Mark 2
New Matthew Bible
Jesus heals the paralytic, calls Levi, the customs officer, eats with open sinners, and defends his disciples.
2 After a few days he entered into Capernaum again, and it was rumoured that he was in a house. 2 And soon many gathered together, insomuch that now there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door. And he preached the word to them. 3 And there came to him people bringing a paralytic, borne by four men. 4 And because they could not come near to him, for the press of people, they uncovered the roof of the house where he was. And when they had broken it open, they let down the bed that the paralytic lay in. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven you.
6 And certain of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, 7 How does this fellow so blaspheme? Who can forgive sins, but God only? 8 And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so questioned in themselves, he said to them, Why do you think such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier to say to the paralytic: Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Arise, take up your bed and walk? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of man has power in earth to forgive sins– He spoke to the paralytic: 11 I say to you, arise, and take up your bed, and go your way into your own house. 12 And at once he arose, took up the bed, and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, We have never seen anything like this!
13 And he went again to the sea side. And all the people gathered to him, and he taught them. 14 And as Jesus was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom and said to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
15 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at food in Levi’s house, that many publicans and sinners sat at food also with Jesus and his disciples. For there were many who followed him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said to his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners? 17 When Jesus heard that, he said to them, The whole have no need of the physician, but the sick do. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast, and so they came and said to him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? 19 And Jesus said to them, Can the children of a wedding 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 will be taken from them, and then they will fast, in those days. 21 Also, no one sows a piece of new cloth onto an old garment, because then the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is worse. 22 Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins, for if he does, the new wine bursts the skins, and the wine runs out and the vessels are marred. But new wine must be poured into new vessels.
23 And it chanced that he was walking through the grain fields in the Sabbath days, and his disciples, as they went their way, began to pluck the ears of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to him, Look, why are they doing on the Sabbath days that which is not lawful?
25 And he said to them, Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry, both he and those who were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest and did eat the hallowed loaves, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests only, and gave also to those who were with him?
27 And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.
Mark 2
Good News Translation
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)
2 A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home. 2 So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them 3 when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. 4 Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat. 5 Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “How does he dare talk like this? This is blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!”
8 At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, “Why do you think such things? 9 Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
12 While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi(B)
13 Jesus went back again to the shore of Lake Galilee. A crowd came to him, and he started teaching them. 14 As he walked along, he saw a tax collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up and followed him.
15 Later on Jesus was having a meal in Levi's house.[a] A large number of tax collectors and other outcasts was following Jesus, and many of them joined him and his disciples at the table. 16 Some teachers of the Law, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with these outcasts and tax collectors, so they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such people?”
17 Jesus heard them and answered, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.”
The Question about Fasting(C)
18 On one occasion the followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and asked him, “Why is it that the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?”
19 Jesus answered, “Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that. 20 But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
21 “No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch up an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear off some of the old cloth, making an even bigger hole. 22 Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.”
The Question about the Sabbath(D)
23 (E)Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. As his disciples walked along with him, they began to pick the heads of wheat. 24 So the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do that on the Sabbath!”
25 Jesus answered, “Have you never read what David did that time when he needed something to eat? He and his men were hungry, 26 (F)so he went into the house of God and ate the bread offered to God. This happened when Abiathar was the High Priest. According to our Law only the priests may eat this bread—but David ate it and even gave it to his men.”
27 And Jesus concluded, “The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Footnotes
- Mark 2:15 in Levi's house; or in his (that is Jesus') house.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
