Luke 5
Worldwide English (New Testament)
5 The people came close around Jesus to hear God's word. He was standing by Lake Gennesaret [the Sea of Galilee].
2 He saw two boats by the water. The fishermen were not in their boats. They were washing their nets.
3 Jesus got into one of the boats. It was Simon's boat. Jesus asked him to put the boat out into the water a little way from the land. Then he sat down in the boat and taught the people.
4 When he stopped talking, he said to Simon, `Put the boat out into deep water and let down your nets to catch some fish.'
5 Simon answered, `Master, we worked hard all night and did not catch anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'
6 When they did this, they caught many fish. Their nets were so full they were breaking.
7 They called their friends in the other boat to come and help them. They came. They filled both boats with so much fish, they began to go down.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he kneeled down in front of Jesus. He said, `Lord, leave me because I am a bad man!'
9 He was very much surprised to see how many fish they had caught. All those who were with him were surprised too.
10 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were helping Simon. They were surprised also. Jesus said to Simon, `Do not fear. From now on your work will be to catch men.'
11 They brought their boats to the land. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.
12 Jesus was in one of the cities and a man was there who had leprosy, a bad skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed his face to the ground. He begged Jesus saying, `Sir, I know you can heal me if you want to.'
13 Jesus put out his hand and touched the man. He said, `I want you to be healed.' Right away the man was free from leprosy.
14 Jesus said to him, `Do not tell anyone about this. But go and let the priest look at you. Moses gave a law about the sacrifice you must give when you are healed. Give it to prove to the people that you are healed.'
15 But more people heard about Jesus than before. And many people gathered to hear him, and so be healed.
16 Many times Jesus went away to the desert and talked with God.
17 One day Jesus was teaching people. Pharisees and other Jewish teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every town in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem. Jesus had the power of the Lord to heal the sick.
18 Some men brought a sick man on his bed. The man could not move his arms or legs. They tried to bring him in and put him in front of Jesus.
19 But they could not get in the house where Jesus was, because there were so many people. So they went up on the roof. Then through a hole in the roof they let down the bed with the sick man on it, until he was in front of Jesus.
20 Jesus saw that they believed he would be healed. So he said to him, `Man, the wrong things you have done are forgiven.'
21 The scribes and Pharisees began to talk about this. They said, `Who is this man that is not giving respect to God? No one but God can forgive anyone for the wrong things they have done.'
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, `Why do you think these wrong things in your hearts?
23 Which is easier, to say, "The wrong things you have done are forgiven," or to say, "Get up and walk"?
24 I want you to know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive wrong things people have done.' So he said to the sick man, `I tell you, get up. Take up your bed and go home.'
25 Right away the man stood up in front of them. He took up his bed and went home praising God.
26 The people were all surprised and they praised God. They did not know what to think. They said, `We have seen things today that are hard to believe.'
27 After this, Jesus went out. He saw a tax collector named Levi. Levi was sitting at the place where people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him `Come with me.'
28 Levi left everything. He stood up and went with Jesus.
29 Levi made a big dinner at his house for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other people were sitting at the table with them.
30 The Pharisees and their scribes did not like what Jesus' disciples did. They said, `Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and bad people?"
31 Jesus answered them, `People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.
32 I did not come to call good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.'
33 They said to him, `The disciples or followers of John are often fasting [not eating for a time], and they talk with God. The disciples of the Pharisees do the same. But your disciples eat and drink.'
34 Then Jesus said to them, `The people at a wedding cannot be sad while the man who is married is with them.
35 But the time will come when he will be taken away from them. Then they will be fasting at that time.'
36 Jesus told them a short story. He said, `No one takes a piece from a new coat and sews it on an old coat. If he does, the new coat will have a hole. And the new piece will not be like the old coat.
37 No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will break the skins. The wine will be lost and the skins will be spoiled.
38 New wine must be put into new skins.
39 No one wants to drink new wine after he has had old wine. He says, "The old is better." '
Luke 5
Expanded Bible
Jesus’ First Followers
5 One day while Jesus was standing beside ·Lake Galilee [L the Lake of Gennesaret; C another name for the Sea of Galilee], many people were ·pressing [crowding] all around him to hear the word of God. 2 Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon [C Peter], and asked him to push off a little from the ·land [shore]. Then Jesus sat down and continued to teach the people from the boat.
4 When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Take the boat into deep water, and ·put [let down] your nets in the water to catch some fish.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we ·worked [labored] hard all night trying to catch fish, and we caught nothing. But ·you say [because you say; L upon your word] to put the nets in the water, so I will.” 6 When the fishermen did as Jesus told them, they caught so many fish that the nets began to ·break [tear]. 7 They ·called [signaled; motioned] to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they were almost sinking.
8 When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down ·before [L at the knees of] Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” 9 [L For] He and the other fishermen were amazed at the many fish they caught, as were 10 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will ·fish for people [catch people; T be fishers of men].” 11 When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Jesus Heals a Sick Man(A)
12 When Jesus was in one of the towns, there was a man covered with ·a skin disease [T leprosy; C the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; see Lev. 14]. When he saw Jesus, he ·bowed [L fell on his face] before him and ·begged [implored] him, “Lord, you can ·heal me [L make me clean; C such skin disorders rendered the victim ceremonially unclean] if you ·will [choose; are willing].”
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I ·will [do choose; am willing]. Be ·healed [L cleansed]!” Immediately the disease ·disappeared [left him]. 14 Then Jesus ·said [ordered; commanded], “Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and ·show yourself to [be examined by] the priest [C only a priest could declare a person clean] and ·offer a gift [make an offering; offer the sacrifices] for your ·healing [cleansing], as Moses commanded [Lev. 14:1–32]. This will ·show the people [be a public testimony to; be evidence for] what I have done.”
15 But the news about Jesus spread even more. ·Many people [Great crowds] came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses, 16 but Jesus often ·slipped away [withdrew] to ·be alone [desolate/lonely/wilderness places] so he could pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(B)
17 One day as Jesus was teaching the people, the Pharisees and teachers of the law from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem were there. ·The Lord was giving Jesus the power [L The power of the Lord was upon him] to heal people. 18 ·Just then [L And look/T behold], some men were carrying on a ·mat [cot; bed] a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and put him down before Jesus. 19 But because there were so many people there, they could not find a way in. So they went up on the roof and lowered the man on his ·mat [cot; bed] through the ·ceiling [L tiles] into the middle of the crowd right ·before [in front of] Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said, “·Friend [L Man], your sins are forgiven.”
21 The ·Jewish teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees ·thought to themselves [L began thinking/reasoning], “Who is this man who is speaking ·as if he were God [blasphemies]? ·Only God can forgive sins [L Who can forgive sins except God alone?; Is. 43:25].”
22 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why are you thinking these things [L in your hearts]? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But ·I will prove to you [L so that you may know] that the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, stand up, take your ·mat [cot; bed], and go home.”
25 At once the man stood up before them, picked up ·his mat [L what he had been lying on], and went home, ·praising [glorifying] God. 26 All the people were ·fully amazed [astounded; astonished] and began to ·praise [glorify] God. They were filled with ·much respect [awe; fear] and said, “Today we have seen ·amazing [remarkable; incredible] things!”
Levi Follows Jesus(C)
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax collector’s booth [C probably a tariff booth for taxing goods in transit]. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29 Then Levi gave a ·big dinner [great banquet] for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people were ·eating there [L reclining; C around a low table, the posture for a formal banquet or dinner party], too. 30 But the Pharisees and ·the men who taught the law for the Pharisees [L their scribes] began to ·complain [grumble] to Jesus’ ·followers [disciples], “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” [C Tax collectors were despised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion.]
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to ·invite [call] ·good people [the righteous; C meaning the “self-righteous” who feel no need to repent] but sinners to ·change their hearts and lives [repentance].”
Jesus Answers a Question(D)
33 They said to Jesus, “John’s ·followers [disciples] often fast [C giving up eating for spiritual purposes] and pray, just as the ·Pharisees [or disciples of the Pharisees] do. But your ·followers [disciples] eat and drink all the time.”
34 Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the ·friends of the bridegroom [or wedding guests; L children of the wedding hall] fast while he is still with them. 35 But the ·time [L days] will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and ·then [L in those days] they will fast.”
36 Jesus told them this ·story [parable]: “No one ·takes [tears] cloth off a new ·coat [garment] to cover a hole in an old ·coat [garment]. If he does, he ·ruins [tears] the new ·coat [garment], and the cloth from the new will not match the old. 37 Also, no one pours new wine into old ·leather bags [wineskins]. Otherwise, the new wine will ·break [tear; burst; C because the fermenting new wine expands] the ·bags [wineskins], the wine will spill out, and the ·leather bags [wineskins] will be ruined. 38 [L But; Rather] New wine must be put into ·new [fresh] ·leather bags [wineskins]. 39 No one after drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, ‘The old wine is ·better [fine; good].’” [C The religious leaders are content with the old ways of Judaism and not interested in the “new wine” (salvation blessings) of the Kingdom.]
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