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

¹⁸ And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. ¹⁹ And he saith to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ²⁰ And straitway leaving the nets they followed him.

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

¹⁶ And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother,

¹⁷ casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers) And Jesus said to them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. ¹⁸ And straightway leaving their nets, they followed him. And having gone thence a little farther, ¹⁹ he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were also in the vessel, mending their nets: ²⁰ And he called them; and immediately leaving their father Zebedee in the vessel with the hired servants, they went after him.

²¹ And they go into Capernaum. And straightway on the sabbath, he went into the synagogue and taught.

¹ And as the multitude pressed on him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesareth, ² And saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. ³ And going into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he desired him to thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the multitude out of the boat.

⁴ When he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

⁵ But Simon answering said to him, Master, Having toiled all the night, we have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word, I will let down the net.

⁶ And having done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake. ⁷ And they beckoned to their partners, who were in the other boat, to come and help them; and they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

⁸ Simon Peter seeing it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ⁹ For astonishment seized him, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes, ¹⁰ which they had taken, And in like manner also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men. ¹¹ And when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him.