1 When He had comeback to Capernaum several daysafterward, it was heard that He was at home.
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And 1many were gatheredtogether, so that there was nolongerroom, not evennear the door; and He was speaking the word to them.
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2And they came, bringing to Him a 3paralytic, carried by fourmen.
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Being unable* to get to Him because of the crowd, they 4removed the roofabove Him; and when they had dug an opening, they letdown the pallet on which the 5paralytic was lying.
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And Jesusseeing their faithsaid to the paralytic, "Son, 6your sins are forgiven."
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But some of the scribes were sittingthere and reasoning in their hearts,
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"Why does thismanspeak that way? He is blaspheming; 7whocanforgivesins but Godalone?"
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ImmediatelyJesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that waywithinthemselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about thesethings in your hearts?
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"Which is easier, to say to the 8paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven '; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk '?
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"But so that you may know that the Son of Manhasauthority on earth to forgivesins "-He said to the paralytic,
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"I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and gohome."
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And he got up and immediatelypicked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were allamazed and 9were glorifyingGod, saying, "10We have neverseen anything likethis."
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And He went out again by the seashore; and 11all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.
Levi (Matthew) Called
1412As He passed by, He saw13Levi the son of Alphaeussitting in the taxbooth, and He said to him, "14Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.
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And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and manytaxcollectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.
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When 15the scribes of the Phariseessaw that He was eating with the sinners and taxcollectors, they said to His disciples, "16Why is He eating and drinking with taxcollectors and sinners?"
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And hearing this, Jesussaid to them, "17It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
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18John'sdisciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, "Why* do John'sdisciples and the disciples of the Phariseesfast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
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And Jesussaid to them, "While* the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroomcannotfast, can they? Solong as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot*fast.
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"But the 19days will comewhen the bridegroom is takenaway from them, and then they will fast in that day.
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"Noonesews a patch of unshrunkcloth on an oldgarment; otherwise the patchpullsaway from it, the new from the old, and a worsetearresults.
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"Nooneputsnewwine into oldwineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts newwine into freshwineskins."
Question of the Sabbath
2320And it happened that He was passingthrough the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciplesbegan to make their way along while 21picking the heads of grain.
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The Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, 22why are they doingwhat is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
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And He said to them, "Have you neverreadwhatDaviddidwhen he was in need and he and his companions* became hungry;
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how he entered the house of God in the time of 23Abiathar the highpriest, and ate the consecratedbread, which24is not lawful for anyone to eatexcept the priests, and he alsogave it to those who were with him?"
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Jesus said to them, "25The Sabbath was made for man, and 26not man for the Sabbath.
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"So the Son of Man is Lordeven of the Sabbath."