Mark 2:13-17 - Levi Called To Follow Jesus

¹³ And he went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he began to teach them. ¹⁴ And [as he] was passing by, he saw Levi the [son] of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me!" And he stood up [and] followed him.

¹⁵ And it happened that he {was dining} in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners {were dining with} Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they were following him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, [when they] saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, began to say to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹⁷ And [when] Jesus heard [it], he said to them, "Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those {who are sick}. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

²⁷ And after these [things], he went out and saw a tax collector {named} Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me!" ²⁸ And leaving everything behind, he got up [and] began to follow him.

²⁹ And Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining for the meal with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes began to complain to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"

³¹ And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those {who are sick}. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."