1As the crowd pressed in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.
2He saw two boats at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.
3He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push it out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
4After he finished speaking, he told Simon, “Go out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
5Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night and didn’t catch anything. But because you say so, I will let down the net.”
6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their net began to break.
7They motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats until they began to sink.
8But when Simon Peter saw it, he knelt before Jesus and said, "Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man."
9He and everyone with him were astonished by the large number of fish they had caught;
10James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners, were also amazed. Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will be catching people and bringing them to new life."
11When they brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
12While Jesus was in one of the towns, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
13Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.
14Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices for your cleansing that Moses commanded. This will be a public testimony for them."
15However, the news about Jesus spread even more, and large crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16But Jesus often went away to the wilderness to pray.
17One day, as Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby. They had come from every village in Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The Lord’s power was with Jesus to heal the sick.
18Just then, some men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They tried to bring him inside to place him in front of Jesus.
19Because of the large crowd, they couldn't find a way to get him in. So they climbed onto the roof, removed some tiles, and lowered him and his mat into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
21The religious scholars and Pharisees began to think, "Who is this man speaking blasphemy? Who can forgive sins except God alone?"
22But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, asked them, "Why are you questioning this in your hearts?
23Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Get up and walk?'
24But to show you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." (He then spoke to the paralyzed man), "I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home."
25Immediately, the man stood up in front of them all, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, praising God.
26Everyone was amazed and praised God. They were filled with fear and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!”
28Levi left everything, got up, and followed him.
29Levi prepared a big dinner for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors and other people were eating with them.
30The Jewish religious teachers and the Pharisees complained to Jesus’ disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do.
32I have not come to invite good people, but sinners to change their ways.”
33They asked him, “Why do John’s followers often fast and pray, and so do the Pharisees’ followers, but yours eat and drink?”
34He said to them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them?
35But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.”
36He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment to patch an old one. If they do, they will tear the new garment, and the new patch won’t match the old.
37Also, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will burst the skins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.
38Instead, new wine must be poured into new wineskins, and then both are preserved.
39No one who has been drinking old wine immediately wants new wine, because they say, ‘The old is better.’”