Luke 5
1 One day while many people were crowding around him to hear the message from God, Jesus was standing on the shore of Gennesaret Lake, [which is also called Lake Galilee].
Once, when the people were pressing round Jesus as they listened to God’s message, he happened to be standing by the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats close to the shore.
2 He saw two [fishing] boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had gone out of the boats and were washing their [fishing] nets [on the shore]. One of the boats belonged to Simon.
The fishermen had gone away from them and were washing the nets.
3 Jesus got in that boat and asked Simon to push the boat a little bit away from the shore [so that he could speak to the crowd more easily. Jesus] sat in the boat and taught the people [who were on the shore].
So, getting into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, Jesus asked him to push off a little way from the shore, and then sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 After he finished speaking [to them], he said to Simon, “Push the boat out to where the water is deep. Then let your nets down [into the water] to catch [some fish]!”
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Push off into deep water, and throw out your nets for a haul.’
5 Simon replied, “Master, we [(exc)] worked hard all night but we did not catch any [fish]. But because you [(sg)] tell me to do it, I will let down the nets.”
‘We have been hard at work all night, Sir,’ answered Simon, ‘and have not caught anything, but, at your bidding, I will throw out the nets.’
6 When Peter [and the men with him] had done that, they caught so many fish that their nets were breaking.
They did so, and enclosed such a great shoal of fish that their nets began to break.
7 They motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. So they came and filled both the boats [with fish from the net]. The result was that the boats were so full that they began to sink.
So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; and they came and filled both the boats so full of fish that they were almost sinking.
8 Simon and all the men who were with him were amazed at how many fish they had taken. James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners, were among those who were amazed. When Simon, [whose other name was] Peter, saw [the fish, feeling ashamed to be in the presence of someone who obviously had God’s power], he prostrated himself before Jesus and said, “Lord, you should go away from me, because I am a sinful man!”
When Simon Peter saw this, he threw himself down at Jesus’ knees, exclaiming, ‘Master, leave me, for I am a sinful man!’
For he and all who were with him were lost in amazement at the haul of fish which they had made;
10 But Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid! [Up until now you(sg) have been gathering fish] [MET], but from now on you will gather people [to become my disciples].”
and so, too, were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. ‘Do not be afraid,’ Jesus said to Simon, ‘from today you will catch people.’
11 So after they brought the boats to the shore, they left their business [HYP] [in the hands of others] and went with Jesus.
And, when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything, and followed him.
12 While [Jesus] was in one of the cities [there in the district of Galilee], there was a man there who was very severely affected by leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he prostrated himself before him and, [wanting Jesus to heal him], pleaded with him, “Lord/Sir, [please heal me, because] you are able to heal me if you are willing to!”
On one occasion Jesus was staying in a town, when he saw a man who was covered with leprosy. When the leper saw Jesus, he threw himself on his face and implored his help, ‘Master, if only you are willing, you are able to make me clean.’
13 [Then Jesus, disregarding the religious law that forbade people to come close to lepers], reached out his hand and touched the man. He said, “I am willing [to heal you]; and I heal you now!” Immediately the man [was healed]. He was no longer a leper [PRS]!
Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying as he did so, ‘I am willing; become clean.’ Instantly the leprosy left the man;
14 Then Jesus told him, “Make sure that you do not report [your healing immediately. First, go to a priest in Jerusalem] and show yourself to him [so that he can examine you and verify that you no longer have leprosy]. After the priest tells [the local people], they will know that [you have been healed, and you will be able to associate with them again]. Also take to the priest [the offering] that Moses commanded [that people who have been healed from leprosy should offer].”
and then Jesus impressed on him that he was not to say a word to anyone, ‘but,’ he added, ‘set out and show yourself to the priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing, in the manner directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure.’
15 But many people heard the man’s report of what [Jesus had done]. The result was that large crowds came to Jesus to hear his [message] and to be healed of their sicknesses {so that he would heal their sicknesses}.
However, the story about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came together to listen to him, and to be cured of their illnesses;
16 But he often would go away from them to the desolate area and pray.
but Jesus used to withdraw to lonely places and pray.
17 One day when [Jesus] was teaching, some men from the Pharisee [sect] were sitting there. Some of them were men who taught the [Jewish] laws. They had come from many [HYP] villages in Galilee [district] and also from Jerusalem and from [other] villages in Judea [district]. [At that time while] God was giving Jesus power to heal people,
On one of those days, when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and Doctors of the Law were sitting near by. (They had come from all the villages in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was on Jesus, so that he could work cures.)
18 several men brought on a sleeping pad a man who was paralyzed. They wanted to bring him into [the house] and lay him in front of Jesus.
And there some men brought on a bed a man who was paralysed. They tried to get him in and lay him before Jesus;
19 But there was no way to do that because of the large crowd of people, so they went up [the steps] onto the roof. They tied ropes onto the sleeping pad and, after [removing some of] the tiles on the roof, they lowered the man [on] the sleeping pad. They lowered him through the opening into the midst of the crowd in front of Jesus.
but, finding no way of getting him in owing to the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles, with his pallet, into the middle of the people and in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus perceived that they believed that [he could heal the man], he said to him, “My friend, [I] forgive your sins!”
When he saw their faith, Jesus said, ‘Friend, your sins have been forgiven you.’
21 The men who taught the [Jewish] laws and the rest of the Pharisees began to think within themselves, “Who does this man [think he is, saying] that? He is insulting God! (Nobody can forgive sins!/What person can forgive sins?) [RHQ] Only God can do that!”
The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began debating about this. ‘Who is this man who speaks so blasphemously?’ they asked. ‘Who can forgive sins except God?’
22 Jesus perceived what they were thinking. So he said to them, “(You should not think that way [about what I said]!/Why do you question within yourselves [about what I said]?) [RHQ] [Consider this]:
When Jesus became aware of the way in which they were debating, he turned to them and exclaimed, ‘What are you debating with yourselves?
23 It would [not] be risky [for someone] to say [to this man], ‘[I] forgive your sins,’ [because no one could see whether or not his sins were really forgiven. But no one] [RHQ], [without having the power to heal], would say to [him], ‘Get up and walk!’ [because people could easily see whether he was healed or not].
Which is the easier? – to say “Your sins have been forgiven you”? Or to say “Get up, and walk”?
24 But [as a result of my healing this man] you [(pl)] will know that [God] has authorized [me], the one who came from heaven, to forgive the sins [of people while I am on] the earth, [as well as to heal people].” Then he said to the man who was paralyzed, “To you I say, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping pad, and go home!’”
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’ – he spoke to the paralysed man – ‘To you I say, Get up, and take up your pallet, and go to your home.’
25 Immediately the man [was healed]. He stood up in front of them. He picked up the [sleeping pad] on which he had been lying, and went home, praising God.
Instantly the man stood up before their eyes, took up what he had been lying on, and went to his home, praising God.
26 All the people [there] were amazed! They praised God and were completely awestruck. They kept saying, “We [(inc)] have seen wonderful things today!”
The people, one and all, were lost in amazement, and praised God; and in great awe they said, ‘We have seen marvellous things today!’
27 Then [Jesus] left [the town] and saw a man who collected taxes [for the Roman government]. His name was Levi. He was sitting in the booth where he collected the taxes. Jesus said to him, “Come with me [and become my disciple]!”
After this, Jesus went out; and he noticed a tax-gatherer, named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’
28 So Levi left his work [HYP] and went with Jesus.
Levi left everything and got up and followed him.
29 Afterwards, Levi prepared a big feast in his own house [for Jesus and his disciples]. There was a large group of tax collectors and others eating together with them.
And Levi gave a great banquet at his house, in honour of Jesus; and a large number of tax collectors and others were having dinner with them.
30 The men who were there who taught the [Jewish] laws, ones who belonged to the Pharisee [sect], complained to Jesus’ disciples, saying, “([It is disgusting that] you are eating with tax collectors and [others who we(exc) consider to be] sinners!/Why are you eating with tax collectors [and others who we(exc) consider to be] sinners?)” [RHQ]
The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law belonging to their party complained of this to the disciples of Jesus.
31 Then, [to indicate that it was those who knew that they had sinned who were coming to him for help], Jesus said to them, “[It is] people who are sick who need a doctor, not those who are well [MET].
In answer Jesus said, ‘It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are ill.
32 [Similarly], I did not come [from heaven] to invite [those who think they are] righteous [to come to me]. On the contrary, [I came to invite those who know that they are] sinners to turn from their sinful behavior [and come to me].”
I have not come to call the religious, but the outcast, to repent.’
33 [Those Jewish leaders] said to Jesus, “The disciples of John [the Baptizer] often abstain from food [to show that they want to please God], and the disciples of the Pharisees do that, too. But your disciples keep on eating and drinking! [Why do not they fast like the others]?”
‘John’s disciples,’ they said to Jesus, ‘Often fast and say prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, while yours are eating and drinking!’
34 [To show them that it was not appropriate for his disciples to be sad and abstain from food while he was still with them] [MET], Jesus said to them, “When (the bridegroom/man who is getting married) is with [his friends at the time of the wedding], you certainly do not make his friends abstain from food, do you [RHQ]? [No, you do not do that].
But Jesus answered them, ‘Can you make the groom’s friends fast while the groom is with them?
35 [But] some day he will be taken away {[his enemies] will take him away} from them. Then, at that time, his friends will abstain from food, [because they will be sad].”
But the days will come – a time when the groom will be taken away from them; and they will fast then, when those days come.’
36 Then Jesus told them two parables [to show them that those who desire to live according to God’s new message should not be forced to obey the old religious traditions like] ([fasting/abstaining from food]), [and that those who know only the old traditions are not eager to accept new ones] [MET]. He said, “People never tear a piece of cloth from a new garment and attach it to an old garment [to mend it]. If they did that, not only would they be ruining the new garment by tearing it, but the new piece of cloth would not match the old garment.
Then, as an illustration, Jesus said to them, ‘No one ever tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old one; for, if they do, they will not only tear the new garment, but the piece from the new one will not match the old.
37 Neither does anyone put freshly-[squeezed] grape juice into old skin bags [to store it]. If anyone did that, the grape juice would burst the skin bags [because they would not stretch when the] new [wine ferments and expands. Then] the skin bags would be ruined, and [the wine] would [also] be spilled.
And no one puts new wine into old wine-skins; for, if they do, the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine itself will run out, and the skins be lost.
38 On the contrary, new wine must be put into new wineskins.
But new wine must be put into fresh skins.
39 Furthermore, those who have drunk [only] old wine [are content with that]. They do not want to drink the new wine, because they say, ‘The old wine is [MET] fine!’”
No one after drinking old wine wishes for new. “No,” they say, “the old is excellent.”’
