The Darby Translation DBY
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 And it came to pass, as the crowd pressed on him to hear the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret:
1
One day Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. The people crowded around him as they listened to God's word.
2 and he saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen, having come down from them, were washing their nets.
2
Jesus saw two boats on the shore. The fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets.
3 And getting into one of the ships, which was Simon's, he asked him to draw out a little from the land; and he sat down and taught the crowds out of the ship.
3
So Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to push off a little from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowd from the boat.
4 But when he ceased speaking, he said to Simon, Draw out into the deep [water] and let down your nets for a haul.
4
When he finished speaking, he told Simon, "Take the boat into deep water, and lower your nets to catch some fish."
5 And Simon answering said to him, Master, having laboured through the whole night we have taken nothing, but at thy word I will let down the net.
5
Simon answered, "Teacher, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I'll lower the nets."
6 And having done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes. And their net broke.
6
After the men had done this, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear.
7 And they beckoned to their partners who were in the other ship to come and help them, and they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were sinking.
7
So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. Their partners came and filled both boats until the boats nearly sank.
8 But Simon Peter, seeing it, fell at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.
8
When Simon Peter saw this, he knelt in front of Jesus and said, "Leave me, Lord! I'm a sinful person!"
9 For astonishment had laid hold on him, and on all those who were with him, at the haul of fishes which they had taken;
9
Simon and everyone who was with him was amazed to see the large number of fish they had caught.
10 and in like manner also on James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; henceforth thou shalt be catching men.
10
James and John, who were Zebedee's sons and Simon's partners, were also amazed. Jesus told Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will catch people instead of fish."
11 And having run the ships on shore, leaving all they followed him.
11
Simon and his partners brought the boats to shore, left everything, and followed Jesus.
12 And it came to pass as he was in one of the cities, that behold, there was a man full of leprosy, and seeing Jesus, falling upon his face, he besought him saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to cleanse me.
12
One day Jesus was in a city where there was a man covered with a serious skin disease. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground. He begged Jesus, "Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean."
13 And stretching forth his hand he touched him, saying, I will; be thou cleansed: and immediately the leprosy departed from him.
13
Jesus reached out, touched him, and said, "I want to. So be clean!" Immediately, his skin disease went away.
14 And he enjoined him to tell no one; but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing as Moses ordained, for a testimony to them.
14
Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone. Instead, show yourself to the priest. Then offer the sacrifice as Moses commanded as proof to people that you are clean."
15 But the report concerning him was spread abroad still more, and great crowds came together to hear, and to be healed from their infirmities.
15
The news about Jesus spread even more. Large crowds gathered to hear him and have their diseases cured.
16 And *he* withdrew himself, and was about in the desert [places] and praying.
16
But he would go away to places where he could be alone for prayer.
17 And it came to pass on one of the days, that *he* was teaching, and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judaea and [out of] Jerusalem; and [the] Lord's power was [there] to heal them.
17
One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and experts in Moses' Teachings were present. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. Jesus had the power of the Lord to heal.
18 And lo, men bringing upon a couch a man who was paralysed; and they sought to bring him in, and put [him] before him.
18
Some men brought a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They tried to take him into the house and put him in front of Jesus.
19 And not finding what way to bring him in, on account of the crowd, going up on the housetop they let him down through the tiles, with his little couch, into the midst before Jesus.
19
But they could not find a way to get him into the house because of the crowd. So they went up on the roof. They made an opening in the tiles and let the man down on his stretcher among the people. (They lowered him in front of Jesus.)
20 And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
20
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Sir, your sins are forgiven."
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason [in their minds], saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins but God alone?
21
The scribes and the Pharisees thought, "Who is this man? He's dishonoring God! Who besides God can forgive sins?"
22 But Jesus, knowing their reasonings, answering said to them, Why reason ye in your hearts?
22
Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, "What are you thinking?
23 which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
23
Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, he said to the paralysed man, I say to thee, Arise, and take up thy little couch and go to thine house.
24
I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
25 And immediately standing up before them, having taken up that whereon he was laid, he departed to his house, glorifying God.
25
The man immediately stood up in front of them and picked up the stretcher he had been lying on. Praising God, he went home.
26 And astonishment seized all, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.
26
Everyone was amazed and praised God. They were filled with awe and said, "We've seen things today we can hardly believe!"
27 And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me.
27
After that, Jesus left. He saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in a tax office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!"
28 And having left all, rising up, he followed him.
28
So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29 And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house, and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and others who were at table with them.
29
Levi held a large reception at his home for Jesus. A huge crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.
30 And their scribes and the Pharisees murmured at his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with tax-gatherers and sinners?
30
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus' disciples. They asked, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31 And Jesus answering said to them, They that are in sound health have not need of a physician, but those that are ill.
31
Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor; those who are sick do.
32 I am not come to call righteous [persons], but sinful [ones] to repentance.
32
I've come to call sinners to change the way they think and act, not to call people who think they have God's approval."
33 And they said to him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make supplications, in like manner those also of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?
33
They said to him, "John's disciples frequently fast and say prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. But your disciples eat and drink."
34 And he said to them, Can ye make the sons of the bridechamber fast when the bridegroom is with them?
34
Jesus asked them, "Can you force wedding guests to fast while the groom is still with them?
35 But days will come when also the bridegroom will have been taken away from them; then shall they fast in those days.
35
The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. At that time they will fast."
36 And he spoke also a parable to them: No one puts a piece of a new garment upon an old garment, otherwise he will both rend the new, and the piece which is from the new will not suit with the old.
36
He also used these illustrations: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new coat to patch an old coat. Otherwise, the new cloth will tear the old. Besides, the patch from the new will not match the old.
37 And no one puts new wine into old skins, otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be poured out, and the skins will be destroyed;
37
People don't pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will make the skins burst. The wine will run out, and the skins will be ruined.
38 but new wine is to be put into new skins, and both are preserved.
38
Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.
39 And no one having drunk old wine [straightway] wishes for new, for he says, The old is better.
39
"No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine. He says, 'The old wine is better!'"
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GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.