New International Version NIV
The Message Bible MSG
1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.
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After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home.
2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
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A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word.
3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.
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They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men.
4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
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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 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
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Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins."
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,
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Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves,
7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
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"He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins."
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?
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Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical?
9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
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Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'?
10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,
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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 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
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"Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home."
12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
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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 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.
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Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them.
14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
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Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." He came.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
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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 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
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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 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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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 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”
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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 answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.
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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 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
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21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.
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He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match.
22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”
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And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles."
23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.
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One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain.
24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
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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 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?
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Jesus said, "Really? Haven't you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him?
26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
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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 he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
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Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath.
28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
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The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He's in charge!"
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.