the temple; 17 And he taught, saying to them: Is it not written, My house shall be called the house of prayer to all nations? [Is 56:7] But you have made it a den of thieves. [Jer 7:11]18 This came to the ears of the scribes and high priests, and they tried to get him put to death, for they were afraid of him. But the multitude were all astounded at his teaching. 19 And when evening came he went outside the city. 20 And when they passed by in the morning they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. [the best manuscripts do not contain verse 26]
CHAPTER 12
And Jesus began to speak to them in parables: A man once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a wine-press, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad. 2 At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants, to receive from them a share of the produce of the vintage; And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him: Master, behold what manner of stones and what buildings are here. 2 And Jesus answering said unto him, You see these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
[verse 28 is not in the best manuscripts]
CHAPTER 16
[some of the most ancient manuscripts do not contain verses 9-20]

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I kept track of which versions I utilized (whole verses or most of a verse), for the first four chapters of the Gospel of Mark:

King James (AV): 41 verses (27% of 149 verses)
Rheims NT: 39 (26%)
Weymouth: 25 (17%)
20th Century NT 21 (14%)
Moffatt 13 (9%)
Young's Literal Translation 10 (7%)

This shows clearly that I am drawing from all these sources, and seeking for the "best" renderings of each passage, according to stylistic considerations and the desire to retain the "feel" of "King James / Rheims" English, while updating awkward phrases and archaisms in it. A full 53% of the work (a majority of all passages) -- at least in these chapters -- remains King James / Rheims, with the remaining 47% is a revision of Elizabethan language in some fashion. I suspect that a similar ratio will pertain to the rest of the New Testament.


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