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Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Once while Jesus[a] was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.(A) When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”(B) Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”(C) When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were astounded 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. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”(D) 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.1 Gk he

Jeremiah’s Call and Commission

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”(A)

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”(B) But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
            says the Lord.”(C)

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,

“Now I have put my words in your mouth.(D)
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”(E)

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