Luke 5
Modern English Version
The Calling of the First Disciples(A)
5 As the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret 2 and saw two boats beside the lake. But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He entered one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to thrust it out a little from the land. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered Him, “Master, we have worked all night and have caught nothing. But at Your word I will let down the net.”
6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was tearing. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
The Cleansing of a Leper(B)
12 When He was in a certain city, a man full of leprosy, upon seeing Jesus, fell on his face and begged Him, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”
13 He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 Then He commanded him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
15 Yet even more so His fame went everywhere. And great crowds came together to hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 But He withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.
The Healing of a Paralytic(C)
17 On a certain day, as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal the sick. 18 Now some men brought in a bed a man who was paralyzed. They searched for ways to bring him in and lay him before Him. 19 When they could not find a way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into their midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is He who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered them, “Why question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, rise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 25 Immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 They were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen wonderful things today.”
The Calling of Levi(D)
27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax collector’s station. He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 And he left everything, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Then Levi made Him a great feast in his house. And there was a group of many tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
The Question About Fasting(E)
33 They said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”
34 He said to them, “Can you make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 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 also: “No one sews a piece of a new material on an old one. Otherwise the new would tear, for the new piece does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled, and the wineskins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”
Luke 5
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The First Disciples
5 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word,(A) He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.[a](B) 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake;[b] the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats,(C) which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down[c] your nets for a catch.”(D)
5 “Master,”(E) Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”[d]
6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets[e] began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed[f] at the catch of fish they took, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.
“Don’t be afraid,”(F) Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”(G) 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.(H)
A Man Cleansed
12 While He was in one of the towns, a man was there who had a serious skin disease all over him.(I) He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged Him: “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
13 Reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the disease left him. 14 Then He ordered him to tell no one: “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses prescribed for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”
15 But the news[g] about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.(J)
The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
17 On one of those days while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law(K) were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in Him.(L) 18 Just then some men came,(M) carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before Him. 19 Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the mat through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.
20 Seeing their faith He said, “Friend,[h] your sins are forgiven you.”
21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees(N) began to think: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(O)
22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts?[i] 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe(P) and said, “We have seen incredible things today!”
The Call of Matthew
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office,(Q) and He said to him, “Follow Me!” 28 So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow Him.
Dining with Sinners
29 Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for Him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests[j] with them.(R) 30 But the Pharisees and their scribes(S) were complaining to His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus replied to them, “The healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
A Question about Fasting
33 Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but Yours eat and drink.”[k]
34 Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests[l] fast while the groom is with them, can you? 35 But the time[m] will come(T) when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days.”
36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined. 38 But new wine should be put into fresh wineskins.[n] 39 And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’”[o]
Footnotes
- Luke 5:1 = Sea of Galilee
- Luke 5:2 Lit boats standing by the lake
- Luke 5:4 Lit and you (pl in Gk) let down
- Luke 5:5 Other mss read net (Gk sg)
- Luke 5:6 Other mss read net (Gk sg)
- Luke 5:9 Lit For amazement had seized him and all those with him
- Luke 5:15 Lit the word
- Luke 5:20 Lit Man
- Luke 5:22 Or minds
- Luke 5:29 Lit were reclining (at the table); at important meals the custom was to recline on a mat at a low table and lean on the left elbow.
- Luke 5:33 Other mss read “Why do John’s . . . drink?” (as a question)
- Luke 5:34 Or the friends of the groom; lit sons of the bridal chamber
- Luke 5:35 Lit days
- Luke 5:38 Other mss add And so both are preserved.
- Luke 5:39 Other mss read is good
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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