Luke, 5

1. Now it happened that he was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God,

1. While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes'aret.

2. when he caught sight of two boats at the water's edge. The fishermen had got out of them and were washing their nets.

2. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

3. He got into one of the boats -- it was Simon's -- and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

3. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4. When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.'

4. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."

5. Simon replied, 'Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.'

5. And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets."

6. And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear,

6. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking,

7. so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled both boats to sinking point.

7. they beckoned 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 fell at the knees of Jesus saying, 'Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.'

8. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

9. For he and all his companions were completely awestruck at the catch they had made;

9. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken;

10. so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. But Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on it is people you will be catching.'

10. and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men."

11. Then, bringing their boats back to land they left everything and followed him.

11. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

12. Now it happened that Jesus was in one of the towns when suddenly a man appeared, covered with a skin-disease. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him saying, 'Sir, if you are willing you can cleanse me.'

12. While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

13. He stretched out his hand, and touched him saying, 'I am willing. Be cleansed.' At once the skin-disease left him.

13. And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.

14. He ordered him to tell no one, 'But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your cleansing just as Moses prescribed, as evidence to them.'

14. And he charged him to tell no one; but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people."

15. But the news of him kept spreading, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their illnesses cured,

15. But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities.

16. but he would go off to some deserted place and pray.

16. But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

17. Now it happened that he was teaching one day, and Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was there so that he should heal.

17. On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.

18. And now some men appeared, bringing on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him.

18. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus;

19. But as they could find no way of getting the man through the crowd, they went up onto the top of the house and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus.

19. but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.

20. Seeing their faith he said, 'My friend, your sins are forgiven you.'

20. And when he saw their faith he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

21. The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. 'Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who but God alone can forgive sins?'

21. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?"

22. But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, 'What are these thoughts you have in your hearts?

22. When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts?

23. Which of these is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Get up and walk"?

23. Which is easier, to say, `Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, `Rise and walk'?

24. But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,' -- he said to the paralysed man-'I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.'

24. But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he said to the man who was paralyzed -- "I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home."

25. And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

25. And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home, glorifying God.

26. They were all astounded and praised God and were filled with awe, saying, 'We have seen strange things today.'

26. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen strange things today."

27. When he went out after this, he noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting at the tax office, and said to him, 'Follow me.'

27. After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me."

28. And leaving everything Levi got up and followed him.

28. And he left everything, and rose and followed him.

29. In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others.

29. And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them.

30. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?'

30. And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

31. Jesus said to them in reply, 'It is not those that are well who need the doctor, but the sick.

31. And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick;

32. I have come to call not the upright but sinners to repentance.'

32. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

33. They then said to him, 'John's disciples are always fasting and saying prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees, too, but yours go on eating and drinking.'

33. And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."

34. Jesus replied, 'Surely you cannot make the bridegroom's attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them?

34. And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?

35. But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; then, in those days, they will fast.'

35. The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."

36. He also told them a parable, 'No one tears a piece from a new cloak to put it on an old cloak; otherwise, not only will the new one be torn, but the piece taken from the new will not match the old.

36. He told them a parable also: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old garment; if he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

37. 'And nobody puts new wine in old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and run to waste, and the skins will be ruined.

37. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.

38. No; new wine must be put in fresh skins.

38. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

39. And nobody who has been drinking old wine wants new. "The old is good," he says.'

39. And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, `The old is good.'"