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The Calling of the First Disciples

One time, while the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.[a] He saw two boats there along the lakeshore. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”

Simon answered him, “Master, we worked hard all through the night and caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were about to tear apart. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.” For Peter and all those with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, “Have no fear. From now on you will be catching people.”

11 After they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Jesus Heals a Leper

12 On another occasion, Jesus was in one of the towns, and there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be made clean.”

Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Jesus ordered him to tell no one, “But go, show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony for them.” 15 The news about him spread even more, and large crowds gathered to listen and be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

Jesus Forgives Sins

17 On one of the days while Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 Just then, men who were carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher tried to bring him in and lay him in front of Jesus. 19 Since they did not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him down through the tiles on his stretcher into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins have been forgiven.”

21 The experts in the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins except God alone?”

22 But Jesus knew their thoughts and answered them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . .” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

25 Immediately, he stood up in front of them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 They were all astonished and glorified God. They were also filled with reverence and said, “We have seen wonderful things today.”

The Calling of Levi (Matthew)

27 After these things, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at the tax collector’s booth. He said to him, “Follow me.”

28 Levi left everything, got up, and followed Jesus. 29 Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house. There was a large crowd of tax collectors and others dining with them. 30 The Pharisees and experts in the law grumbled against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus answered them, “The healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

A Question About Fasting

33 They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples fast and pray often, and so do the Pharisees’ disciples, but yours go on eating and drinking?”

34 Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then, in those days, they will fast.”

36 He told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new garment, and the patch from the new garment will not match the old one. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Instead, new wine must be put into fresh wineskins so both are preserved. 39 And no one wants new wine while drinking old wine, because he says, ‘The old is fine.’”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 5:1 This is the Sea of Galilee.

And it came to pass, as the crowd pressed on him to hear the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret:

and he saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen, having come down from them, were washing their nets.

And getting into one of the ships, which was Simon's, he asked him to draw out a little from the land; and he sat down and taught the crowds out of the ship.

But when he ceased speaking, he said to Simon, Draw out into the deep [water] and let down your nets for a haul.

And Simon answering said to him, Master, having laboured through the whole night we have taken nothing, but at thy word I will let down the net.

And having done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes. And their net broke.

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

But Simon Peter, seeing it, fell at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.

For astonishment had laid hold on him, and on all those who were with him, at the haul of fishes which they had taken;

10 and in like manner also on James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; henceforth thou shalt be catching men.

11 And having run the ships on shore, leaving all they followed him.

12 And it came to pass as he was in one of the cities, that behold, there was a man full of leprosy, and seeing Jesus, falling upon his face, he besought him saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to cleanse me.

13 And stretching forth his hand he touched him, saying, I will; be thou cleansed: and immediately the leprosy departed from him.

14 And he enjoined him to tell no one; but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing as Moses ordained, for a testimony to them.

15 But the report concerning him was spread abroad still more, and great crowds came together to hear, and to be healed from their infirmities.

16 And *he* withdrew himself, and was about in the desert [places] and praying.

17 And it came to pass on one of the days, that *he* was teaching, and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judaea and [out of] Jerusalem; and [the] Lord's power was [there] to heal them.

18 And lo, men bringing upon a couch a man who was paralysed; and they sought to bring him in, and put [him] before him.

19 And not finding what way to bring him in, on account of the crowd, going up on the housetop they let him down through the tiles, with his little couch, into the midst before Jesus.

20 And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason [in their minds], saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins but God alone?

22 But Jesus, knowing their reasonings, answering said to them, Why reason ye in your hearts?

23 which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, he said to the paralysed man, I say to thee, Arise, and take up thy little couch and go to thine house.

25 And immediately standing up before them, having taken up that whereon he was laid, he departed to his house, glorifying God.

26 And astonishment seized all, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.

27 And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me.

28 And having left all, rising up, he followed him.

29 And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house, and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and others who were at table with them.

30 And their scribes and the Pharisees murmured at his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with tax-gatherers and sinners?

31 And Jesus answering said to them, They that are in sound health have not need of a physician, but those that are ill.

32 I am not come to call righteous [persons], but sinful [ones] to repentance.

33 And they said to him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make supplications, in like manner those also of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?

34 And he said to them, Can ye make the sons of the bridechamber fast when the bridegroom is with them?

35 But days will come when also the bridegroom will have been taken away from them; then shall they fast in those days.

36 And he spoke also a parable to them: No one puts a piece of a new garment upon an old garment, otherwise he will both rend the new, and the piece which is from the new will not suit with the old.

37 And no one puts new wine into old skins, otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be poured out, and the skins will be destroyed;

38 but new wine is to be put into new skins, and both are preserved.

39 And no one having drunk old wine [straightway] wishes for new, for he says, The old is better.