Mark 2

The Paralyzed Man Healed

1When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2And 1many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 32And some people came, bringing to Him a man who was 3paralyzed, carried by four men. 4And when they were unable to 4get to Him because of the crowd, they 5removed the roof 6above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the 7paralyzed man was lying. 5And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralyzed man, “Son, 8your sins are forgiven.” 6But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, 7“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! 9Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 8Immediately Jesus, aware 10in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the 11paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--He said to the paralyzed man, 11“I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.” 12And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and 12were glorifying God, saying, “13We have never seen anything like this!”

13And He went out again by the seashore; and 14all the 15people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

Levi (Matthew) Called

1416As He passed by, He saw 1718Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, “19Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

15And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and 20sinners were 21dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16When 22the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the 23sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “24Why is He eating with tax collectors and 25sinners?” 17And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “26It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

1827John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19And Jesus said to them, “While the groom is with them, 28the attendants of the groom cannot fast, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20But the 29days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast, on that day.

21“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, 30the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

Question of the Sabbath

2331And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while 32picking the heads of grain. 24The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, 33why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26how he entered the house of God in the 34time of 35Abiathar the high priest, and ate the 36consecrated bread, which 37is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27Jesus said to them, “38The Sabbath 39was made 40for man, and 41not man 42for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”