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,