Parallel Bible results for "Mark 2"

Mark 2

New Living Translation NLT

1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.

2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them,

3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.

4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,

7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?

9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?

10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,

11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.

14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum? ”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

18 Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

19 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them.

20 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat.

24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

The Message Bible MSG

1 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home.

2 A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word.

3 They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men.

4 When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher.

5 Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins."

6 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves,

7 "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins."

8 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical?

9 Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'?

10 Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic),

11 "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home."

12 And the man did it - got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous - and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!"

13 Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them.

14 Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." He came.

15 Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers.

16 The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riff-raff?"

17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit."

18 The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus: "Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don't?"

19 Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!"

20

21 He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match.

22 And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles."

23 One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain.

24 As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: "Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!"

25 Jesus said, "Really? Haven't you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him?

26 How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching - holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat - and handed it out to his companions?"

27 Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath.

28 The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He's in charge!"