New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.

1On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,

2He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

2and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

3Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

5“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”

5And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

6And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!

6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

7A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”

8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

9For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.

9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,

10His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”

10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

11And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

12In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

12While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

13Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

13And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.

14Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

14And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

15But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.

15But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.

16But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

16But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

17One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

17On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.

18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus,

18And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus,

19but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

19but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.

20Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

20And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

21But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?

22When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts?

23 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?

23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?

24 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

25And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.

25And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.

26Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

26And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

27Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him.

27After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.”

28So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

28And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

29Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.

29And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.

30But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum? ”

30And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.

31And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” A Discussion about Fasting

32I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

33One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”

33And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.”

34Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not.

34And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?

35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

35The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”

36Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.

36He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.

37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.

38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins.

38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

39And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.