Mark 16

When the Jewish day of rest was over, Salome, Mary from the town of Magdala, and Mary, who was the mother of James, purchased fragrant ointments. They planned to visit {Jesus’ grave} and pour the ointments on his body {to finish burying him properly}.

At dawn on Sunday morning, the three women visited Jesus’ tomb. \*

{As they were walking,} they asked each other, “Who will help us by rolling the flat stone to open the entrance to the grave?”

{When they arrived,} they looked {at the grave} and noticed that someone had already rolled the flat stone {to open the entrance to the grave}. And that flat stone was huge! \*

Then, the three women walked into the grave, where they saw a young man. He was wearing a white robe and was sitting down to their right. What they saw startled them!

The young man told them, “Do not let what you see startle you! {I know that} you are looking for the body of Jesus from the town of Nazareth. He was the one whom soldiers killed by nailing him to a cross. God has made him alive again! He is no longer in this grave. Look at where people placed his body.

Now depart to his apprentices and tell them, especially Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of them to the region of Galilee. {Tell them that} Jesus will meet them there, which is what Jesus already told them.” \*

The three women were shaking because what had happened amazed them. So they left the grave and ran away. Because they felt afraid, they did not speak to anyone {about what had happened}. \*

[When Jesus lived again early on Sunday morning, Mary from the town of Magdala was the first person to see him. Jesus had forced seven demons out of her.

She approached Jesus’ apprentices, who were grieving very much. She told them {what she had seen}.

So, the apprentices learned that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him. However, they did not accept what she said. \*

Sometime later, two of Jesus’ apprentices were traveling to farm areas. They saw Jesus, although he looked different.

Then, the two apprentices went back {to Jerusalem}. They told the other apprentices what had happened, but the others did not accept what the two apprentices said. \*

Sometime later, Jesus revealed himself to his 11 representatives while they were eating. Because they had not accepted it when people told them that they had seen Jesus after God made him alive again, Jesus scolded them. He told them that they should not have stubbornly refused to accept what those people said.

Then he told them, “Visit every place and proclaim the good news to every person!

God will rescue all people who trust in me and who have someone baptize them. However, God will punish all people who do not trust in me. \*

I will enable those who trust in me to perform miracles. Specifically, they will represent me by forcing demons out {of people}. They will talk in languages that they have not learned.

They will be able to hold snakes and drink poison without becoming sick or dying. When they touch sick people, it will cure them.” \*

After the Lord Jesus said that to his apprentices, God brought him up into heaven. There, Jesus sat down to rule with God {the Father}.

As for the apprentices, they left {Jerusalem} and proclaimed {the good news} in every place. The Lord {Jesus} helped them and enabled them to perform miracles. That way, people could see that the good news was true. May it be so!]