Matthew 4:18-22 - Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁸ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. ¹⁹ And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ²⁰ And they immediately left their nets, and followed him.

²¹ And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. ²² And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

¹⁶ Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

¹⁷ And Jesus said unto them, Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets, and followed him. ¹⁹ And when he had gone a little farther from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. ²⁰ And immediately he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

²¹ And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

¹ And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, ² And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. ³ And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and asked him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

⁴ Now when he had ceased speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.

⁵ And Simon answering said unto him, Teacher, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.

⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fish: and their net broke. ⁷ And they beckoned unto their partners, who were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ⁹ For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of the fish which they had taken: ¹⁰ And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from now on you shall catch men. ¹¹ And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.