Jesus forgives sins

1And when he returned to Caper'na-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. 32.3-12: Mt 9.2-8; Lk 5.18-26.And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. 5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” 6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7“Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he said to the paralytic — 11“I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” 122.12: Mt 9.33.And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

13He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them. 142.14-17: Mt 9.9-13; Lk 5.27-32.And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Jesus eats with sinners

15And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. 162.16: Acts 23.9.And the scribes of2.16 Other ancient authorities read and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat2.16 Other ancient authorities add a and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

182.18-22: Mt 9.14-17; Lk 5.33-38.Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 202.20: Lk 17.22.The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins.”2.22 Other ancient authorities omit but new wine is for fresh skins

In the grainfields

232.23-28: Mt 12.1-8; Lk 6.1-5.2.23: Deut 23.25.One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 262.26: 1 Sam 21.1-6; 2 Sam 8.17.how he entered the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 272.27: Ex 23.12; Deut 5.14.And he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; 28so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.”