The First Disciples (Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; John 1:35–42)
1 ULT And it happened that the crowd was pressing in on him and listening to the word of God, and he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. BSB BSB: On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,
2 ULT And he saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them{ and} were washing their nets. BSB BSB: He saw two boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
3 ULT Then he got into one of the boats, which was Simon’ s,{ and} asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down{ and} was teaching the crowds from the boat. BSB BSB: Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.
4 ULT Then when he stopped speaking, he said to Simon,“Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” BSB BSB: When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 ULT But answering, Simon said,“Master, we worked through the entire night{ and} caught nothing, but at your word, I will let down the nets.” BSB BSB: “Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 ULT And having done this, they caught a very large number of fish, and their nets began to break. BSB BSB: When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear.
7 ULT And they signaled to their partners in the other boat that they should come to help them, and they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. BSB BSB: So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 ULT But Simon Peter, having seen{ it}, he fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying,“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” BSB BSB: When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.” 9 ULT For amazement had seized him and all the ones with him at the catch of fish that they had taken, BSB BSB: For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
10 ULT and likewise also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon,“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” BSB BSB: and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
11 ULT And having brought the boats to the land, they left everything{ and} followed him. BSB BSB: And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.
The Leper’s Prayer (Leviticus 14:1–32; Matthew 8:1–4; Mark 1:40–45)
12 ULT And it happened that he was in one of the cities, and behold, a man full of leprosy. And seeing Jesus, he fell on his face{ and} begged him, saying,“Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” BSB BSB: While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
13 ULT And having reached out his hand, he touched him, saying,“I am willing. Be clean.” And immediately the leprosy departed from him. BSB BSB: Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 ULT And he commanded him to tell no one, but,“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.” BSB BSB: “Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
15 ULT But the word about him spread even more, and large crowds came together to hear him and to be healed from their sicknesses. BSB BSB: But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16 ULT But he was withdrawing into the deserted places and praying. BSB BSB: Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic (Matthew 9:1–8; Mark 2:1–12)
17 ULT And it happened on one of those days that he was teaching, and there were Pharisees and law teachers sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, and power of the Lord was upon him to heal. BSB BSB: One day Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea, and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.
18 ULT And behold, men carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him inside and to set him before him. BSB BSB: Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They tried to bring him inside to set him before Jesus,
19 ULT And not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, having gone up to the housetop, they let him down through the tiles on his mat into the midst before Jesus. BSB BSB: but they could not find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 ULT And having seen their faith, he said,“Man, your sins are forgiven you.” BSB BSB: When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 ULT And the scribes and the Pharisees began to debate, saying,“Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?” BSB BSB: But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 ULT But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, answering said to them,“Why are you debating in your hearts? BSB BSB: Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus replied, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
23 ULT Which is easier, to say,‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say,‘Get up and walk?’ BSB BSB: Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24 ULT But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins,”— he said to the one that had been paralyzed—“I say to you, get up, and picking up your mat, go to your house.” BSB BSB: But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
25 ULT And immediately he got up before them, picked up that on which he had been lying, and went away to his house glorifying God. BSB BSB: And immediately the man stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.
26 ULT And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God, and they were filled with fear, saying,“We have seen astonishing things today.” BSB BSB: Everyone was taken with amazement and glorified God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew 9:9–13; Mark 2:13–17)
27 ULT And after these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector’ s office, and he said to him,“Follow me.” BSB BSB: After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him,
28 ULT And having left everything behind, having gotten up, he began to follow him. BSB BSB: and Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him.
29 ULT And Levi made a great banquet in his house for him, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others, who were reclining to eat with them. BSB BSB: Then Levi hosted a great banquet for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors was there, along with others who were eating with them.
30 ULT But the Pharisees and their scribes were murmuring to his disciples, saying,“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” BSB BSB: But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 ULT And answering, Jesus said to them,“The ones being well do not have need of a physician, but the ones having sickness. BSB BSB: Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
32 ULT I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” BSB BSB: I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Questions about Fasting (Matthew 9:14–15; Mark 2:18–20)
33 ULT Then they said to him,“The disciples of John often fast and make prayers, and likewise the ones of the Pharisees. But the ones of yours eat and drink.” BSB BSB: Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”
34 ULT Then he said to them,“You are not able to make the sons of the bridal chamber fast while the bridegroom is still with them, are you? BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them?
35 ULT But days will indeed come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then, in those days, they will fast.” BSB BSB: But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
The Patches and the Wineskins (Matthew 9:16–17; Mark 2:21–22)
36 ULT Then he also spoke a parable to them.“No one, having torn a piece of cloth from a new garment, puts it onto an old garment. But if not, the new will tear, and the old will not match the piece that is from the new. BSB BSB: He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will tear the new garment as well, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
37 ULT And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. But if not, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled out, and the wineskins will be destroyed. BSB BSB: And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38 ULT But one must put new wine into new wineskins. BSB BSB: Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.
39 ULT No one, having drunk the old, wants the new, for he says,‘The old is better.’” BSB BSB: And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”