Mark 2:1-17

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

2 When^(A) He entered Capernaum^(B) again after some days, it was reported that He was at home. ² So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message^(C) to them. ³ Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic,^(D) carried by four men. ⁴ Since they were not able to bring him to^[a] Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

⁵ Seeing their faith,^(E) Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins^(F) are forgiven.”^(G)

⁶ But some of the scribes^(H) were sitting there, thinking^(I) to themselves:^{[b] 7} “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming!^(J) Who can forgive^(K) sins^(L) but God alone?”^(M)

⁸ Right away^(N) Jesus understood in His spirit^(O) that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?^{[c] 9} Which is easier:^(P) to say to the paralytic,^(Q) ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?^{(R) 10} But so you may know that the Son of Man^(S) has authority^(T) on earth to forgive sins,”^(U) He told the paralytic, ¹¹ “I tell you: get up,^(V) pick up your mat, and go home.”

¹² Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded^(W) and gave glory^(X) to God,^(Y) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”^(Z)

The Call of Matthew

¹³ Then^(AA) Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught^(AB) them. ¹⁴ Then, moving on, He saw Levi^(AC) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,^(AD) and He said to him, “Follow Me!”^(AE) So he got up and followed^(AF) Him.

Dining with Sinners

¹⁵ While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors^(AG) and sinners^(AH) were also guests^[d](AI) with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. ¹⁶ When the scribes^(AJ) of the Pharisees^[e](AK) saw that He was eating^(AL) with sinners^(AM) and tax collectors,^(AN) they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat^[f] with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need^(AO) a doctor,^(AP) but the sick^(AQ) do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous,^(AR) but sinners.”^(AS)