The First Disciples
1 On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,
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He saw two boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
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Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.
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When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
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“Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”
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When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear.
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So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
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When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.”
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For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
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and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
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And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.