1 IT happened that, as the crowd was pressing upon him and listening to the word of God, he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret,

2 and he saw two boats by the shore. The fishermen had gone away from them and were washing their nets.

3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push off a little from the land. Then, sitting down, he taught the people from the boat.

4 When he ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch."

5 Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night and caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets."

6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great mass of fishes and their nets began to break.

7 They beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. They came, and both the boats were filled so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down on his knees before Jesus and said, "Leave my boat and me, Sir, for I am a sinful man."

9 For amazement seized him and all those who were with him at the catch of fishes they had taken.

10 It was just the same with James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. But Jesus said to Simon, "Never fear; from now on you will be catching men."

11 Then they brought their boats to land and left all and followed him.

12 It happened that, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man present full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Sir, if you will, you can cleanse me."

13 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said, "I will it; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Jesus commanded him to tell no one. "But go," he said, "and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing as Moses commanded, for evidence to them."

15 But all the more the reports about him spread, and great crowds came together to hear and to be healed of their infirmities.

16 But he stayed out in the wild country and prayed.

17 It happened on one of those days that he was teaching, and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting who had come from every village of Galilee and Judaea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal.

18 Then came some men bearing on a bed a man who was paralytic, and they tried to bring him in and lay him before Jesus.

19 When they could not contrive to bring him in on account of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his pallet into the midst in front of Jesus.

20 He saw their faith and said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

21 The scribes and Pharisees began to argue, saying, "Who is this man who speaks profane words? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

22 But Jesus perceived their arguing and asked them, "What are you arguing in your hearts?

23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?

24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on the earth to forgive sins" \'97 he said to the paralytic \'97 "I tell you, Rise and take up your pallet and go to your house."

25 Immediately he stood up before them and took up what he had been lying on and went away to his house, glorifying God.

26 Amazement seized them all and they gave glory to God, yet they were also filled with awe, and said, "We have seen astonishing things today!"

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me."

28 Leaving everything, he arose and followed him.

29 Levi held a great reception for him at his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.

30 The Pharisees and their scribes grumbled to his disciples, and said, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

31 Jesus answered them, "The well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick have.

32 I have not come to call righteous men, but sinners to a change of heart."

33 They said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do those of the Pharisees, but your followers eat and drink."

34 Jesus said to them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?

35 But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast \'97 in those days."

36 He gave them also some illustrations. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak and sews it on an old cloak. If he did, he would make a tear in his new cloak, and even in the old cloak the patch taken from the new would not match.

37 And no one puts new wine into old wine-skins. If he did, the new wine would burst the skins and it would be spilled, and the skins would be ruined.

38 But new wine must be put into new wine-skins.

39 And no one after drinking old wine wishes to drink new, for he says, 'The old is fine.' "