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Then it happened that as the people pressed upon Him to hear the Word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret

and saw two ships stand by the lakeside. But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

And He entered into one of the ships (which was Simon’s) and asked him to thrust off a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the ship.

Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep. And let down your nets to make a catch.”

Then Simon answered, and said to Him, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at Your Word I will let down the net.”

And when they had done so, they enclosed a great multitude of fish, so that their net broke.

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

Now when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Lord, go from me. For I am a sinful man.”

For he was utterly astonished (and all who were with him) at the catch of fish which they took.

10 And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were companions of Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear. From now on you shall catch men.”

11 And when they had brought the ships to land, they left all and followed Him.

12 Now it happened that when He was in a certain city, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”

13 So he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

14 And He commanded him that he should tell no one. “But go and show yourself to the priest. And offer as Moses has commanded for your cleansing, for a witness to them.”

15 But His fame spread even more. And great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities by Him.

16 But He kept Himself apart in the wilderness and prayed.

17 And it happened that on a certain day, as He was teaching, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law sat by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was in him, to heal them.

18 Then behold, men brought a man lying in a bed, who was a paralytic, and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him.

19 And when they could not find a way by which they might bring him in (because of the crowd), they went up on the house and let him down through the tiling (bed and all) in the midst, before Jesus.

20 And when He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this Who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God only?”

22 But when Jesus perceived their reasoning, He answered, and said to them, “Why do you reason in your hearts?

23 “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’”

24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on Earth, I say to you (said He to the paralytic), Arise. Take up your bed. And go to your house.”

25 And immediately he rose up before them and took up his bed upon which he lay and departed to his own house, praising God.

26 And they were all amazed, and praised God, and were filled with fear, saying, “Doubtless we have seen strange things today!”

27 And after that, He went forth and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and said to him, “Follow Me.”

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

29 Then Levi made Him a great feast in his own house, where there was a great multitude of tax collectors, and of others who sat at table with them.

30 But those who were scribes and Pharisees among them, murmured against His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Then Jesus answered, and said to them, “Those who are whole, do not need the Physician, but those who are sick.

32 I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.”

33 Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John often fast and pray, and of the Pharisees also, but Yours eat and drink?”

34 And He said to them, “Can you make the children of the wedding chamber fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them?

35 “But the days will come when even the bridegroom shall be taken away from them. Then shall they fast in those days.”

36 Then He also told them a parable. “No one sews a piece of a new garment into an old one. For then the new tears it, and the piece taken out of the new does not match the old.

37 “Also, no one pours new wine into old vessels. For then the new wine will break the vessels, and it will run out. And the vessels will perish.

38 “But new wine must be poured into new vessels. So that both are preserved.

39 “Also, no one who drinks old wine immediately desires new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’”

The people came close around Jesus to hear God's word. He was standing by Lake Gennesaret [the Sea of Galilee].

He saw two boats by the water. The fishermen were not in their boats. They were washing their nets.

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.

When he stopped talking, he said to Simon, `Put the boat out into deep water and let down your nets to catch some fish.'

Simon answered, `Master, we worked hard all night and did not catch anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'

When they did this, they caught many fish. Their nets were so full they were breaking.

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.

When Simon Peter saw this, he kneeled down in front of Jesus. He said, `Lord, leave me because I am a bad man!'

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." '