Mark 2

 

1 And again He entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was heard that He was in the house.

 

2 And straightaway many were gathered together, so that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as at the door: and He preached the word (of God) to them.

 

3 And they came to Him, bringing a paralytic, who was being carried by four (friends).

 

4 And when they could not come near to Him for the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the paralytic lay.

 

5 When Jesus saw their faith (in Him), He said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven you.

 

6 But there were certain from the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

 

7 Why does this man speak blasphemies like this? who can forgive sins but God alone?

 

8 And immediately when Jesus knew in His Spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said to them, Why do you reason these things in your hearts?

 

9 Which is it easier to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven (sent away from) you; or to say, Arise, and take up your bed, and walk (one invisible and the other a visible sign that they have indeed been sent away, both which only God can do)?

 

10 But so that you may know (and be certain) that the Son of man has (the divine) power (and authority over death as the Son of God) on earth to send away sins, {He said to the paralytic,}

 

11 I say to you, Arise, and take up your bed, and go your way (walking) into your house.

 

12 And immediately he got up, took up the bed, and went out from before them all; so that they were all astonished, and glorified God, saying, We never saw anything like this.

 

13 And He went out again by the seaside; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them (continually).

 

14 And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of (tax) custom, and said to him, Follow Me. And he got up and followed Him.

 

15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at supper in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat also together with Jesus and His disciples: for there were many, and they followed Him.

 

16 And when the scribes of the Pharisees saw Him eat with tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners (those whom they saw as unacceptable to God)?

 

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous (who look to God to serve them with life), but sinners (who were made for life but are enslaved by death) to repentance.

 

18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say to Him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?

 

19 And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridal chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them (there is joy in His presence), they cannot fast.

 

20 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they (mourn and) fast in those days.

 

21 No man also sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment: or else the new piece that filled it up pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse (you cannot patch the old garment that is near to fading away, but corruption must put on incorruption by a new and living way).

 

22 And no man puts new wine into old bottles: or else the new wine will burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be destroyed: but new wine must be put into new bottles (where the old stony heart has been removed, with a renewed heart of flesh).

 

23 And it came to pass, that He went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and His disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn (and eat).

 

24 And the Pharisees said to Him, Behold, why do they do on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

 

25 And He said to them, Have you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, he, and those that were with him?

 

26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to them who were with him?

 

27 And He said to them, The sabbath was made for man (to be served with rest), and not man for (service to) the sabbath:

 

28 Therefore the Son of man (who came to serve and not be served) is Lord also of the sabbath.