Jesus Calls the First Disciples
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by
1the lake of Gennesaret,
2
2and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were
3washing their nets.
3
Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And
4he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4
And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
5"Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5
And Simon answered, "Master,
6we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets."
6
And when they had done this,
7they enclosed a large number of fish, and
8their nets were breaking.
7
They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
9And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
8
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying,
10"Depart from me, for
11I am a sinful man, O Lord."
9
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,
10
and so also were James and John, 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."
11
And when they had brought their boats to land,
12they left everything and followed him.