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 happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;

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 lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of 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 He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people 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 finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

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.”

Simon answered and said, “ Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

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

When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break;

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.

so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of 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 that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

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

For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken;

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, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “ Do not 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

When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. The Leper and the Paralytic

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 cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can 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 He stretched 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 He ordered him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

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 the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

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 Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

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 day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.

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 some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him.

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 not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.

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

Seeing their faith, He said, “ Friend, 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?”

The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “ Who is this man 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, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning 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 have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up 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, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” —He said to the paralytic— “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.”

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

Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying 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

They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.” Call of Levi (Matthew)

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.”

After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.”

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

And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow 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 gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table 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?”

The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”

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 answered and said to them, “ It is not those who are well 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 call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

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?”

And they said to Him, “ The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, 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, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?

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; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, 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.

And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece 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 puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.

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 wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”