Luke

The Gospel according to Saint Luke, chapter 5, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 5 New English Translation

The Call of the Disciples

   1 Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God. 2 He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch." 5 Simon answered, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word I will lower the nets." 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear. 7 So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, LORD, for I am a sinful man!" 9 For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." 11 So when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Healing a Leper

   12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came to him who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground and begged him, "LORD, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 13 So he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then he ordered the man to tell no one, but commanded him, "Go and show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 15 But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering together to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses. 16 Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

   17 Now on one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting nearby (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 Just then some men showed up, carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and place him before Jesus. 19 But since they found no way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on the stretcher through the roof tiles right in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." 21 Then the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, "Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 22 When Jesus perceived their hostile thoughts, he said to them, "Why are you raising objections within yourselves? 23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven, ' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" - he said to the paralyzed man - "I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher and go home." 25 Immediately he stood up before them, picked up the stretcher he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. 26 Then astonishment seized them all, and they glorified God. They were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen incredible things today."

The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners

   27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me, " he said to him. 28 And he got up and followed him, leaving everything behind.
   29 Then Levi gave a great banquet in his house for Jesus, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their experts in the law complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered them, "Those who are well don't need a physician, but those who are sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

The Superiority of the New

   33 Then they said to him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours continue to eat and drink." 34 So Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 But those days are coming, and when the bridegroom is taken from them, at that time they will fast." 36 He also told them a parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old garment. If he does, he will have torn the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 No one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"

King James Version

   1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
   2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
   3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
   4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
   5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
   6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
   7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
   8 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 was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
   10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
   11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
   12 ¶ And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
   13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
   14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
   15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
   16 ¶ And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
   17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
   18 ¶ And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
   19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
   20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
   21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
   22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
   23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
   24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
   25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
   26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
   27 ¶ And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
   28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
   29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
   30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
   31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
   32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
   33 ¶ And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
   34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
   35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
   36 ¶ And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
   37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
   38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
   39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.