1
Now it happened that, when the crowds pressed toward him, so that they might hear the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Genesaret.
2
And he saw two boats standing beside the lake. But the fishermen had climbed down, and they were washing their nets.
3
And so, climbing into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, he asked him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting down, he taught the crowds from the boat.
4
Then, when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Lead us into deep water, and release your nets for a catch.”
5
And in response, Simon said to him: “Teacher, working throughout the night, we caught nothing. But on your word, I will release the net.”
6
And when they had done this, they enclosed such a copious multitude of fish that their net was rupturing.
7
And they signaled to their associates, who were in the other boat, so that they would come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were nearly submerged.
8
But when Simon Peter had seen this, he fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
9
For astonishment had enveloped him, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish that they had taken.
10
Now the same was true of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were associates of Simon. And Jesus said to Simon: “Do not be afraid. From now on, you will be catching men.”
11
And having led their boats to land, leaving behind everything, they followed him.
The Leper’s Prayer
12
And it happened that, while he was in a certain city, behold, there was a man full of leprosy who, upon seeing Jesus and falling to his face, petitioned him, saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to cleanse me.”
13
And extending his hand, he touched him, saying: “I am willing. Be cleansed.” And at once, the leprosy departed from him.
14
And he instructed him that he should tell no one, “But go, show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your cleansing, just as Moses has commanded, as a testimony for them.”
15
Yet word of him traveled around all the more. And great crowds came together, so that they might listen and be cured by him from their infirmities.
16
And he withdrew into the desert and prayed.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17
And it happened, on a certain day, that he again sat down, teaching. And there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting nearby, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present, to heal them.
18
And behold, some men were carrying in the bed of a man who was paralyzed. And they sought a way to bring him in, and to place him before him.
19
And not finding a way by which they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they climbed up to the roof, and they let him down through the roof tiles with his bed, into their midst, in front of Jesus.
20
And when he saw his faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21
And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: “Who is this, who is speaking blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God alone?”
22
But when Jesus realized their thoughts, responding, he said to them: “What are you thinking in your hearts?
23
Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?’
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But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the paralytic, “I say to you to: Rise up, take up your bed, and go into your house.”
25
And at once, rising up in their sight, he took up the bed on which he was lying, and he went away to his own house, magnifying God.
26
And astonishment took hold of everyone, and they were magnifying God. And they were filled with fear, saying: “For we have seen miracles today.”
Jesus Calls Levi
27
And after these things, he went out, and he saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the customs office. And he said to him, “Follow me.”
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And leaving behind everything, rising up, he followed him.
29
And Levi made a great feast for him in his own house. And there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others, who were sitting at table with them.
30
But the Pharisees and scribes were murmuring, saying to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31
And responding, Jesus said to them: “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who have maladies.
32
I have not come to call the just, but sinners to repentance.”
Questions about Fasting
33
But they said to him, “Why do the disciples of John fast frequently, and make supplications, and those of the Pharisees act similarly, while yours eat and drink?”
34
And he said to them: “How can you cause the sons of the groom to fast, while the groom is still with them?
35
But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast, in those days.”
The Patches and the Wineskins
36
Then he also made a comparison for them: “For no one sews a patch from a new garment onto an old garment. Otherwise, he both disrupts the new one, and the patch from the new one does not join together with the old one.
37
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine ruptures the wineskins, and it will be poured out, and the wineskins will be lost.
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Instead, the new wine is put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
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And no one who is drinking the old, soon wishes for the new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”
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