Jesus Calls the First Disciples

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by (A)the lake of Gennesaret, (B)and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were (C)washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And (D)he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, (E)“Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, (F)we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, (G)they enclosed a large number of fish, and (H)their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. (I)And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, (J)“Depart from me, for (K)I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”[a] 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, (L)they left everything and followed him.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

12 While he was in one of the cities, (M)there came a man full of leprosy.[b] And when he saw Jesus, he (N)fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, (O)if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus[c] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him (P)to tell no one, but “go and show (Q)yourself to the priest, and (R)make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, (S)for a proof to them.” 15 (T)But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But (U)he would withdraw to desolate places and (V)pray.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and (W)teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And (X)the power of the Lord was with him to heal.[d] 18 (Y)And behold, some men were bringing (Z)on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on (AA)the roof and let him down with his bed (AB)through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And (AC)when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, (AD)your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks (AE)blasphemies? (AF)Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus (AG)perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that (AH)the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, (AI)glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they (AJ)glorified God and were filled (AK)with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Jesus Calls Levi

27 (AL)After this he went out and saw (AM)a tax collector named (AN)Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And (AO)leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company (AP)of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and (AQ)their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, (AR)“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 (AS)I have not come to call the righteous (AT)but sinners (AU)to repentance.”

A Question About Fasting

33 And they said to him, (AV)“The disciples of John (AW)fast often and (AX)offer prayers, (AY)and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, (AZ)“Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 (BA)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and (BB)then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old (BC)wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”[e]

Footnotes

  1. Luke 5:10 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women
  2. Luke 5:12 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  3. Luke 5:13 Greek he
  4. Luke 5:17 Some manuscripts was present to heal them
  5. Luke 5:39 Some manuscripts better

Now it came about that while the multitude was listening to the dvar Hashem and pressing in upon Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, he had been standing beside Lake Kinneret,

And he saw two sirot (boats) having been beside the lake. But the daiyagim (fishermen) had left them and were cleaning the nets.

And embarking into one of the sirot which was Shimon’s, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach asked Shimon to put out from the land a little; and having sat down, from the sirah (boat) to the multitudes Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach was saying shiurim.

And when he stopped speaking, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to Shimon, Put out into the deep (water) and let down your nets for a catch.

And in reply, Shimon said, Adoni, throughout the whole lailah we have labored and caught nothing. But on account of your dvar I will let down the nets.

And having done this, they enclosed asach (a lot of) dagim, and their nets were being torn.

And they signaled for their shuttafim (partners) in the other sirah to come and help them. And they came and they filled both sirot (boats) so much that they began to sink.

And having seen this, Shimon Kefa fell down before Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, saying, Depart from me, Adoni, for an ish choteh (sinful man) am I. [BERESHIS 18:27; IYOV 42:6; YESHAYAH 6:5]

For astonishment seized Shimon Kefa and all the ones with him on account of the catch of dagim which they took;

10 And likewise also Yaakov and Yochanan the banim of Zavdai, who were business shuttafim (partners) with Shimon. And Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to Shimon, Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch bnei Adam.

11 And having left behind the sirot on the shore, they forsook all, and followed him [as talmidim].

12 And it came about, while he was in one of the shtetlach, hinei, there was an ish metzorah full of leprosy. And having seen Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, and having fallen on his face, he begged him saying, Adoni, if you are willing, you are able to make me tahor (clean).

13 And having stretched out his hand, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach touched him, saying, I am willing. Be made tahor. And, ofen ort (immediately), the leprosy departed from him.

14 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gave orders to him to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the kohen and make a korban for your tohorah (purification) as Moshe Rabbeinu gave mitzvah; do this for an edut (solemn testimony) to them. [VAYIKRA 14:2-32]

15 But the man was spreading even more the dvar about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and many multitudes were assembling to listen and to receive refuah (healing) from their machlot (illnesses).

16 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was withdrawing in hitbodedut (seclusion, aloneness with G-d) into the wilderness places and was davening.

17 And it came about, on one of the yamim when he was teaching Torah, that the Perushim and Sofrim had come from every shtetl of the Galil and Yehudah and Yerushalayim and were sitting by. And the power of Hashem was with Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach to bring refuah (healing).

18 And hinei, anashim were carrying on a mat a man who had been paralyzed, and they were seeking to carry in the paralytic and to place him before Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach.

19 And not having found by what way they might carry him, because of the multitude, and having gone up onto the roof, they let the man down with the mat through the tiles so that he was right in the center in front of Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach.

20 And having seen their emunah, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said, Ben Adam, your chatta’im (sins) have received selicha (forgiveness).

21 And the Sofrim began to raise kashes (questions), and also the Perushim, saying, Who is this who is speaking Chillul Hashem gidduf? Who is able to grant selicha to chatta’im but Hashem alone?

22 But he having had daas of their machshavot (thoughts), said to them in reply, Why are you reasoning in your levavot?

23 Which is easier: to say, Your chatta’im have been granted selicha, or to say, Get up and walk?

24 But in order that you may have da’as that the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13] has samchut on HaAretz to grant selicha to chatta’im, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to the one having been paralyzed, To you I say, Get up, pick up your mat, and go to your bais (house, home).

25 And at once the man arose in front of them, picked up the mat upon which he was lying, and departed to his bais, shouting, Baruch Hashem!

26 And astonishment seized everyone, and they were shouting, Baruch Hashem! And they were filled with yirat Shomayim, saying, Hayom (today) our eyes have beheld niflaot (wonders)!

27 And after these things Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach went out and saw a moches (tax collector) named Levi [Mattityahu] sitting in the tax office, and he said to him, Follow me.

28 And having forsaken all and having got up, Levi was following Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach.

29 And Levi arranged a large seudah in his bais for Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, and there was a great number of mochesim and others who were with them, reclining at tish.

30 And the Perushim and their Sofrim were murmuring against Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach’s talmidim, saying, Why with the mochesim and choteim are you eating and drinking?

31 And in reply, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to them, It is not the bariim who have need of a rofeh, but the cholim (sick persons);

32 I have not come to call the tzaddikim but choteim (sinners) to teshuva (repentance).

33 But they said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Yochanan’s talmidim undergo tzomot (fasts) often and offer tefillos; likewise also the ones of the Perushim; but your talmidim eat and drink.

34 But Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to them, You are not able to make the Bnei haChuppah undergo tzomot while the Choson is with them, are you?

35 But yamim will come when the Choson is taken away from them; then, in those yamim, they will undergo tzomot.

36 Now Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was telling also a mashal to them: No one tears a piece from a new garment, and sews it as a patch on an old garment. Otherwise, both the new will be torn, and the patch from the new will not match the old.

37 And no one puts yayin chadash (new wine) into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins, it will be spilled, and the wineskins will be destroyed.

38 Rather, yayin chadash must be put into new wineskins.

39 And no one having drunk the old desires the chadash (new), for he says, The alter (old) is besere (better). [T.N. Lukas wrote this book sometime around 63 B.C.E.]