Luke 5

1 Now it happened, while the crowd was pressing in on him and listening to the word of God, that he himself was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, [a] 2 and he saw two boats standing at the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing the nets. 3 And getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land; and sitting down, he was teaching the crowds from the boat.

4 And when he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard through the whole night and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the nets.” [b] 6 And when they had done this, they closed in a great number of fish; and their nets were tearing. 7 And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; and they came, and they filled both the boats, so that they were sinking.

8 And when Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.” 9 For amazement had gripped him and all those with him at the catch of the fish they had taken, 10 and so also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men alive.” [c] 11 And when they had brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

12 And it happened, while he was in one of the cities — and look, a man full of leprosy. And seeing Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” [d] 13 And stretching out his hand he touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” And immediately the leprosy went away from him. 14 And he himself charged him to tell no one — “but go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses prescribed, as a testimony to them.” [e]

15 But the word about him was spreading all the more, and large crowds were coming together to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses. 16 But he himself was withdrawing into the deserted places and praying.

17 And it happened on one of the days that he was teaching, and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there who had come out of every village of Galilee and Judea and out of Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was there for him to heal. [f] 18 And look, men carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and lay him in front of him. 19 And not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up onto the housetop and let him down through the tiles, with his little bed, into the middle, in front of Jesus.

20 And seeing their faith he said, “Man, your sins have been forgiven you.” [g] 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins but God alone?” 22 But Jesus, recognizing their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins —” he said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, get up, and pick up your little bed and go to your house.” [h]

25 And at once he stood up in front of them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went away to his house, giving glory to God. 26 And amazement took hold of them all, and they were giving glory to God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We saw extraordinary things today.” [j]

27 And after these things he went out and looked at a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything behind, he got up and was following him. 29 And Levi made a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and of others who were reclining at table with them.

30 And the Pharisees and their scribes were grumbling at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill. 32 I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners to a change of mind.” [k] †

33 And they said to him, “John’s disciples fast often and make prayers, and so do those of the Pharisees; but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make the sons of the bridal chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But days will come — and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast, in those days.”

36 And he also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will tear the new, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled out and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins. [l] 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants new; for he says, ‘The old is good.’” [m]