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[b] 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[c] will come(G) when the groom is taken away from them,(H) and then they will fast(I) in 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.[d] But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:18 Other mss read the disciples of John and of the Pharisees
  2. Mark 2:19 Lit The sons of the bridal chamber
  3. Mark 2:20 Lit the days
  4. Mark 2:22 Other mss read the wine spills out and the skins will be ruined

18 · kai The ho disciples mathētēs of John Iōannēs and kai of the ho Pharisees Pharisaios were eimi fasting nēsteuō. · kai Some people came erchomai and kai said legō to him autos, “ Why dia tis do the ho disciples mathētēs of John Iōannēs and kai the ho disciples mathētēs of the ho Pharisees Pharisaios fast nēsteuō, · ho but de your sos disciples mathētēs do not ou fast nēsteuō?” 19 And kai Jesus Iēsous said legō to them autos, · ho Do dynamai the ho friends hyios of the ho bridegroom nymphōn fast nēsteuō while en hos the ho bridegroom nymphios is eimi with meta them autos? No , as long as hosos they have echō the ho bridegroom nymphios with meta them autos, they do dynamai not ou fast nēsteuō. 20 But de days hēmera will come erchomai when hotan the ho bridegroom nymphios will be taken apairō from apo them autos, and kai then tote they will fast nēsteuō in en that ekeinos · ho day hēmera.

21  No one oudeis sews epiraptō a piece epiblēma of unshrunk agnaphos cloth rhakos on epi an old palaios garment himation. If he does ei, · de the ho patch plērōma pulls away airō from apo it autos, the ho new kainos from the ho old palaios, and kai the tear schisma becomes ginomai worse cheirōn. 22 And kai no one oudeis puts ballō new neos wine oinos into eis old palaios wineskins askos. If he does ei, · de the ho wine oinos will burst rhēgnymi the ho skins askos and kai the ho wine oinos will be wasted apollymi as kai well as the ho skins askos. But alla new neos wine oinos is poured into eis fresh kainos wineskins askos.”

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Jesus Questioned About Fasting(A)

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.(B) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them,(C) and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

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