Mark 2:18-22

Christian Standard Bible

A Question about Fasting

¹⁸ Now^(A) John’s^(B) disciples^(C) and the Pharisees^[a](D) were fasting.^(E) People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom^(F) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time^[b] will come^(G) when the groom will be taken away from them,^(H) and then they will fast^(I) on that day. ²¹ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,^(J) and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine^(K) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst^(L) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”