Luke 5
5
Jesus’ First Followers
1One day while Jesus was standing beside Lake Galilee, many people were pressing all around him to hear the word of God. 2Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, and asked him to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down and continued to teach the people from the boat.
4When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Take the boat into deep water, and put your nets in the water to catch some fish.”
5Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, and we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water, so I will.” 6When the fishermen did as Jesus told them, they caught so many fish that the nets began to break. 7They called to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they were almost sinking.
8When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” 9He and the other fishermen were amazed at the many fish they caught, as were 10James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people.” 11When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Jesus Heals a Sick Man
12When Jesus was in one of the towns, there was a man covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed before him and begged him, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.”
13Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” Immediately the disease disappeared. 14Then Jesus said, “Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest and offer a gift for your healing, as Moses commanded. This will show the people what I have done.”
15But the news about Jesus spread even more. Many people came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses, 16but Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
17One day as Jesus was teaching the people, the Pharisees and teachers of the law from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem were there. The Lord was giving Jesus the power to heal people. 18Just then, some men were carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and put him down before Jesus. 19But because there were so many people there, they could not find a way in. So they went up on the roof and lowered the man on his mat through the ceiling into the middle of the crowd right before Jesus. 20Seeing their faith, Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought to themselves, “Who is this man who is speaking as if he were God? Only God can forgive sins.”
22But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why are you thinking these things? 23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 24But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, stand up, take your mat, and go home.”
25At once the man stood up before them, picked up his mat, and went home, praising God. 26All the people were fully amazed and began to praise God. They were filled with much respect and said, “Today we have seen amazing things!”
Levi Follows Jesus
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” 28So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people were eating there, too. 30But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to Jesus’ followers, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to invite good people but sinners to change their hearts and lives.”
Jesus Answers a Question
33They said to Jesus, “John’s followers often fast for a certain time and pray, just as the Pharisees do. But your followers eat and drink all the time.”
34Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is still with them. 35But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
36Jesus told them this story: “No one takes cloth off a new coat to cover a hole in an old coat. Otherwise, he ruins the new coat, and the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth. 37Also, no one ever pours new wine into old leather bags. Otherwise, the new wine will break the bags, the wine will spill out, and the leather bags will be ruined. 38New wine must be put into new leather bags. 39No one after drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, ‘The old wine is better.’ ”
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Luke 5: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Luke 5
5
1And it came to pass, as the crowd pressed on him to hear the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret: 2and he saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen, having come down from them, were washing their nets. 3And getting into one of the ships, which was Simon's, he asked him to draw out a little from the land; and he sat down and taught the crowds out of the ship. 4But when he ceased speaking, he said to Simon, Draw out into the deep water and let down your nets for a haul. 5And Simon answering said to him, Master, having laboured through the whole night we have taken nothing, but at thy word I will let down the net. 6And having done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes. And their net broke. 7And they beckoned to their partners who were in the other ship to come and help them, and they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were sinking. 8But Simon Peter, seeing it, fell at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord. 9For astonishment had laid hold on him, and on all those who were with him, at the haul of fishes which they had taken; 10and in like manner also on James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; henceforth thou shalt be catching men. 11And having run the ships on shore, leaving all they followed him.
12And it came to pass as he was in one of the cities, that behold, there was a man full of leprosy, and seeing Jesus, falling upon his face, he besought him saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to cleanse me. 13And stretching forth his hand he touched him, saying, I will; be thou cleansed: and immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14And he enjoined him to tell no one; but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing as Moses ordained, for a testimony to them. 15But the report concerning him was spread abroad still more, and great crowds came together to hear, and to be healed from their infirmities. 16And he withdrew himself, and was about in the desert places and praying.
17And it came to pass on one of the days, that he was teaching, and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judaea and out of Jerusalem; and the Lord's power was there to heal them. 18And lo, men bringing upon a couch a man who was paralysed; and they sought to bring him in, and put him before him. 19And not finding what way to bring him in, on account of the crowd, going up on the housetop they let him down through the tiles, with his little couch, into the midst before Jesus. 20And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason in their minds, saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins but God alone? 22But Jesus, knowing their reasonings, answering said to them, Why reason ye in your hearts? 23which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24But that ye may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, he said to the paralysed man, I say to thee, Arise, and take up thy little couch and go to thine house. 25And immediately standing up before them, having taken up that whereon he was laid, he departed to his house, glorifying God. 26And astonishment seized all, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.
27And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me. 28And having left all, rising up, he followed him. 29And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house, and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and others who were at table with them. 30And their scribes and the Pharisees murmured at his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with tax-gatherers and sinners? 31And Jesus answering said to them, They that are in sound health have not need of a physician, but those that are ill. 32I am not come to call righteous persons, but sinful ones to repentance. 33And they said to him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make supplications, in like manner those also of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink? 34And he said to them, Can ye make the sons of the bridechamber fast when the bridegroom is with them? 35But days will come when also the bridegroom will have been taken away from them; then shall they fast in those days. 36And he spoke also a parable to them: No one puts a piece of a new garment upon an old garment, otherwise he will both rend the new, and the piece which is from the new will not suit with the old. 37And no one puts new wine into old skins, otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be poured out, and the skins will be destroyed; 38but new wine is to be put into new skins, and both are preserved. 39And no one having drunk old wine straightway wishes for new, for he says, The old is better.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.