35. Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer.
36. Simon and those with him tracked him down.
37. When they found him, they told him, "Everyone’s looking for you!"
38. He replied, "Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that I can preach there too. That’s why I’ve come."
39. He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and throwing out demons.
40. A man with a skin disease approached Jesus, fell to his knees, and begged, "If you want, you can make me clean."
41. Incensed, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do want to. Be clean."
42. Instantly, the skin disease left him, and he was clean.