1 And it happened that the crowd pressed on Him to hear the Word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret.2 And He saw two boats standing by the lake. But the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.3 And He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, He asked him to thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people out of the boat.4 And as He stopped speaking, He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let your nets down for a haul.5 And answering, Simon said to Him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Yet at Your word I will let down the net.6 And doing this, they enclosed a great multitude of fish. And their net was being torn.7 And they signaled the partners, those in the other boat, to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they were sinking.8 And seeing, Simon Peter fell at the knees of Jesus, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the haul of fish which they had taken,10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not fear, from now on you will be taking men alive.11 And bringing their boats onto land, forsaking all things, they followed Him.12 And it happened, as He was in a certain city, behold, a man full of leprosy! And seeing Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, Lord, if You will, You can cleanse me.13 And stretching out the hand, He touched him, saying, I will! Be clean! And immediately the leprosy departed from him.14 And He commanded him, Tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.15 But the word about Him spread even more. And great crowds were coming to hear, and to be healed from their infirmities by Him.16 But He was drawing back in the wilderness, and praying.17 And it happened on one of the days, even He was teaching. And Pharisees and teachers of the Law were sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was there, for the curing of them.18 And behold, men carrying, on a cot, a man who was paralyzed. And they sought to bring him in and to lay him before Him.19 And not finding a way by which they might bring him in through the crowd, going up on the housetop, they let him down through the tiles with his cot into the midst, before Jesus.20 And seeing their faith, He said to him, Man, your sins are forgiven you.21 And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, except God alone?22 But knowing their thoughts, answering, Jesus said to them, Why do you reason in your hearts?23 Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven you; or to say, Rise up and walk?24 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, Arise, and take up your cot and go to your house.25 And immediately he rose up before them and took up that on which he lay. And he departed to his own house, glorifying God.26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, We saw wonderful things today.27 And after these things He went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, Follow Me.28 And leaving all, he rose up and followed Him.29 And Levi made a great feast in his own house for Him. And there was a great company of tax-collectors and of others who were reclining with them.30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against His disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?31 And Jesus answered and said to them, Those who are sound do not need a physician, but those who are sick.32 I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.33 And they said to Him, Why do John's disciples fast often and make prayers, and also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?34 But He said to them, Can you make the sons of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them?35 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast in those days.36 And He also spoke a parable to them: No one puts a piece of a new garment on an old garment. Otherwise, both the new will tear, and the old does not match the piece from the new.37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskin will perish.38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved together.39 Also no one having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, The old is better.