New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.

1And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.

2Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them,

2And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.

3four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.

3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

4They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.

4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.

5Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,

6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,

7“What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

7“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?

8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?

9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?

9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?

10 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,

10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—

11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

11“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”

12And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

12And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

13Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.

13He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.

14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

15And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

16But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum? ”

16And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

17When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” A Discussion about Fasting

17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

18Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

19Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them.

19And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

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

20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

21No 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 wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.” A Discussion about the Sabbath

22And no one puts new wine into old 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.”

23One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat.

23One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.

24But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

24And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

25Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:

26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate 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?”

27Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

27And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

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.