The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 And when he came into Capernaum again after some days, the news went about that he was in the house.
1
A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home.
2 And a great number had come together, so that there was no longer room for them, no, not even about the door: and he gave them teaching.
2
So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them
3 And four men came to him with one on a bed who had no power of moving.
3
when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus.
4 And when they were unable to get near him because of all the people, they got the roof uncovered where he was: and when it was broken up, they let down the bed on which the man was.
4
Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat.
5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to him, Son, you have forgiveness for your sins.
5
Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven."
6 But there were certain of the scribes seated there, and reasoning in their hearts,
6
Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves,
7 Why does this man say such things? he has no respect for God: from whom does forgiveness come but from God only?
7
"How does he dare talk like this? This is blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!"
8 And Jesus, having knowledge in his spirit of their thoughts, said to them, Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?
8
At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, "Why do you think such things?
9 Which is the simpler, to say to a man who is ill, You have forgiveness for your sins, or, Get up, take up your bed, and go?
9
Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'?
10 But so that you may see that the Son of man has authority for the forgiveness of sins on earth, (he said to the man,)
10
I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man,
11 I say to you, Get up, take up your bed, and go to your house.
11
"I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!"
12 And he got up, and straight away took up the bed and went out before them all, so that they were all full of wonder, and gave glory to God, saying, We have never seen anything like this.
12
While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
13 And he went out again by the seaside; and all the people came to him, and he gave them teaching.
13
Jesus went back again to the shore of Lake Galilee. A crowd came to him, and he started teaching them.
14 And when he went by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, seated at the place where taxes were taken, and he said to him, Come with me. And he got up, and went with him.
14
As he walked along, he saw a tax collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him.
15 And it came about that he was seated at meat in his house, and a number of tax-farmers and sinners were at table with Jesus and his disciples: for there were a great number of them, and they came after him.
15
Later on Jesus was having a meal in Levi's house. A large number of tax collectors and other outcasts was following Jesus, and many of them joined him and his disciples at the table.
16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was taking food with the tax-farmers and sinners, said to his disciples, Why does he take food and drink with such men?
16
Some teachers of the Law, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with these outcasts and tax collectors, so they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such people?"
17 And Jesus, hearing it, said to them, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill: I have come not to get the upright but sinners.
17
Jesus heard them and answered, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts."
18 And John's disciples and the Pharisees were taking no food: and they came and said to him, Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees go without food, but your disciples do not?
18
On one occasion the followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and asked him, "Why is it that the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?"
19 And Jesus said to them, Will the friends of a newly-married man go without food while he is with them? as long as they have him with them they will not go without food.
19
Jesus answered, "Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that.
20 But the days will come when the husband will be taken away from them, and then they will go without food.
20
But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
21 No man puts a bit of new cloth on an old coat: or the new, by pulling away from the old, makes a worse hole.
21
"No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch up an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear off some of the old cloth, making an even bigger hole.
22 And no man puts new wine into old wine-skins: or the skins will be burst by the wine, and the wine and the skins will be wasted: but new wine has to be put into new wine-skins.
22
Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins."
23 And it came about that on the Sabbath day he was going through the grain-fields; and while they were walking, his disciples took the heads of grain.
23
Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. As his disciples walked along with him, they began to pick the heads of wheat.
24 And the Pharisees said to him, Why are they doing what it is not right to do on the Sabbath?
24
So the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do that on the Sabbath!"
25 And he said to them, Have you no knowledge of what David did, when he had need and was without food, he, and those who were with him?
25
Jesus answered, "Have you never read what David did that time when he needed something to eat? He and his men were hungry,
26 How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and took for food the holy bread, which only the priests may take, and gave it to those who were with him?
26
so he went into the house of God and ate the bread offered to God. This happened when Abiathar was the High Priest. According to our Law only the priests may eat this bread - but David ate it and even gave it to his men."
27 And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath;
27
And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath.
28 So that the Son of man is lord even of the Sabbath.
28
So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.