| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. | 1Now after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home. |
| 2They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. | 2So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them. |
| 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. | 3Some people came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. |
| 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. | 4When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. |
| 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." | 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." |
| 6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, | 6Now some of the experts in the law were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds: |
| 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" | 7"Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" |
| 8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? | 8Now immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, he said to them, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? |
| 9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? | 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk'? |
| 10But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the man, | 10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,"--he said to the paralytic-- |
| 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." | 11"I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home." |
| 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" | 12And immediately the man stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" |
| 13Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. | 13Jesus went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them. |
| 14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. | 14As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," he said to him. And he got up and followed him. |
| 15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. | 15As Jesus was having a meal in Levi's home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. |
| 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" | 16When the experts in the law and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" |
| 17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." | 17When Jesus heard this he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." |
| 18Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" | 18Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. So they came to Jesus and said, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?" |
| 19Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. | 19Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast. |
| 20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. | 20But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and at that time they will fast. |
| 21"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. | 21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. |
| 22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins." | 22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be destroyed. Instead new wine is poured into new wineskins." |
| 23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. | 23Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat as they made their way. |
| 24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" | 24So the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?" |
| 25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? | 25He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry-- |
| 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." | 26how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread, which is against the law for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?" |
| 27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. | 27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. |
| 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." | 28For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." |
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