Mark 2
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Jesus Heals a Paralytic To Prove He Has Authority To Forgive Sins
2 And having entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that He was at home[a]. 2 And many were gathered together, so that the house was no longer having-room, not even the places at the door. And He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they come bringing to Him a paralytic being picked-up by four men. 4 And not being able to bring him to Him because of the crowd, they unroofed the roof where He was. And having dug out an opening, they lower the cot on-which the paralytic was lying-down. 5 And Jesus, having seen their faith, says to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven”. 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why is this One speaking in this manner? He is blaspheming. Who is able to forgive sins except One— God?” 8 And immediately Jesus, having known[b] in His spirit that they were reasoning in this manner within themselves, says to them “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier— to say to the paralytic ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say ‘Arise, and pick-up your cot and walk’? 10 But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”— He says to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, pick up your cot and go to your house”. 12 And he arose, and immediately having picked-up the cot, went out in front of everyone, so that everyone was astonished[c] and glorifying God, saying that “We never saw anything like this”.
Jesus Calls Levi The Tax Collector And Eats With His Friends: I Came For Sinners
13 And He went out again beside the sea. And all the multitude[d] was coming to Him. And He was teaching them. 14 And while passing on He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax-office[e]. And He says to him “Be following Me!” And having stood-up, he followed Him. 15 And it comes about that He was reclining [to eat] in his[f] house. And many tax-collectors and sinners were reclining-back-with Jesus and His disciples. For there were many, and they were following Him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, having seen that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, were saying to His disciples “Why is it that[g] He is eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And having heard, Jesus says to them that “The ones being strong have no need of a physician, but the ones being ill. I did not come to call righteous ones, but sinners”.
Why Do Your Disciples Not Fast? The Bridegroom Is Here. New Wine Needs New Wineskins
18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees[h] were fasting. And they come and say to Him, “For what reason are the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not fasting?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of the wedding-hall[i] cannot be fasting while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long a time as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot be fasting. 20 But days will come when the bridegroom is taken-away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise the fullness [of the patch] takes from it— the new from the old— and a worse tear[j] takes place. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the wineskins, and the wine is lost, and the wineskins. But one puts new wine into fresh[k] wineskins”.
The Disciples Pluck Grain On The Sabbath. I Am Lord of The Sabbath
23 And it came about that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way while plucking[l] the heads [of grain]. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look! Why are they doing on the Sabbath what is not lawful?” 25 And He says to them, “Did you never read [in 1 Sam 21:1-6] what David did when he had a need and was hungry, he and the ones with him— 26 how he entered into the house of God in the time[m] of Abiathar the high-priest and ate the Bread of Presentation[n] which is not lawful for anyone to eat but the priests, and he gave it also to the ones being with him?” 27 And He was saying to them, “The Sabbath was made[o] for the sake of mankind, and not mankind for the sake of the Sabbath. 28 So then[p], the Son of Man is Lord even[q] of the Sabbath”.
Footnotes
- Mark 2:1 Or, in the house.
- Mark 2:8 Or, recognized, understood.
- Mark 2:12 Or, beside-themselves.
- Mark 2:13 Or, the whole crowd.
- Mark 2:14 Or, tax-booth. Levi (Matthew) was on the job, collecting taxes for Herod Antipas.
- Mark 2:15 That is, Levi’s house, Lk 5:29.
- Mark 2:16 Or, disciples that “He is... sinners!”
- Mark 2:18 On why these two groups may have been fasting, see Mt 9:14.
- Mark 2:19 That is, the attendants of the groom, referring to the disciples.
- Mark 2:21 In other words, Jesus is not a patch on the old Jewish system, sewn on to make repairs. He is a new garment, so His disciples act in a new way.
- Mark 2:22 Jesus cannot be contained within the worn-out Jewish system. A new system is needed.
- Mark 2:23 This was permitted under the Law, Deut 23:25. The Pharisees object because it was the Sabbath.
- Mark 2:26 This event indeed took place in the time of this pivotal high priest in the life of David. But Abiathar’s father Ahimelech was actually still high priest when David ate this bread.
- Mark 2:26 That is, the bread ‘set before’ God, ‘presented’ to God, consecrated to God; the twelve loaves of showbread, Lev 24:6-9.
- Mark 2:27 Or, came into being, came about. Mankind was not created for the purpose of keeping the Sabbath. Rather, that day was created for the benefit of mankind. In David’s case, the more urgent benefit he needed came at the expense of the normal Sabbath rules.
- Mark 2:28 Because Jesus is the Lord of mankind, He is the Lord of mankind’s Sabbath.
- Mark 2:28 Or, also.
Mark 2
King James Version
2 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
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.”
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.

