The First Disciples

5 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word,^(A) he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.^{[a](B) 2} He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats,^(C) which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”^(D)

⁵ “Master,”^(E) Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”^[b]

⁶ When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets^[c] began to tear. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” ^{(F) 9} For he and all those with him were amazed^(G) at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,”^(H) Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.”^{(I) 11} Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.^(J)

²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works,

The Call to Endurance

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses^(A) surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance^(B) the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus,^[a] the pioneer and perfecter^[b] of our faith. For the joy that lay before him,^[c] he endured the cross, despising the shame,^(C) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Fatherly Discipline

³ For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.^(D)