14 Then, moving on, He saw Levi(A) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,(B) and He said to him, “Follow Me!”(C) So he got up and followed(D) Him.

Dining with Sinners

15 While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors(E) and sinners(F) were also guests[a](G) with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. 16 When the scribes(H) of the Pharisees[b](I) saw that He was eating(J) with sinners(K) and tax collectors,(L) they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat[c] with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need(M) a doctor,(N) but the sick(O) do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous,(P) but sinners.”(Q)

A Question about Fasting

18 Now(R) John’s(S) disciples(T) and the Pharisees[d](U) were fasting.(V) People came and asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

19 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests[e] cannot fast while the groom(W) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time[f] will come(X) when the groom is taken away from them,(Y) and then they will fast(Z) in that day. 21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,(AA) and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine(AB) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst(AC) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins.[g] But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:15 Lit reclining (at the table); at important meals the custom was to recline on a mat at a low table and lean on the left elbow.
  2. Mark 2:16 Other mss read scribes and Pharisees
  3. Mark 2:16 Other mss add and drink
  4. Mark 2:18 Other mss read the disciples of John and of the Pharisees
  5. Mark 2:19 Lit The sons of the bridal chamber
  6. Mark 2:20 Lit the days
  7. Mark 2:22 Other mss read the wine spills out and the skins will be ruined

14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”(A) Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees(B) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(C)

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(D)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(E)

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.(F) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them,(G) and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

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The Call of Matthew

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office,(A) and He said to him, “Follow Me!” 28 So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow Him.

Dining with Sinners

29 Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for Him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests[a] with them.(B) 30 But the Pharisees and their scribes(C) were complaining to His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus replied to them, “The healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

A Question about Fasting

33 Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but Yours eat and drink.”[b]

34 Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests[c] fast while the groom is with them, can you? 35 But the time[d] will come(D) when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days.”

36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined. 38 But new wine should be put into fresh wineskins.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 5:29 Lit were reclining (at the table); at important meals the custom was to recline on a mat at a low table and lean on the left elbow.
  2. Luke 5:33 Other mss read “Why do John’s . . . drink?” (as a question)
  3. Luke 5:34 Or the friends of the groom; lit sons of the bridal chamber
  4. Luke 5:35 Lit days
  5. Luke 5:38 Other mss add And so both are preserved.

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners(A)

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

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

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.”(G)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(H)

33 They said to him, “John’s disciples(I) 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(J) fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;(K) 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.

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