Mark 2
New Life Version
Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Let Down through the Roof of a House (A)
2 After some days Jesus went back to the city of Capernaum. Then news got around that He was home. 2 Soon many people gathered there. There was no more room, not even at the door. He spoke the Word of God to them. 3 Four men came to Jesus carrying a man who could not move his body. 4 These men could not get near Jesus because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof of the house over where Jesus stood. Then they let down the bed with the sick man on it.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the sick man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Some teachers of the Law were sitting there. They thought to themselves, 7 “Why does this Man talk like this? He is speaking as if He is God! Who can forgive sins? Only One can forgive sins and that is God!”
8 At once Jesus knew the teachers of the Law were thinking this. He said to them, “Why do you think this in your hearts? 9 Which is easier to say to the sick man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your bed, and start to walk?’ 10 I am doing this so you may know the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.” He said to the sick man who could not move his body, 11 “I say to you, ‘Get up. Take your bed and go to your home.’” 12 At once the sick man got up and took his bed and went away. Everybody saw him. They were all surprised and wondered about it. They thanked God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Matthew (B)
13 Jesus walked along the sea-shore again. Many people came together and He taught them. 14 He walked farther and saw Levi (Matthew) the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at his work gathering taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” Levi got up and followed Him.
Jesus Eats with Tax-Gatherers and Sinners
15 Jesus ate in Levi’s house. Many men who gather taxes and others who were sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His followers. There were many following Him. 16 The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers saw Jesus eat with men who gather taxes and others who were sinners. They said to His followers, “Why does He eat and drink with men who gather taxes and with sinners?” 17 Jesus heard it and said to them, “People who are well do not need a doctor. Only those who are sick need a doctor. I have not come to call those who are right with God. I have come to call those who are sinners.”
Jesus Teaches about Going without Food So You Can Pray Better (C)
18 The followers of John and the proud religious law-keepers were not eating food so they could pray better. Some people came to Jesus and said, “Why do the followers of John and the proud religious law-keepers go without food so they can pray better, but Your followers do not?” 19 Jesus said to them, “Can the friends at a wedding go without food when the man just married is with them? As long as they have him with them, they will not go without food. 20 The days will come when the man just married will be taken from them. Then they will not eat food so they can pray better. 21 No man sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat. If it comes off, it will make the hole bigger. 22 No man puts new wine into old skin bags. The skin would break and the wine would run out. The bags would be no good. New wine must be put into new skin bags.”
Jesus Teaches about the Day of Rest (D)
23 At that time Jesus walked through the grain-fields on the Day of Rest. As they went, His followers began to take some of the grain. 24 The proud religious law-keepers said to Jesus, “See! Why are they doing what the Law says should not be done on the Day of Rest?” 25 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God when Abiathar was head religious leader of the Jews. He ate the special bread used in the religious worship. The Law says only the Jewish religious leaders may eat that. David gave some to those who were with him also.” 27 Jesus said to them, “The Day of Rest was made for the good of man. Man was not made for the Day of Rest. 28 The Son of Man is Lord of the Day of Rest also.”
Mark 2
English Standard Version
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
2 And when he returned to (A)Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 (B)And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, (C)they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus (D)saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, (E)your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? (F)He is blaspheming! (G)Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, (H)perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that (I)the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and (J)glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi
13 He went out again beside the sea, and (K)all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 (L)And as he passed by, he saw (M)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many (N)tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And (O)the scribes of[a] the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, (P)“Why does he eat[b] with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (Q)I came not to call the righteous, (R)but sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
18 Now (S)John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, (T)“Why do John's disciples and (U)the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, (V)“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 (W)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and (X)then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old (Y)wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”[c]
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23 (Z)One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples (AA)began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, (AB)why are they doing (AC)what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, (AD)“Have you never read (AE)what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of[d] (AF)Abiathar the high priest, and ate (AG)the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, (AH)“The Sabbath was made for man, (AI)not man for the Sabbath. 28 So (AJ)the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
