Mark 2:13-22

Christian Standard Bible

The Call of Levi

¹³ Jesus^(A) went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching^(B) them. ¹⁴ Then, passing by, he saw Levi^(C) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,^(D) and he said to him, “Follow me,”^(E) and he got up and followed^(F) him.

¹⁵ While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors^(G) and sinners^(H) were eating^[a] with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. ¹⁶ When the scribes^(I) who were Pharisees^[b](J) saw that he was eating^(K) with sinners^(L) and tax collectors,^(M) they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat^[c] with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need^(N) a doctor,^(O) but those who are sick.^(P) I didn’t come to call the righteous,^(Q) but sinners.”^(R)

A Question about Fasting

¹⁸ Now^(S) John’s^(T) disciples^(U) and the Pharisees^[d](V) were fasting.^(W) 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^(X) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time^[e] will come^(Y) when the groom will be taken away from them,^(Z) and then they will fast^(AA) 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,^(AB) and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine^(AC) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst^(AD) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”