1 N ow it occurred that while the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the message of God, He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee).

Now it came to pass, while the multitude pressed upon him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;

2 A nd He saw two boats drawn up by the lake, but the fishermen had gone down from them and were washing their nets.

and he saw two boats standing by the lake: but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 A nd getting into one of the boats, that belonged to Simon (Peter), He requested him to draw away a little from the shore. Then He sat down and continued to teach the crowd from the boat.

And he entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the multitudes out of the boat.

4 W hen He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep, and lower your nets for a haul.

And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 A nd Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night '> exhaustingly] and caught nothing. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets.

And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets.

6 A nd when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were '> at the point of] breaking,

And when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking;

7 T hey signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

and they beckoned unto their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

8 B ut when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 F or he was gripped with bewildering amazement, and all who were with him, at the haul of fish which they had made;

For he was amazed, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken;

10 A nd so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon (Peter). And Jesus said to Simon, Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men!

and so were also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 A nd after they had run their boats on shore, they left everything and joined Him as His disciples and sided with His party and accompanied Him.

And when they had brought their boats to land, they left all, and followed him.

12 W hile He was in one of the towns, there came a man full of (covered with) leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cure me and make me clean.

And it came to pass, while he was in one of the cities, behold, a man full of leprosy: and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

13 A nd reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed! And immediately the leprosy left him.

And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou made clean. And straightway the leprosy departed from him.

14 A nd charged him to tell no one '> that he might chance to meet], until you go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, as Moses commanded, for a testimony and proof to the people, that they may have evidence.

And he charged him to tell no man: but go thy way, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

15 B ut so much the more the news spread abroad concerning Him, and great crowds kept coming together to hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

But so much the more went abroad the report concerning him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities.

16 B ut He Himself withdrew to the wilderness (desert) and prayed.

But he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.

17 O ne of those days, as He was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting by, who had come from every village and town of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Him to heal them.

And it came to pass on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judaea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.

18 A nd behold, some men were bringing on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to carry him in and lay him before.

And behold, men bring on a bed a man that was palsied: and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

19 B ut finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him with his stretcher through the tiles into the midst, in front of Jesus.

And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

20 A nd when He saw their faith, He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you!

And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 A nd the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason and question and argue, saying, Who is this Who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

22 B ut Jesus, knowing their thoughts and questionings, answered them, Why do you question in your hearts?

But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts?

23 W hich is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Arise and walk ?

Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?

24 B ut that you may know that the Son of Man has the '> power of] authority and right on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralyzed man, I say to you, arise, pick up your litter (stretcher), and go to your own house!

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house.

25 A nd instantly stood up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went away to his house, recognizing and praising and thanking God.

And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying God.

26 A nd overwhelming astonishment and ecstasy seized them all, and they recognized and praised and thanked God; and they were filled with and controlled by reverential fear and kept saying, We have seen wonderful and strange and incredible and unthinkable things today!

And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.

27 A nd after this, Jesus went out and looked at a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office; and He said to him, Join Me as a disciple and side with My party and accompany Me.

And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me.

28 A nd he forsook everything and got up and followed Him.

And he forsook all, and rose up and followed him.

29 A nd Levi (Matthew) made a great banquet for Him in his own house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house: and there was a great multitude of publicans and of others that were sitting at meat with them.

30 N ow the Pharisees and their scribes were grumbling against Jesus’ disciples, saying, Why are you eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinful people?

And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with the publicans and sinners?

31 A nd Jesus replied to them, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are in health have no need of a physician; but they that are sick.

32 I have not come to arouse and invite and call the righteous, but the erring ones ( those not free from sin) to repentance '> to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins].

I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

33 T hen they said to Him, The disciples of John practice fasting often and offer up prayers of petition, and so do of the Pharisees also, but Yours eat and drink.

And they said unto him, The disciples of John fast often, and make supplications; likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink.

34 A nd Jesus said to them, Can you make the wedding guests fast as long as the bridegroom is with them?

And Jesus said unto them, Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

35 B ut the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; and then they will fast in those days.

But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast in those days.

36 H e told them a proverb also: No one puts a patch from a new garment on an old garment; if he does, he will both tear the new one, and the patch from the new will not match the old.

And he spake also a parable unto them: No man rendeth a piece from a new garment and putteth it upon an old garment; else he will rend the new, and also the piece from the new will not agree with the old.

37 A nd no one pours new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the fresh wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled and the skins will be ruined (destroyed).

And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be spilled, and the skins will perish.

38 B ut new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

But new wine must be put into fresh wine-skins.

39 A nd no one after drinking old wine immediately desires new wine, for he says, The old is good or better.

And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good.