The Paralytic Healed

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And (A)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. (B)And they *came, bringing to Him a (C)paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to [a]get to Him because of the crowd, they (D)removed the roof [b]above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the (E)paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, [c]Son, (F)your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; (G)who can forgive sins [d]but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware [e]in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the (H)paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and (I)were glorifying God, saying, “(J)We have never seen anything like this.”

13 And He went out again by the seashore; and (K)all the [f]people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

Levi (Matthew) Called

14 (L)As He passed by, He saw [g](M)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, (N)Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

15 And it *[h]happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [i]sinners [j]were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When (O)the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “(P)Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and [k]sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, (Q)It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

18 (R)John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, [l]the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the (S)days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

21 “No one sews [m]a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise [n]the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

Question of the Sabbath

23 (T)And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while (U)picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, (V)why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of (W)Abiathar the high priest, and ate the [o]consecrated bread, which (X)is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, (Y)The Sabbath [p]was made [q]for man, and (Z)not man [r]for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:4 Lit bring to
  2. Mark 2:4 Lit where He was
  3. Mark 2:5 Lit child
  4. Mark 2:7 Lit if not one, God
  5. Mark 2:8 Lit by
  6. Mark 2:13 Lit crowd
  7. Mark 2:14 also called Matthew
  8. Mark 2:15 Lit happens
  9. Mark 2:15 I.e. irreligious Jews
  10. Mark 2:15 Lit were reclining with
  11. Mark 2:16 I.e. irreligious Jews
  12. Mark 2:19 Lit sons of the bridal-chamber
  13. Mark 2:21 Lit that which is put on
  14. Mark 2:21 Lit that which fills up
  15. Mark 2:26 Or showbread; lit loaves of presentation
  16. Mark 2:27 Or came into being
  17. Mark 2:27 Lit because for the sake of
  18. Mark 2:27 Lit because for the sake of

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers(B) that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man,(C) carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”(D)

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(E)

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man(F) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God,(G) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”(H)

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners(I)

13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him,(J) and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”(K) 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(L) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(M)

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.”(N)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(O)

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.(P) 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,(Q) 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.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(R)(S)

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.(T) 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”(U)

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest,(V) he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.(W) And he also gave some to his companions.”(X)

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man,(Y) not man for the Sabbath.(Z) 28 So the Son of Man(AA) is Lord even of the Sabbath.”