Luke 5

The First Disciples

5One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee

, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.G1161G1096G1722G3793G1945G846G191G3056G2316G2532G846G2258G2476G3844G3041G1082 2He noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.G2532G1492G1417G4143G2476G3844G3041G1161G231G576G575G846G637G1350 3Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon

, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.G1161G1684G1519G1520G4143G3739G2258G4613G2065G846G1877G3641G575G1093G2532G2523G1321G3793G1537G4143 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish."G1161G5613G3973G2980G2036G4314G4613G1877G1519G899G2532G5465G5216G1350G1519G61 5"Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again."G2532G4613G611G2036G846G1988G2872G3650G1223G3571G2983G3762G1161G1909G4675G4487G5465G1350 6And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!G2532G4160G5124G4160G4788G4183G4128G2486G1161G846G1350G1284 7A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.G2532G2656G3353G3588G1722G2087G4143G2064G4815G846G2532G2064G2532G4130G297G4143G5620G846G1036 8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, "Oh, Lord, please leave me—I'm too much of a sinner to be around you."G1161G4613G4074G1492G4363G2424G1119G3004G1831G575G1700G3754G1510G268G435G2962 9For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.G1063G846G4023G2285G2532G3956G4862G846G1909G61G2486G3739G4815 10His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!"G1161G3668G2532G2385G2532G2491G5207G2199G3739G2258G2844G4613G2532G2424G2036G4314G4613G5399G3361G575G3568G2071G2221G444 11And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.G2532G2609G4143G1909G1093G863G537G190G846

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

12In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. "Lord," he said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean."G2532G1096G846G1511G1722G1722G3391G4172G2532G2400G435G4134G3014G2532G1492G2424G4098G1909G4383G1189G846G3004G2962G1437G2309G1410G2511G3165G2511 13Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared.G2532G1614G5495G680G846G2036G2309G2511G2532G2112G3014G565G575G846 14Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, "Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy

. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed."G2532G846G3853G846G2036G3367G235G565G1166G4572G2409G2532G4374G4012G4675G2512G2531G3475G4367G1519G3142G846 15But despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.G1161G3123G1330G3056G1330G4012G846G2532G4183G3793G4905G191G2532G2323G5259G846G575G846G769 16But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.G1161G2258G5298G846G1722G2048G2532G4336

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

17One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby.

And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus.G2532G1096G1722G3391G2250G2532G846G2258G1321G2532G2258G5330G2532G3547G2521G3739G2258G2064G1537G3956G2968G1056G2532G2449G2532G2419G2532G1411G2962G2258G1519G2390G846 18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus,G2532G2400G435G5342G1909G2825G444G3739G2258G3886G2532G2212G1533G846G1533G2532G5087G1799G846 19but they couldn't reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.G2532G2147G3361G2147G1223G4169G1533G846G1533G1223G3793G305G1909G1430G2524G846G2524G1223G2766G4862G2826G1519G3319G1715G2424 20Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven."G2532G1492G846G4102G2036G846G444G4675G266G863G4671 21But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, "Who does he think he is? That's blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!"G2532G1122G2532G5330G756G1260G3004G5101G2076G3778G3739G2980G988G5101G1410G863G266G1508G2316G3441 22Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts?G1161G2424G1921G846G1261G611G2036G4314G846G5101G1260G1722G5216G2588 23Is it easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'?G5101G2076G2123G2036G4675G266G863G4671G2228G2036G1453G2532G4043 24So 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, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!"G1161G2443G1492G3754G5207G444G2192G1849G1909G1093G863G266G2036G3886G3004G4671G1453G2532G142G4675G2826G4198G1519G4675G3624 25And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.G2532G3916G450G1799G846G142G1909G3739G2621G565G1519G846G3624G1392G2316 26Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, "We have seen amazing things today!"G2532G2983G537G1611G2532G1392G2316G2532G4130G5401G3004G3754G1492G3861G4594

Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

27Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him.G2532G3326G5023G1831G2532G2300G5057G3686G3018G2521G1909G5058G2532G2036G846G190G3427 28So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.G2532G2641G537G450G190G846 29Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi's fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.G2532G3018G4160G846G3173G1403G1722G846G3614G2532G2258G4183G3793G5057G2532G243G3739G2258G2621G3326G846 30But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with such scum?

"G2532G846G1122G2532G5330G1111G4314G846G3101G3004G1302G2068G2532G4095G3326G5057G2532G268 31Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do.G2532G2424G611G2036G4314G846G5198G5532G2192G3756G2395G235G2192G2560 32I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."G2064G3756G2564G1342G235G268G1519G3341

A Discussion about Fasting

33One day some people said to Jesus, "John the Baptist's disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?"G1161G2036G4314G846G1302G3522G3101G2491G3522G4437G2532G4160G1162G2532G3668G3588G5330G1161G4674G2068G2532G4095 34Jesus responded, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not.G1161G2036G4314G846G3361G1410G4160G5207G3567G3522G3739G1722G3566G2076G3326G846 35But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."G1161G2250G2064G3752G2532G3566G522G575G846G5119G3522G1722G1565G2250 36Then Jesus gave them this illustration: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn't even match the old garment.G1161G3004G2532G3850G4314G846G3754G3762G1911G1915G2537G2440G1909G2440G3820G1490G2532G2537G4977G2532G1915G575G2537G4856G3756G3820 37"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.G2532G3762G906G3501G3631G1519G3820G779G1490G3501G3631G4486G779G2532G846G1632G2532G779G622 38New wine must be stored in new wineskins.G235G3501G3631G992G1519G2537G779G2532G297G4933 39But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. 'The old is just fine,' they say."G3762G2532G4095G3820G2112G2309G3501G1063G3004G3820G2076G5543