1 W hile Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, many people pushed to get near Him. They wanted to hear the Word of God.

Now 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).

2 J esus saw two boats on the shore. The fishermen were not there because they were washing their nets.

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

3 J esus got into a boat which belonged to Simon. Jesus asked him to push it out a little way from land. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

And 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.

4 W hen He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Push out into the deep water. Let down your nets for some fish.”

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

5 S imon said to Him, “Teacher, we have worked all night and we have caught nothing. But because You told me to, I will let the net down.”

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

6 W hen they had done this, they caught so many fish, their net started to break.

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

7 T hey called to their friends working in the other boat to come and help them. They came and both boats were so full of fish they began to sink.

They 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.

8 W hen Simon Peter saw it, he got down at the feet of Jesus. He said, “Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man.”

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

9 H e and all those with him were surprised and wondered about the many fish.

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

10 J ames and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised also. They were working together with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will fish for men.”

And 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!

11 W hen they came to land with their boats, they left everything and followed Jesus. Jesus Heals a Man with a Bad Skin Disease

And 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.

12 W hile Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came to Him with a bad skin disease over all his body. When he saw Jesus, he got down on his face before Him. He begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can heal me.”

While 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.

13 J esus put His hand on him and said, “I will, be healed.” At once the disease went away from him.

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

14 T hen Jesus told him to tell no one. He said, “Go and let the religious leader of the Jews see you. Give the gift on the altar in worship that Moses told you to give when a man is healed of a disease. This will show the leaders you have been healed.”

And 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.

15 T he news about Jesus went out all the more. Many people came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases.

But 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.

16 T hen He went away by Himself to pray in a desert. Jesus Heals a Man Let Down through the Roof of a House

But He Himself withdrew to the wilderness (desert) and prayed.

17 O n one of the days while Jesus was teaching, some proud religious law-keepers and teachers of the Law were sitting by Him. They had come from every town in the countries of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there to heal them.

One 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.

18 S ome men took a man who was not able to move his body to Jesus. He was carried on a bed. They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was.

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

19 B ut they could not find a way to take him in because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus.

But 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.

20 W hen Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

And when He saw their faith, He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you!

21 T he teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers thought to themselves, “Who is this Man Who speaks as if He is God? Who can forgive sins but God only?”

And 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?

22 J esus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, “Why do you think this way in your hearts?

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

23 W hich is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’?

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

24 “ So that you may know the Son of Man has the right and the power on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who could not move his body, “I say to you, get up. Take your bed and go to your home.”

But 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!

25 A t once the sick man got up in front of them. He took his bed and went to his home thanking God.

And 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.

26 A ll those who were there were surprised and gave thanks to God, saying, “We have seen very special things today.” Jesus Calls Matthew

And 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!

27 A fter this Jesus went out and saw a man who gathered taxes. His name was Levi (Matthew). Levi was sitting at his work. Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.”

And 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.

28 L evi got up, left everything and followed Jesus.

And he forsook everything and got up and followed Him.

29 L evi made a big supper for Jesus in his house. Many men who gathered taxes and other people sat down with them.

And 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.

30 T he teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers talked against the followers of Jesus. They said, “Why do You eat and drink with men who gather taxes and with sinners?”

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

31 J esus said to them, “People who are well do not need a doctor. Only those who are sick need a doctor.

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

32 I have not come to call good people. I have come to call sinners to be sorry for their sins and to turn from them.” Jesus Teaches about Going without Food So You Can Pray Better

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].

33 T hey asked Jesus, “Why do the followers of John and of the proud religious law-keepers go without food so they can pray better, but Your followers keep on eating and drinking?”

Then 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.

34 J esus answered them, “Can the friends at a wedding be sorry when the man just married is with them?

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

35 T he days will come when the man just married will be taken from them. Then they will not eat food so they can pray better in those days.” The Picture-Story of the Cloth and the Bags

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

36 T hen Jesus told them a picture-story. He said, “No one sews a piece of cloth from a new coat on an old coat. If he does, the new coat will have a hole. The new piece and the old coat will not be the same.

He 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.

37 N o man puts new wine into old skin bags. If they did, the skins would break and the wine would run out. The bags would be no good.

And 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).

38 N ew wine must be put into new bags and both are kept safe.

But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

39 N o one wants new wine after drinking old wine. He says, ‘The old wine is better.’”

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