Luke 5
New Testament for Everyone
The miraculous catch of fish
5 One day, as the crowds were pressing close to him to hear the word of God, Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats moored by the land; the fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats—it was Simon’s—and asked him to put out a little way from the land. Then he sat down in the boat and began to teach the crowd.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deeper part, and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 “Master,” replied Simon, “we were working hard all night and caught nothing at all. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”
6 When they did so, they caught such a huge number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. So they came, and filled both the boats, and they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees.
“Leave me alone, Lord!” he said. “I’m a sinner!” 9 He and all his companions were gripped with amazement at the catch of fish they had taken. 10 This included James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
“Don’t be afraid,” said Jesus to Simon. “From now on you’ll be catching people.”
11 They brought the boats in to land. Then they abandoned everything and followed him.
The healing of the man with a virulent skin disease
12 It so happened that, as Jesus was in one particular town, there was a man whose skin was covered all over with a virulent disease. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face.
“Lord,” he begged, “if you want, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.
“I do want to,” he said. “Be clean.”
And the skin disease disappeared immediately.
14 Jesus instructed the man not to tell anyone. “Go and show yourself to the priest,” he said, “and make the offering commanded by Moses in connection with your healing, as evidence for them.”
15 The news about Jesus, though, spread all round, and large crowds came to hear and to be healed from their diseases. 16 He used to slip away to remote places and pray.
The healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof
17 One day, as Jesus was teaching, there were Pharisees and legal experts sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee, and from Judaea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with Jesus, enabling him to heal. 18 Just then some men appeared, carrying a paralyzed man on a mattress; they were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus. 19 The crowd made it impossible for them to get through, so they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles, mattress and all, so that he landed right in the middle, in front of Jesus.
20 Jesus saw what trust they had.
“My friend,” he said, “your sins are forgiven.”
21 The legal experts and Pharisees began to argue. “Who does he think he is?” they said. “He’s blaspheming! Nobody can forgive sins—only God can do that!”
22 Jesus knew their line of thought.
“Why are you complaining in your hearts?” he replied. 23 “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But if you want to be convinced that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins—” (here he turned to the paralyzed man) “—I say to you, get up, pick up your mattress, and go home.”
25 At once he got up in front of them all, picked up what he’d been lying on, and went off home, praising God.
26 A sense of awe came over everyone. They praised God, and were filled with fear. “We’ve seen extraordinary things today,” they said.
Questions about table-company and fasting
27 After this Jesus went out and saw a tax-collector called Levi, sitting at the tax-office. “Follow me,” he said. 28 And he left everything, got up, and followed him.
29 Levi made a great feast for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax-collectors and others were there reclining at table. 30 The Pharisees and the legal experts began to grumble to Jesus’ disciples.
“Why do you lot eat and drink,” they asked, “with tax-collectors and sinners?”
31 “Healthy people don’t need a doctor,” replied Jesus. “It’s sick people who do! 32 I haven’t come to call the righteous; I’m calling sinners to repentance.”
33 “John’s disciples often fast, and say prayers,” they said to him, “and so do the Pharisees’ followers—but your disciples eat and drink.”
34 “Can you make the wedding guests fast,” replied Jesus, “while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them. That’s when they will fast.”
36 He added this parable. “Nobody tears a piece of cloth from a new coat to make a patch on an old one. If they do, they tear the new, and the patch from it won’t fit the old one anyway. 37 And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will burst the skins: it will go to waste, and the skins will be ruined too. 38 You have to put new wine in new skins. 39 And nobody who drinks old wine wants new. ‘I prefer the old,’ they say.”
Luke 5
King James Version
5 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
