1 Now it came to pass, as the multitude was pressing upon Him, and hearing the word of God, that He was standing by the lake Gennesaret;
2 and He saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen, having gone out of them, were washing their nets.
3 And, entering into one of the boats, which was Simon's, He asked him to put out a little from the land; and, having taken a seat, He was teaching the multitudes out of the boat.
4 And, when He ceased speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught."
5 And Simon, answering, said, "Master, having toiled through the whole night, we took nothing; but at Thy word I will let down the nets."
6 And, doing this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking.
7 And they beckoned to their partners in the other boat, to come and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they were sinking.
8 And Simon Peter, seeing it, fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, "Depart from me; because I am a sinful man, O Lord;"
9 for astonishment seized him, and all those with him, on account of the draught of the fishes which they took;
10 and likewise also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Fear not; henceforth you will catch men."
11 And, having brought their boats to the land, leaving all, they followed Him.
12 And it came to pass, while He was in one of the cities, behold, a man full of leprosy; and, when he saw Jesus, falling on his face, he besought Him, saying, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."
13 And, stretching forth His hand, He touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean." And straightway the leprosy departed from him.
14 And He charged him to tell no one; but, "Departing, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."
15 But the report concerning Him was going abroad the more; and many multitudes were coming together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities.
16 And He was wont to retire into the deserts, and pray.
17 And it came to pass, on one of the days, that He was teaching; and there were sitting by Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come out of every village of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present with Him to heal.
18 And, behold, men bearing on a couch a man who was a paralytic, and they were seeking to bring him in, and place him before Him.
19 And, not finding by what means they might bring him in because of the multitude, having gone up on the housetop, they let him down through the tiles with the couch, into the midst, before Jesus.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is This that is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God only?"
22 But Jesus, perceiving their reasonings, answering, said to them, "Concerning what are ye reasoning in your hearts?
23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk?'
24 But, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority on the earth to forgive sins (He said to the paralyzed man), I say to you, arise; and, taking up your couch, go to your house."
25 And, immediately rising up before them, having taken up that on which he was lying, he departed to his house, glorifying God.
26 And astonishment seized them all, and they were glorifying God, and were filled with fear, saying, "We saw wonderful things to-day!"
27 And, after these things, He went forth, and beheld a tax-collector, Levi by name, sitting at the tax-office; and He said to him, "Follow Me."
28 And, having forsaken all, rising up, he followed Him.
29 And Levi made a great reception for Him in his house; and there was a great multitude of tax-collectors and of others who were reclining at table with them.
30 And the Pharisees and their scribes were murmuring against the disciples, saying, "Why are ye eating and drinking with the tax-collectors and sinners?"
31 And Jesus, answering, said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
33 And they said to Him, "The disciples of John fast often, and make supplications; likewise also those of the Pharisees; but Thine are eating and drinking!"
34 And Jesus said to them, "Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
35 But the days will come; and, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then they will fast in those days."
36 And He spake also a parable to them: "No one, rending a piece from a new garment, puts it on an old garment; else both the new will cause a rent, and the piece from the new will not agree with the old.
37 "And no one puts new wine into old wine-skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be poured out, and the skins will perish.
38 But new wine must be put into fresh skins.
39 And no one, having drunk old wine, wishes new; for he says, 'The old is mellow.'