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Then it happened that as the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret

and saw two ships stand by the lakeside. But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

And He entered into one of the ships (which was Simon’s) and asked him to thrust off a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the ship.

Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep. And let down your nets to make a catch.”

Then Simon answered, and said to Him, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.”

And when they had done so, they enclosed a great multitude of fish, so that their net broke.

And they beckoned to their partners in the other ship to come and help them. Then they came and filled both the ships, so that they sank.

Now when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Lord, go from me. For I am a sinful man.”

For he was utterly astonished (and all who were with him) at the catch of fish which they took.

10 And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were companions of Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear. From now on you shall catch men.”

11 And when they had brought the ships to land, they left all and followed Him.

12 Now it happened that when He was in a certain city, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”

13 So he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

14 And He commanded him that he should tell no one. “But go and show yourself to the priest. And offer as Moses has commanded for your cleansing, for a witness to them.”

15 But His fame spread even more. And great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities by Him.

16 But He kept Himself apart in the wilderness and prayed.

17 And it happened that on a certain day, as He was teaching, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law sat by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was in him, to heal them.

18 Then behold, men brought a man lying in a bed, who was a paralytic, and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him.

19 And when they could not find a way by which they might bring him in (because of the crowd), they went up on the house and let him down through the tiling (bed and all) in the midst, before Jesus.

20 And when He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this Who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God only?”

22 But when Jesus perceived their reasoning, He answered, and said to them, “Why do you reason 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 the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth, I say to you (said He to the paralytic), Arise. Take up your bed. And go to your house.”

25 And immediately he rose up before them and took up his bed upon which he lay and departed to his own house, praising God.

26 And they were all amazed, and praised God, and were filled with fear, saying, “Doubtless we have seen strange things today!”

27 And after that, He went forth and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and said to him, “Follow Me.”

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

29 Then Levi made Him a great feast in his own house, where there was a great multitude of tax collectors, and of others who sat at table with them.

30 But those who were scribes and Pharisees among them, murmured against His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Then Jesus answered, and said to them, “Those who are whole, do not need the Physician, but those who are sick.

32 I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.”

33 Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John often fast and pray, and of the Pharisees also, but Yours eat and drink?”

34 And He said to them, “Can you make the children of the wedding chamber fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them?

35 “But the days will come when even the bridegroom shall be taken away from them. Then shall they fast in those days.”

36 Then He also told them a parable. “No one sews a piece of a new garment into an old one. For then the new tears it, and the piece taken out of the new does not match the old.

37 “Also, no one pours new wine into old vessels. For then the new wine will break the vessels, and it will run out. And the vessels will perish.

38 “But new wine must be poured into new vessels. So that both are preserved.

39 “Also, no one who drinks old wine immediately desires new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’”

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.