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).

So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood 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 saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from 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.

Then He got 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 from 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.

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

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.

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

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 caught a great number of fish, and their net was 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.

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to 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.

When Simon Peter saw it, he 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 and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish 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 also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will 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.

So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. Jesus Cleanses a Leper

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 happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can 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.

Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left 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 one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”

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.

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

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

So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

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.

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

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.

Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay 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 when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.

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

When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

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 who speaks 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 when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning 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, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up 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 you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” —He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your 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.

Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own 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 they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!” Matthew the Tax Collector

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.

After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”

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

So he left all, 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.

Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down 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 their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors 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.

Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who 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 have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting

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.

Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours 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 He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom 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 when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will 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.

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match 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 one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.

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

But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

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

And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”