GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 One day Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. The people crowded around him as they listened to God's word.
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So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
2 Jesus saw two boats on the shore. The fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets.
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and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.
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.
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Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When he finished speaking, he told Simon, "Take the boat into deep water, and lower your nets to catch some fish."
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When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5 Simon answered, "Teacher, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I'll lower the nets."
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But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."
6 After the men had done this, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear.
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And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
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.
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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 the boats, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he knelt in front of Jesus and said, "Leave me, Lord! I'm a sinful person!"
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When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
9 Simon and everyone who was with him was amazed to see the large number of fish they had caught.
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For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;
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."
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and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."
11 Simon and his partners brought the boats to shore, left everything, and followed Jesus.
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So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
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."
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And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
13 Jesus reached out, touched him, and said, "I want to. So be clean!" Immediately, his skin disease went away.
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Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him.
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."
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And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."
15 The news about Jesus spread even more. Large crowds gathered to hear him and have their diseases cured.
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However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16 But he would go away to places where he could be alone for prayer.
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So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
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.
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Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
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.
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Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.
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.)
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And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Sir, your sins are forgiven."
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When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
21 The scribes and the Pharisees thought, "Who is this man? He's dishonoring God! Who besides God can forgive sins?"
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And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, "What are you thinking?
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But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23 Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
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Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?
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."
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But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
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.
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Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 Everyone was amazed and praised God. They were filled with awe and said, "We've seen things today we can hardly believe!"
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And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
27 After that, Jesus left. He saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in a tax office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!"
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After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me."
28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
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So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Levi held a large reception at his home for Jesus. A huge crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.
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Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.
30 The Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus' disciples. They asked, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
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And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31 Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor; those who are sick do.
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Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
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."
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I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
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."
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Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"
34 Jesus asked them, "Can you force wedding guests to fast while the groom is still with them?
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And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35 The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. At that time they will fast."
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But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."
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.
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Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
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.
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And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38 Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.
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But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
39 "No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine. He says, 'The old wine is better!'"
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And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.' "
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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.