The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

2 When^(A) he entered Capernaum^(B) again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word^(C) to them. ³ They came to him bringing a paralytic,^(D) carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they were not able to bring him to^[a] Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. ⁵ Seeing their faith,^(E) Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins^(F) are forgiven.”^(G)

⁶ But some of the scribes^(H) were sitting there, questioning^(I) in their hearts: ⁷ “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming!^(J) Who can forgive^(K) sins^(L) but God alone?” ^(M)

⁸ Right away^(N) Jesus perceived in his spirit^(O) that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier:^(P) to say to the paralytic,^(Q) ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?^{(R) 10} But so that you may know that the Son of Man^(S) has authority^(T) on earth to forgive sins”^(U)—he told the paralytic— ¹¹ “I tell you: get up,^(V) take your mat, and go home.”

¹² Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded^(W) and gave glory^(X) to God,^(Y) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” ^(Z)

The Call of Levi

¹³ Jesus^(AA) went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching^(AB) them. ¹⁴ Then, passing by, he saw Levi^(AC) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,^(AD) and he said to him, “Follow me,”^(AE) and he got up and followed^(AF) him.

¹⁵ While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors^(AG) and sinners^(AH) were eating^[b] with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. ¹⁶ When the scribes^(AI) who were Pharisees^[c](AJ) saw that he was eating^(AK) with sinners^(AL) and tax collectors,^(AM) they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat^[d] with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need^(AN) a doctor,^(AO) but those who are sick.^(AP) I didn’t come to call the righteous,^(AQ) but sinners.”^(AR)

A Question about Fasting

¹⁸ Now^(AS) John’s^(AT) disciples^(AU) and the Pharisees^[e](AV) were fasting.^(AW) 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^(AX) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time^[f] will come^(AY) when the groom will be taken away from them,^(AZ) and then they will fast^(BA) 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,^(BB) and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine^(BC) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst^(BD) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

²³ On^(BE) the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples^(BF) began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees^(BG) said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful^(BH) on the Sabbath?”

²⁵ He said to them, “Have you never read what David^(BI) and those who were with him did when he was in need^(BJ) and hungry^(BK) — ²⁶ how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar^(BL) the high priest^(BM) and ate the bread of the Presence^(BN) —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests^(BO) —and also gave some to his companions?” ²⁷ Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for^[g] man and not man for the Sabbath.^{(BP) 28} So then, the Son of Man^(BQ) is Lord^(BR) even of the Sabbath.”^(BS)

3 Jesus^(BT) entered the synagogue^(BU) again, and a man was there who had a shriveled^(BV) hand. ² In order to accuse^(BW) him, they were watching him closely^(BX) to see whether he would heal^(BY) him on the Sabbath.^{(BZ) 3} He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” ⁴ Then he said to them, “Is it lawful^(CA) to do good^(CB) on the Sabbath or to do evil,^(CC) to save life^(CD) or to kill?”^(CE) But they were silent.^{(CF) 5} After looking around at them with anger,^(CG) he was grieved at the hardness^(CH) of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.^{(CI) 6} Immediately the Pharisees^(CJ) went out and started plotting^(CK) with the Herodians^(CL) against him, how they might kill^(CM) him.

Ministering to the Multitude

⁷ Jesus^(CN) departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,^(CO) and a large crowd followed from Judea,^{(CP) 8} Jerusalem,^(CQ) Idumea, beyond the Jordan,^(CR) and around Tyre^(CS) and Sidon.^(CT) The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. ⁹ Then he told his disciples to have a small boat^(CU) ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. ¹⁰ Since he had healed^(CV) many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch^(CW) him. ¹¹ Whenever the unclean^(CX) spirits^(CY) saw him, they fell down^(CZ) before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” ^{(DA) 12} And he would strongly warn^(DB) them not to make him known.^(DC)

The Twelve Apostles

¹³ Jesus^(DD) went up the mountain^(DE) and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,^[h](DF) to be with him, to send them out to preach,^{(DG) 15} and to have authority to^[i] drive out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve:^[j](DH) To Simon,^(DI) he gave the name Peter;^{(DJ) 17} and to James^(DK) the son of Zebedee,^(DL) and to his brother John,^(DM) he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”^(DN)); ¹⁸ Andrew;^(DO) Philip^(DP) and Bartholomew; Matthew^(DQ) and Thomas;^(DR) James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot,^(DS) who also betrayed him.

A House Divided

²⁰ Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^{[k] 21} When his family^(DT) heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”^(DU)

²² The scribes^(DV) who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,”^(DW) and, “He drives out^(DX) demons^(DY) by the ruler^(DZ) of the demons.”^(EA)

²³ So he summoned^(EB) them and spoke to them in parables:^(EC) “How can Satan^(ED) drive out Satan?^{(EE) 24} If a kingdom^(EF) is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up^(EG) the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies^(EH) they utter. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes^(EI) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,^(EJ) but is guilty^(EK) of an eternal sin”^[l](EL)— ³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”^(EM)

True Relationships

³¹ His^(EN) mother^(EO) and his brothers^(EP) came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers,^(EQ) and your sisters^[m] are outside asking for you.”

³³ He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!^{(ER) 35} Whoever does the will of God^(ES) is my brother and sister and mother.”

David Flees to Nob

21 David went to the priest Ahimelech^(A) at Nob.^(B) Ahimelech was afraid to meet David, so he said to him, “Why are you alone and no one is with you?”

² David answered the priest Ahimelech, “The king gave me a mission, but he told me, ‘Don’t let anyone know anything about the mission I’m sending you on or what I have ordered you to do.’ I have stationed my young men at a certain place. ³ Now what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever can be found.”

⁴ The priest told him, “There is no ordinary bread on hand. However, there is consecrated bread,^(C) but the young men may eat it^[a] only if they have kept themselves from women.”^(D)

⁵ David answered him, “I swear that women are being kept from us, as always when I go out to battle.^(E) The young men’s bodies^[b] are consecrated^(F) even on an ordinary mission, so of course their bodies are consecrated today.” ⁶ So the priest gave him the consecrated bread,^(G) for there was no bread there except the Bread of the Presence^(H) that had been removed from the presence of the Lord. When the bread was removed, it had been replaced with warm bread.

¹¹ For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father.^[a] That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,^{(A) 12} saying: