Mark 2
1 A few days later Jesus returned home to Capernaum, and news spread that he was there.
When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was at home.
2 So many people crowded inside the house that it was packed, even outside the door, as Jesus told them the message.
Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.
3 Four men had brought a man who was paralyzed,
Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him.
4 but they could not get near Jesus because of the crowds. So they went up on the roof and took it apart. After they had made an opening above Jesus, they lowered down the mat with the paralyzed man lying on it.
When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on.
5 When Jesus saw the trust these men had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 Some of the religious teachers sitting there thought to themselves,
But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 “Why is he talking like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins? Only God can do that!”
“Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking. He said to them, “Why are you thinking like this?
Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts?
9 What's easier: to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk’?
10 But to convince you that the Son of man has the right to forgive sins,
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—
11 I say to you (the paralyzed man), ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.’”
“I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”
12 He stood up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of everyone there. They were all amazed, and praised God, saying “We've never ever seen anything like this!”
He arose, and immediately took up the mat and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
13 Jesus went out beside the sea once more and taught the crowds that came to him.
He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them.
14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax-collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him. Levi got up and followed Jesus.
As he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him.
15 That evening Jesus ate dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and “sinners” joined Jesus and his disciples for the meal, for there were many of these people that followed Jesus.
He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him.
16 When the religious leaders of the Pharisees saw Jesus eating with such people, they asked Jesus' disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It's not healthy people who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I haven't come to invite those who live right, but those who don't—the sinners.”
When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some of them came to Jesus, and asked him, “Why is it that John's disciples and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't?”
John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”
19 “Do wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” Jesus asked them. “No. While the bridegroom's with them, they can't fast.
Jesus said to them, “Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can’t fast.
20 But the day is coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they'll fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
21 No one puts a patch that's not shrunk on old clothes. Otherwise the new piece will shrink away from the old, and make the tear worse.
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.
22 No one puts new wine in old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the wineskins, and both the wine and wineskins will be wasted. No. You put new wine in new wineskins.”
No one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins.”
23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through the grain fields, his disciples started picking heads of grain as they walked along.
He was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.
24 The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Look, why are they doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath?”
The Pharisees said to him, “Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?”
25 “Haven't you ever read what David did when he and his men were hungry and in need?” Jesus asked them.
He said to them, “Did you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry—he, and those who were with him?
26 “He went into God's house when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the consecrated bread which no one except the priests are permitted to eat, and gave it to his men too.”
How he entered into God’s house at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?”
27 “The Sabbath was made for your benefit, not for you to benefit the Sabbath,” he told them.
He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28 “So the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
