Mark 2

1 And entering again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he is at home. [a] 2 And many gathered, so that there was no longer room, not even at the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 And they come, bringing to him a paralyzed man carried by four. 4 And not being able to bring him to him because of the crowd, they took off the roof where he was, and having dug through, they lower the mat where the paralyzed man was lying. [b]

5 And seeing their faith Jesus says to the paralyzed man, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming. Who is able to forgive sins but one — God?” [c]

8 And at once Jesus, knowing in his spirit that they are reasoning like this among themselves, says to them, “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and pick up your mat and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins —” he says to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat and go to your house.” 12 And he got up and at once, picking up the mat, went out in front of them all, so that they were all beside themselves and gave glory to God, saying, “We never saw it like this.” [d]

13 And he went out again beside the sea; and the whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And passing along he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he says to him, “Follow me.” And getting up he followed him.

15 And it happens that he is reclining at table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they were following him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, seeing that he is eating with the sinners and tax collectors, were saying to his disciples, “Why does he eat with the tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And Jesus, hearing it, says to them, “Those who are strong have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill. I did not come to call righteous people but sinners.” [e] †

18 And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And they come and say to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the sons of the bridal chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise what fills it pulls away from it — the new from the old — and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is destroyed, and the skins. But new wine into new wineskins.” [f]

23 And it happened that he was going through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and his disciples began to make their way, plucking the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing on the Sabbath what is not permitted?” 25 And he says to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him — 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the chief priest and ate the loaves of the setting-out, which it is not permitted to eat except for the priests, and gave them also to those who were with him?” [g] †

27 And he was saying to them, “The Sabbath came into being for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of the Sabbath; 28 so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”