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Calling of the First Disciples(A)

One day Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. The people crowded around him as they listened to God’s word. Jesus saw two boats on the shore. The fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets. So Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to push off a little from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowd from the boat.

When he finished speaking, he told Simon, “Take the boat into deep water, and lower your nets to catch some fish.”

Simon answered, “Teacher, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll lower the nets.”

After the men had done this, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. Their partners came and filled both boats until the boats nearly sank.

When Simon Peter saw this, he knelt in front of Jesus and said, “Leave me, Lord! I’m a sinful person!” Simon and everyone who was with him were amazed to see the large number of fish they had caught. 10 James and John, who were Zebedee’s sons and Simon’s partners, were also amazed.

Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will catch people instead of fish.”

11 Simon and his partners brought the boats to shore, left everything, and followed Jesus.

Jesus Cures a Man with a Skin Disease(B)

12 One day Jesus was in a city where there was a man covered with a serious skin disease. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground. He begged Jesus, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.” [a]

13 Jesus reached out, touched him, and said, “I want to. So be clean!” Immediately, his skin disease went away.

14 Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, show yourself to the priest. Then offer the sacrifice as Moses commanded as proof to people that you are clean.”

15 The news about Jesus spread even more. Large crowds gathered to hear him and have their diseases cured. 16 But he would go away to places where he could be alone for prayer.

Jesus Forgives Sins(C)

17 One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and experts in Moses’ Teachings were present. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. Jesus had the power of the Lord to heal.

18 Some men brought a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They tried to take him into the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19 But they could not find a way to get him into the house because of the crowd. So they went up on the roof. They made an opening in the tiles and let the man down on his stretcher among the people. (They lowered him in front of Jesus.)

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Sir, your sins are forgiven.” 21 The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees thought, “Who is this man? He’s dishonoring God! Who besides God can forgive sins?”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, “What are you thinking? 23 Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

25 The man immediately stood up in front of them and picked up the stretcher he had been lying on. Praising God, he went home.

26 Everyone was amazed and praised God. They were filled with awe and said, “We’ve seen things today we can hardly believe!”

Jesus Chooses Levi [Matthew] to Be a Disciple(D)

27 After that, Jesus left. He saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in a tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

29 Levi held a large reception at his home for Jesus. A huge crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

30 The Pharisees and their experts in Moses’ Teachings complained to Jesus’ disciples. They asked, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. 32 I’ve come to call sinners to change the way they think and act, not to call people who think they have God’s approval.”

Jesus Is Questioned about Fasting(E)

33 They said to him, “John’s disciples frequently fast and say prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. But your disciples eat and drink.”

34 Jesus asked them, “Can you force wedding guests to fast while the groom is still with them? 35 The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. At that time they will fast.”

36 He also used these illustrations: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new coat to patch an old coat. Otherwise, the new cloth will tear the old. Besides, the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will make the skins burst. The wine will run out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.

39 “No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine. He says, ‘The old wine is better!’ ”

Footnotes

  1. 5:12 Clean   ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God.

Jesus Calls His First Disciples(A)

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.(B) He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.(C)

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”(D)

Simon answered, “Master,(E) we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.(F) But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.(G) So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”(H) For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid;(I) from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.(J)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy(K)

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.[b](L) When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone,(M) but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded(N) for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more,(O) so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.(P)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man(Q)

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law(R) were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.(S) 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”(T)

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(U)

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man(V) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.(W) They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners(X)

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,”(Y) Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.(Z)

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors(AA) and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect(AB) complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”(AC)

31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”(AD)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(AE)

33 They said to him, “John’s disciples(AF) often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom(AG) fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;(AH) in those days they will fast.”

36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 5:1 That is, the Sea of Galilee
  2. Luke 5:12 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.