Mark 2
1 And Jesus again entered into Capernaum, after some days. And when they heard that he was in the house,
[Jesus and his disciples] returned to Capernaum [town]. A few days later, because it was {people} heard that Jesus was in [his] house,
2 many were assembled, so that the house could not contain them, not even before the door. And he held discourse with them.
many people gathered there. As a result, [after the people filled the house], there was no longer space to stand [in the house or outside] around the doorway. Jesus preached [God’s] message to them.
3 And they came to him and brought to him a paralytic, borne between four persons.
Some people came to the house bringing to Jesus a man who was paralyzed. He was carried by four men {Four men carried [him]} [on a sleeping pad].
4 And as they could not come near him on account of the crowd, they ascended to the roof, and removed the covering of the place where Jesus was, and let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
They were not able to bring the man to Jesus because there was a crowd there. So they [went up the steps to the flat roof and] removed [some of] the tiles [above] where Jesus was. Then, after they made a [big] hole in the roof, they lowered [by ropes] the sleeping pad on which the paralyzed man lay. They lowered [it through the hole, down in front of Jesus].
5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: My son, thy sins are forgiven thee.
After Jesus perceived that the men believed [that he could heal this man], he said to the paralyzed man, “My friend, [I] forgive your sins!”
6 And there were some Scribes and Pharisees there, who sat and reasoned in their hearts:
There were some men who taught [the Jewish] laws sitting there. They started thinking like this:
7 Who is this speaking, blasphemy? Who can forgive sins, except God only?
“(Who does this man think he is, talking like that/This man shouldn’t talk like that!) [RHQ]? (He is insulting God!/Does he think he is God?) [RHQ] (No person can forgive sins!/Who can forgive sins?) [RHQ] Only God can forgive sins!”
8 And Jesus knew, in his spirit, that they thus reasoned in themselves; and he said to them: Why reason ye thus in your heart?
Jesus sensed that they were deliberating like that within themselves. So he said to them, “(You should not question within yourselves [whether I have the right to forgive this man’s sins]!/Why do you question [whether I have the right to forgive this man’s sins]?) [RHQ]
9 Which is the easier, to say to a paralytic, Thy sins are forgiven thee? or to say, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk?
It is [not risky] [RHQ] for someone to tell the man who is paralyzed, ‘Your sins are forgiven {[I] forgive your sins},’ [because no one can prove that it has happened]. But no one would say to him, ‘Get up, pick up your stretcher, and then walk away’, [unless he really had the power to heal him, because people can easily see whether it happens or not].
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, he said to the paralytic,
So I [will do something] in order that you may know that [God] has authorized me, the one who came from heaven, to forgive sins on earth [as well as to heal people].” Then he said to the paralyzed man,
11 I say to thee, Arise, take thy bed, and go to thy house.
“To you I say, ‘Get up! Pick up your sleeping pad! And then go home!’”
12 And he arose in that hour, took up his bed, and departed in presence of them all: so that they were all amazed, and praised God, saying: We never saw the like.
The man stood up immediately! He picked up the sleeping pad, and then he went away, while all the people [there] were watching. They were all amazed, and they praised God and said, “We have never before seen anything like [what happened] just now!”
13 And he went again to the sea; and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them.
Jesus left [Capernaum town again and walked with his disciples] alongside [Galilee] lake. A large crowd came to him. Then he taught them.
14 And as he passed along he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting among the publicans. And he said to him: Come after me. And he arose and went after him.
As he walked on further, he saw a man named Levi, whose other name was Matthew, and whose father’s name was Alpheus. He was sitting in his office where he collected taxes [for the Roman government]. Jesus said to him, “Come with me [and become my disciple]!” So he got up and went with Jesus.
15 And it was so, that as he reclined in his Levi's house, many publicans and sinners reclined with Jesus and with his disciples: for they were many, and they followed him.
[Later], Jesus was eating a meal in Levi’s house. Many men who collected taxes and [other] people who were [considered to be] sinning regularly were eating with Jesus and his disciples. [This was not surprising], for there were many people like this who were going [everywhere] with Jesus.
16 And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw that he ate with publicans and with sinners, they said to his disciples: Why doth he eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
The [men who taught the Jewish] laws [who were there] and who were members of the Pharisee [sect] saw that Jesus was eating with men who collected taxes and [others who were considered] {[whom they considered]} [to be] sinners. So they said to his disciples, “(It is disgusting that he eats with [such disgusting] men as those who collect taxes, and with [other] sinners!/Why is it that he eats with [such disgusting] men as those who collect taxes, and with [other] sinners?)” [RHQ]
17 When Jesus heard it, he said to them: The healthy need not a physician, but those laboring under disease: I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners.
After Jesus heard [what they were saying], he said to the men who taught the [Jewish] laws, “People who [consider that they] are well do not seek a doctor. On the contrary, it is those who are sick [who seek a doctor] [MET]!” [This he said to indicate that it was those who knew that they had sinned who were coming to him in order that he might help them spiritually]. And he said, “I did not come to invite people [who think that] [IRO] they are righteous [to come to me and turn from their sinful behavior]. On the contrary, I came [from heaven to invite] people who [know that they] are sinners, [in order that they might turn from their sins and come to me].”
18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasters; and they came and said to him: Why are the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fasters, and thy disciples fast not?
The disciples of John [the Baptizer] and some men who belonged to the Pharisee [sect] used to abstain from food [to show that they wanted to please God]. One day, some people came [to Jesus] and asked him [critically], “The disciples of John and the Pharisees (fast/abstain from food) [from time to time], but your disciples do not. [We think they should abstain from food also. What do you say about that] [RHQ]?”
19 Jesus said to them: Can the guests of the nuptial chamber fast so long as the bridegroom is with them? No.
[Jesus wanted them to understand that it was not appropriate for his disciples to show sorrow by abstaining from food while he was still with them]. So he said to them, “When a man is marrying a woman, his friends will certainly not abstain from food while he is still with them, will they [RHQ]? No. During the time that he is with them, they will not abstain from food [because they are happy together].
20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast, in that day.
But some day, he will be taken away {his [enemies] will take him away} from them. Then, in those days, they will abstain from food, [because they will be sad].”
21 No one taketh a patch of new cloth and seweth it upon an old garment, lest the supplemental new should take from the old, and the rent become the greater.
[Jesus wanted to show that those who desire to live in accordance with his new message should not try to continue to obey the old religious traditions like fasting. So he also said to them], “People do not sew a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment [in order to mend a hole]. If they did that, [when they washed the garment, the patch would shrink] and the new [piece of cloth] would tear off more of the old cloth. As a result, the hole would become bigger!
22 And no one putteth new wine into old sacks, lest the wine burst the sacks, and the sacks be spoiled, and the wine spilled; but they put new wine into new sacks.
[Similarly], people do not put newly [squeezed] grape juice into old skin bags [to store it]. If they did that, that juice will burst the skin bags [because they would not stretch when the wine ferments and expands]. As a result both the wine and the skin bags would be ruined! On the contrary, people must put new wine into new skin bags!” [MET]
23 And it was so, that as Jesus on a sabbath walked in the tillage grounds, his disciples walked and plucked the ears.
On one (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest) Jesus was walking through some grain fields with his disciples. As they were walking along [through the grain fields], the disciples were plucking some of the heads of grain. [They rubbed them in their hands to remove the chaff, and were eating the grain. The laws of Moses permitted people to do that if they were hungry].
24 And the Pharisees said to him: See, how on the sabbath, they do that which is not lawful?
[Some of] the Pharisees [saw them doing what they considered to be work. So they] said to him, “Look! (They should not be doing on our (Sabbath day/day of rest) [work] that our laws forbid!/Why are they doing on our (Sabbath day/day of rest) [work] that our laws forbid?) [RHQ]”
25 Jesus said to them: Have ye never read what David did, when he had need and was hungry, he and his attendants?
[Jesus wanted to show them that the record in the Scriptures indicated that God permitted people to disobey certain religious laws when they needed food]. So he said to them, “[It is written in the Scriptures] what [our revered ancestor, King] David, did when he needed food, and both he and the men with him were hungry. You have read about that, but ([you do not think about what it implies./why do you not think about what it implies]?) [RHQ]
26 How he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Lord's table, which it was not lawful for any but priests to eat, and gave it also to those with him?
During the time Abiathar was high priest, David entered the big tent [where people worshipped] God [and asked for some bread. The high priest gave him some] of the loaves of bread. That bread was the bread he had presented to God. It was permitted in one of Moses’ laws that only the priests could eat that bread! But David ate some of it. Then he also gave some of it to the men who were with him. [But God did not consider that was wrong!]”
27 And he said to them: The sabbath was made on man's account, and not man for the sake of the sabbath.
Jesus said to them further, “[God] established (the day of rest/the Sabbath day) [to help] people! He did not create people to [obey rules about] (the Sabbath/the day of rest)!
28 Therefore also the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.
And [think about this]: I am the one who came from heaven. So I have the authority [to determine what is right for my disciples to do] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day)!”
