Mark 2
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Heals a Man Who Could Not Walk
(Matthew 9.1-8; Luke 5.17-26)
2 Jesus went back to Capernaum, and a few days later people heard that he was at home.[a] 2 Then so many of them came to the house that there wasn't even standing room left in front of the door.
Jesus was still teaching 3 when four people came up, carrying a man on a mat because he could not walk. 4 But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof[b] above him and let the man down in front of everyone.
5 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering, 7 “Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.”
8 At once, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking such things? 9 Is it easier for me to tell this man his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? 10 I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” So Jesus said to the man, 11 “Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home.”
12 The man got right up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus Chooses Levi
(Matthew 9.9-13; Luke 5.27-32)
13 Once again, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee. A large crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the place for paying taxes, and Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” So he got up and went with Jesus.
15 Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Levi's house.[c] Many tax collectors[d] and other sinners had become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at the dinner.
16 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw Jesus eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.”
People Ask about Going without Eating
(Matthew 9.14-17; Luke 5.33-39)
18 The followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees often went without eating.[e] Some people came and asked Jesus, “Why do the followers of John and those of the Pharisees often go without eating, while your disciples never do?”
19 Jesus answered:
The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. 20 But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.
21 No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a bigger hole.
22 No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins.[f] Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.
A Question about the Sabbath
(Matthew 12.1-8; Luke 6.1-5)
23 (A) One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were picking grains of wheat as they went along.[g] 24 Some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!”
25 (B) Jesus answered, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need? 26 (C) It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his followers.”
27 Jesus finished by saying, “People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.”
Footnotes
- 2.1 at home: Or “in the house” (perhaps Simon Peter's home).
- 2.4 roof: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof that was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth.
- 2.15 Levi's house: Or “Jesus' house.”
- 2.15 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.
- 2.18 without eating: The Jewish people sometimes went without eating (also called “fasting”) to show their love for God or to show sorrow for their sins.
- 2.22 swell and burst the old skins: While the juice from grapes was becoming wine, it would swell and stretch the skins in which it had been stored. If the skins were old and stiff, they would burst.
- 2.23 went along: It was the custom to let hungry travelers pick grains of wheat.
Mark 2
Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
2 And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And (A)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 (B)And they *came, bringing to Him a (C)paralytic, carried by four men. 4 And being unable to bring him to [a]Jesus because of the crowd, they (D)removed the roof over where He was; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the mat where the (E)paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Child, (F)your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; (G)who can forgive sins [b]but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware [c]in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the (H)paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your mat and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go to your home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before everyone, so that they were all amazed and (I)were glorifying God, saying, “(J)We have never seen anything like this.”
13 And He went out again by the seashore; and (K)the entire crowd was coming to Him, and He was teaching them.
Levi and Sinners Called
14 (L)And as He passed by, He saw [d](M)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, “(N)Follow Me!” And he stood up and followed Him.
15 And it *[e]happened that as He was reclining at the table in his house, many tax collectors and [f]sinners [g]were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. For there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 And when (O)the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they were saying to His disciples, “(P)He is eating and drinking with tax collectors and [h]sinners!” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “(Q)Those who are healthy do not have need for a physician, but only those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
18 (R)And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can [i]the attendants of the bridegroom fast when the bridegroom is with them? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the (S)days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
21 “No one sews [j]a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise [k]that patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
Lord of the Sabbath
23 (T)And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while (U)picking the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, (V)why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God around the time of (W)Abiathar the high priest, and ate the [l]consecrated bread, which (X)is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And Jesus was saying to them, “(Y)The Sabbath [m]was made [n]for man, and (Z)not man [o]for the Sabbath. 28 Consequently the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Footnotes
- Mark 2:4 Lit Him
- Mark 2:7 Lit if not one, God
- Mark 2:8 Lit by
- Mark 2:14 Also called Matthew
- Mark 2:15 Lit happens
- Mark 2:15 Irreligious Jews
- Mark 2:15 Or dining
- Mark 2:16 Irreligious Jews
- Mark 2:19 Lit sons of the bridal chamber
- Mark 2:21 Lit that which is put on
- Mark 2:21 Lit that which fills up
- Mark 2:26 Or showbread; lit loaves of presentation
- Mark 2:27 Or came into being
- Mark 2:27 Lit for the sake of
- Mark 2:27 Lit for the sake of
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