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.]
Luke 5
Wycliffe Bible
5 And it was done, when the people came fast to Jesus, to hear the word of God, he stood beside the pool of Gennesaret [and he stood beside the standing water of Gennesaret],
2 and saw two boats standing beside the pool; and the fishers were gone down, and washed their nets. [and saw two boats standing beside the standing water; soothly the fishers had gone down, and washed nets.]
3 And he went up into a boat, that was Simon's, and prayed him to lead it a little from the land; and he sat, and taught the people out of the boat.
4 And as he ceased to speak, he said to Simon, Lead out into the depth, and slack your nets to take fish [and slake ye your nets into the taking].
5 And Simon answered, and said to him [And Simon answering said to him], Commander, we travailed all the night, and took nothing, but in thy word I shall lay out the net.
6 And when they had done this thing, they closed together a great multitude of fishes; and their net was broken.
7 And they beckoned to fellows, that were in another boat, that they should come, and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they were almost drowned.
8 And when Simon Peter saw this thing, he felled down to the knees of Jesus, and said [saying], Lord, go from me, for I am a sinful man.
9 For he was on each side astonished, and all that were with him, in the taking of fishes which they took.
10 Soothly in like manner James and John, the sons of Zebedee, that were fellows of Simon Peter [which were fellows of Simon Peter]. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not thou dread; now from this time thou shalt take men.
11 And when the boats were led up to the land, they left all things, and they followed him. [And the boats led up to the land, all things left, or forsaken, they followed him.]
12 And it was done, when he was in one of the cities, lo! a man full of leprosy; and seeing Jesus fell down on his face, and prayed him, and said [saying], Lord, if thou wilt, thou mayest make me clean.
13 And Jesus held forth his hand, and touched him, and said [saying], I will, be thou made clean. And at once [And anon] the leprosy passed away from him.
14 And Jesus commanded to him, that he should say to no man; But go, show thee to a priest, and offer for thy cleansing, as Moses bade, into witnessing to them.
15 And the word walked about the more of him; and much people [and many companies] came together, to hear, and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16 And he went into desert, and prayed.
17 And it was done in one of the days, he sat, and taught [and he sitting taught]; and there were Pharisees sitting, and doctors of the law, that came of each castle of Galilee, and of Judaea, and of Jerusalem[a]; and the virtue of the Lord was to heal sick men.
18 And lo! men bare in a bed a man that was sick in the palsy [that was sick in palsy], and they sought to bear him in, and set before him [and to put before him].
19 And they found not in what part they should bear him in, for the people, and they went upon the roof [And they not finding in what part they should bear him in, for the company of people, ascended up on the roof], and by the slates they let him down with the bed, into the midst, before Jesus.
20 And when Jesus saw the faith of them, he said, Man, thy sins be forgiven to thee.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to think, saying, Who is this, that speaketh blasphemies? who may forgive sins, but God alone?
22 And as Jesus knew the thoughts of them, he answered, and said to them [he answering said to them], What think ye evil things in your hearts?
23 What is lighter to say, Sins be forgiven to thee, or to say, Rise up, and walk?
24 But that ye know, that man's Son hath power in earth to forgive sins, he said to the sick man in palsy, I say to thee, rise up, take thy bed, and go into thine house.
25 And at once [And anon] he rose up before them, and took the bed in which he lay, and went into his house, and magnified God [magnifying God].
26 And great wonder took all, and they magnified God; and they were full-filled with great dread, and said[b], For we have seen marvelous things to day.
27 And after these things Jesus went out, and saw a publican, Levi by name, sitting at the tollbooth. And he said to him, Follow thou me;
28 and when he had left all things, he rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made to him a great feast in his house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others that were with them, sitting at the meat.
30 And the Pharisees and the scribes of them grumbled, and said to his disciples [And Pharisees and the scribes of them grutched, saying to his disciples], Why eat ye and drink with publicans and sinful men?
31 And Jesus answered, and said to them, They that be whole have no need to a physician, but they that be sick; [And Jesus answering saith to them, They that be whole have not need to a leech, but they that have evil;]
32 for I came not to call just men, but sinful men to penance.
33 And they said to him, Why the disciples of John fast oft, and make prayers, also and of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?
34 To whom he said, Whether ye be able to make the sons of the spouse to fast [Whether ye may make the sons of the spouse to fast], while the spouse is with them?
35 But days shall come, when the spouse shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast in those days.
36 And he said to them also a likeness; For no man taketh a piece from a new cloak [of a new cloth], and putteth it into an old clothing [and putteth it into an old cloth]; else both he breaketh the new, and the piece of the new accordeth not to the old.
37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine shall break the bottles, and the wine shall be shed out, and the bottles shall perish.
38 But new wine oweth to be put into new bottles [But new wine is to be put into new wine vessels], and both be kept.
39 And no man drinking the old, will at once the new; for he saith, The old is the better. [And no man drinking old, will anon new; soothly he saith, The old is better.]
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
2001 by Terence P. Noble