Siku moja Yesu alipokuwa amesimama akihubiri karibu na ziwa la Genesareti, watu wengi walimsonga ili wapate kusikia neno la Mungu. Akaona mashua mbili ukingoni mwa ziwa, lakini wenye mashua walikuwa wakiosha nyavu zao. Akaingia katika mashua moja, akamwomba mwenye mashua, ambaye jina lake lilikuwa Simoni, aisogeze zaidi katika maji. Kisha akakaa kwenye mashua, akaanza kuwafundisha.

Alipokwisha zungumza na watu akamwambia Simoni, “Sasa ipe leke mashua hadi mahali penye kina kirefu, kisha mshushe nyavu zenu nanyi mtapata samaki.”

Simoni akamjibu, “Bwana, tumekesha usiku kucha tukivua na hatukuambulia kitu cho chote. Lakini, kwa kuwa wewe umesema, tutazishusha nyavu.” Nao walipofanya kama Yesu alivyowaagiza, nyavu zao zikajaa samaki, zikaanza kuchanika! Wakawaashiria wavuvi wa ile mashua nyingine waje kuwasaidia. Mashua zote mbili zikajaa samaki hata karibu kuzama.

Simoni Petro alipoona yaliyotokea alipiga magoti mbele ya Yesu akamwambia, “Bwana,tafadhali uniache kwa maana mimi ni mwe nye dhambi.” Kwa kuwa yeye na wavuvi wenzake walikuwa wamesh angazwa sana na wingi wa samaki waliopata. 10 Hali kadhalika wavuvi wa ile mashua nyingine, Yakobo na Yohana, wana wa Zebedayo walishangazwa pia. Ndipo Yesu akamwambia Simoni, “Usiogope; tangu sasa utakuwa mvuvi wa watu.”

11 Nao walipokwisha fikisha mashua yao nchi kavu, wakaacha vyote, wakamfuata Yesu. Yesu Amponya Mwenye Ukoma

12 Siku moja Yesu alipokuwa katika mji fulani alitokea mtu mwenye ukoma mwili mzima. Alipomwona Yesu alijitupa chini kwa kunyenyekea akamsihi akisema, “Bwana, ukitaka unaweza kunita kasa!” 13 Yesu akanyoosha mkono wake akamgusa, akamwambia, “Ndio, nataka upone; takasika!” Wakati huo huo, ukoma wote ukamtoka . 14 Yesu akamwambia, “Usimweleze mtu ye yote jinsi ulivyopata kupona bali nenda moja kwa moja hadi kwa kuhani ili aone kuwa kweli umepona. Kisha utoe sadaka ya shukrani, kama she ria ya Musa inavyoagiza, ili kuthibitisha kuwa umetakasika.”

15 Lakini sifa za Yesu zikazidi sana kuenea. Watu wakamimi nika kwa wingi kutoka kila upande kuja kumsikiliza na kuponywa maradhi yao. 16 Ila mara kwa mara alitoka peke yake akaenda pasipo na watu akaomba.

Yesu Amponya Mwenye Kupooza

17 Siku moja Yesu alipokuwa akifundisha, Mafarisayo na wal imu wa sheria kutoka katika kila mji wa wilaya za Galilaya, Yudea na Yerusalemu walikuwepo. Na Yesu alikuwa amejaa nguvu ya Mungu ya kuponya wagonjwa.

18-19 Kisha wakaja watu wamembeba mgonjwa aliyepooza kwe nye kitanda. Wakajaribu kumpitisha ndani wamfikishe alipokuwa Yesu, lakini wakashindwa kwa sababu ya msongamano wa watu. Basi wakampandisha juu ya paa, wakaondoa baadhi ya vigae, wakapata nafasi ya kumteremsha yule mgonjwa pamoja na kitanda chake kwa kamba, hadi mbele ya Yesu. 20 Alipoona imani yao, Yesu alimwam bia yule mgonjwa, “Rafiki yangu, umesamehewa dhambi zako.” 21 Wale walimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo wakaanza kusemezana, “Mbona huyu anakufuru! Anadhani yeye ni nani? Hakuna awezae kusamehe dhambi ila Mungu peke yake.”

22 Yesu alifahamu mawazo yao kwa hiyo akawauliza, “Kwa nini mnafikiri mimi ninakufuru? 23 Je, ni lipi lililo rahisi zaidi, kumwambia huyu, ‘Umesamehewa dhambi zako’; au kusema, ‘Simama utembee?’ 24 Sasa nitawahakikishia kuwa mimi Mwana wa Adamu ninao uwezo wa kusamehe dhambi duniani.” Akamgeukia yule mgonjwa aliyepooza, akasema, “Nakuambia: Simama! Chukua kitanda chako uende nyumbani.” 25 Mara yule mtu aliyekuwa amepooza akasimama mbele yao wote, akachukua kitanda chake akaenda zake nyumbani, huku akimtukuza Mungu. 26 Wote waliokuwepo wakastaajabu sana. Wakajaa hofu. Wakamtukuza Mungu, wakasema, “Tumeona maajabu leo.”

Yesu Amwita Lawi

27 Baada ya haya Yesu alimwona afisa mmoja mtoza kodi jina lake Lawi akiwa ofisini mwake, akamwambia, “Njoo uwe mmoja wa wanafunzi wangu.” 28 Lawi akaacha vyote, akaondoka, akamfuata Yesu. 29 Baadaye Lawi akafanya karamu kubwa kumkaribisha Yesu nyumbani kwake. Watoza kodi wengi walikuwa miongoni mwa watu wal ioalikwa. 30 Basi baadhi ya Mafarisayo na walimu wa sheria ambao walikuwa kundi moja wakawalalamikia wanafunzi wa Yesu wakisema, “Mbona mnakula na kunywa na wenye dhambi?” 31 Yesu akawajibu, “Wenye afya hawahitaji daktari, lakini wagonjwa wanamhitaji. 32 Sikuja kwa ajili ya wenye haki bali nimekuja kuwaita wenye dhambi ili watubu.”

Yesu Aulizwa Habari Za Kufunga

33 Baadhi ya watu wakamwuliza Yesu, “Wanafunzi wa Yohana na wa Mafarisayo hufunga na kusali mara kwa mara. Mbona wanafunzi wako wanakula na kunywa tu?”

34 Yesu akawajibu, “Je, inawezekana wageni walioalikwa har usini kufunga wakati wakiwa na Bwana Harusi? 35 Lakini wakati utafika ambapo Bwana Harusi ataondolewa. Wakati huo ndipo wataka pofunga.

36 Yesu akawapa mfano akawaambia: “Hakuna mtu anayechana nguo mpya ili apate kiraka cha kuweka kwenye nguo kuu kuu. Akifa nya hivyo ataharibu ile nguo mpya na ile kuu kuu itaonekana mbaya zaidi ikiwa na kiraka kipya. 37 Wala watu hawaweki divai mpya katika viriba vilivyochakaa; ukifanya hivyo, hivyo viriba vitapa suka na divai yote itamwagika. 38 Divai mpya lazima iwekwe kwenye viriba vipya. 39 Na pia hakuna mtu anayependelea divai mpya baada ya kunywa divai iliyoiva vizuri. Kwa maana husema, ‘Hii divai iliyoiva siku nyingi ni bora zaidi.’ ”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples(A)

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.(B) He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.(C)

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

Simon answered, “Master,(E) we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.(F) But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.(G) So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”(H) For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid;(I) from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.(J)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy(K)

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.[b](L) When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone,(M) but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded(N) for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more,(O) so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.(P)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man(Q)

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law(R) were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.(S) 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”(T)

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(U)

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man(V) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.(W) They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners(X)

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,”(Y) Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.(Z)

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors(AA) and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect(AB) complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”(AC)

31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”(AD)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(AE)

33 They said to him, “John’s disciples(AF) often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom(AG) fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;(AH) in those days they will fast.”

36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 5:1 That is, the Sea of Galilee
  2. Luke 5:12 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.