aNow it happened
that while
the crowd
was pressing
around
Him and listening
to the word
of God
, He was standing
by bthe lake
of Gennesaret
;
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
.
And aHe 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 1people
from the boat
.
When He had finished
speaking
, He said
to Simon
, "Put
out into the deep
water
and alet
down
your nets
for a catch
."
Simon answered
and said
, " aMaster
, bwe worked
hard
all
night
and caught
nothing
, but 1I will do as You say
and let
down
the nets
."
When they had done this
, athey enclosed
a great
quantity
of fish
, and their nets
began to break
;
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
.
But when Simon Peter
saw
that, he fell
down
at Jesus'
1feet
, saying
, "Go
away
from me Lord
, for I am
a sinful
man
!"
For amazement had seized
him and all
his companions
because
of the catch
of fish
which
they had taken
;
and so also
were 1James
and John
, sons
of Zebedee
, who
were partners
with Simon
. And Jesus
said
to Simon
, " aDo not fear
, from now
on you will be bcatching
men
."
When they had brought their boats
to land
, athey left
everything
and followed
Him.
aWhile He was in one
of the cities
, behold
, there was a man
1covered
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
."
And He stretched out His hand
and touched
him, saying
, "I am
willing
; be cleansed
." And immediately
the leprosy
left
him.
And He ordered him to tell
no
one
, "But go
and ashow
yourself
to the priest
and make
an offering
for your cleansing
, just
as Moses
commanded
, as a testimony
to them."
But athe news about
Him was spreading
even
farther
, and large
crowds
were gathering
to hear
Him and to be healed
of their sicknesses
.
But Jesus Himself would often slip
away
1to the 2wilderness
and apray
.
1One day
He was teaching
; and athere were some Pharisees
and bteachers
of the law
sitting
there, who
had ccome
from every
village
of Galilee
and Judea
and from Jerusalem
; and dthe power
of the Lord
was present for Him to perform
healing
.
aAnd some men were carrying
on a 1bed
a man
who
was paralyzed
; and they were trying
to bring
him in and to set
him down
in front
of Him.
But not finding any
way to bring
him in because
of the crowd
, they went
up on athe roof
and let
him down
bthrough
the tiles
with his stretcher
, into the middle
of the crowd, in front
of Jesus
.
Seeing their faith
, He said
, " 1Friend
, ayour sins
are forgiven
you."
The scribes and the Pharisees
abegan
to reason
, saying
, " bWho
is this
man who
speaks
blasphemies
? cWho
can
forgive
sins
, but God
alone
?"
But Jesus, 1aware
of their reasonings
, answered
and said
to them, "Why
are you reasoning
in your hearts
?
"Which is easier
, to say
, `Your sins
have been forgiven
you,' or
to say
, `Get
up and walk
'?
"But, so that you may know
that the Son
of Man
has
authority
on earth
to forgive
sins
,"--He said
to the aparalytic
--"I say
to you, get
up, and pick
up your stretcher
and go
home
."
Immediately he got up before
them, and picked
up what
he had been lying
on, and went
home
aglorifying
God
.
1They were all struck
with astonishment
and began aglorifying
God
; and they were filled
bwith fear
, saying
, "We have seen
remarkable
things
today
."
aAfter that He went
out and noticed
a tax
collector
named
1 bLevi
sitting
in the tax
booth
, and He said
to him, "Follow
Me."
And he aleft everything
behind
, and got
up and began to follow
Him.
And aLevi gave
a big
reception
for Him in his house
; and there was a great
crowd
of btax
collectors
and other
people who
were reclining
at the table with them.
aThe Pharisees and their scribes
began grumbling
at His disciples
, saying
, "Why
do you eat
and drink
with the tax
collectors
and 1sinners
?"
And Jesus answered
and said
to them, " aIt is not those
who are well
who need
a physician
, but those
who are sick
.
"I have not come to call
the righteous
but sinners
to repentance
."
And they said to Him, " aThe disciples
of John
often
fast
and offer
prayers
, the disciples of the Pharisees
also
do 1the same
, but Yours
eat
and drink
."
And Jesus said
to them, "You cannot
make
the 1attendants
of the bridegroom
fast
while
the bridegroom
is with them, can you?
" aBut the days will come
; and when
the bridegroom
is taken
away
from them, then
they will fast
in those
days
."
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
.
"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
.
"But new wine
must
be put
into fresh
wineskins
.
"And no one
, after drinking
old
wine wishes
for new
; for he says
, `The old
is good
enough."'