THE FIRST DISCIPLES

5 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word,m he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.B 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats,o which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”p

5 “Master,”q Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”C

6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their netsC began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”r 9 For he and all those with him were amazeds at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,”t Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.”u 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.v

A MAN CLEANSED

12 While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy* all over him.w He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him,x saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then he ordered him to tell no one:y “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”

15 But the newsE about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.z

THE SON OF MAN FORGIVES AND HEALS

17 On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the lawaa were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him.ab 18 Just then some men came,ac carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him. 19 Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend,A your sins are forgiven.”

21 Then the scribes and the Phariseesa began to think to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”b

22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts?B 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.c 26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awed and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

THE CALL OF LEVI

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office,e and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.

29 Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table C with them.f 30 But the Pharisees and their scribesg were complaining to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

A QUESTION ABOUT FASTING

33 Then they said to him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but yours eat and drink.”D

34 Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you? 35 But the timeC will comeh when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days.”

36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.A 39 And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”B

LORD OF THE SABBATH

6 On a Sabbath, he passed through the grainfields.i His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”j

3 Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry—4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?k He even gave some to those who were with him.”l 5 Then he told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

6 On another Sabbathm he entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The scribes and Pharisees were watching him closely,n to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against him.o 8 But he knew their thoughtsp and told the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand here.”C So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”q 10 After looking around at them all,r he told him, “Stretch out your hand.”s He did, and his hand was restored.D 11 They, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.

THE TWELVE APOSTLES

12 During those days he went out to the mountain to prayt and spent all night in prayer to God. 13 When daylight came, he summoned his disciples,u and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:v 14 Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas;a James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

TEACHING AND HEALING

17 After coming down with them, he stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.b 18 They came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well. 19 The whole crowd was trying to touch him,c because power was coming out from him and healing them all.d

THE BEATITUDES

20 Then looking up at his disciples, he said:e

Blessed are you who are poor,

because the kingdom of God is yours.

21 Blessed are you who are hungry now,

because you will be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

because you will laugh.

22 Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you,f insult you,

and slander your name as evilg

because of the Son of Man.h

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.i

WOE TO THE SELF-SATISFIED

24 But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your comfort.

25 Woe to you who are now full,

for you will be hungry.

Woe to you Awho are now laughing,

for you will mourn and weep.

26 Woe to youA

when all people speak well of you,

for this is the way their ancestors

used to treat the false prophets.j

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.k 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek,l offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.m 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.n 33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?o Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.p For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.q

DO NOT JUDGE

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.r Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.s 38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap.t For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”u

39 He also told them a parable: “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?v 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.w

41 “Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam of wood in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye.

A TREE AND ITS FRUIT

43 “A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit.A,x 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

THE TWO FOUNDATIONS

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?a 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them:b 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great.”c