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].
On one occasion, Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to listen to the word of God.
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.
He saw two boats moored beside the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their 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].
He got into one of the boats, the one that was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and began teaching the crowds 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 finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
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.”
Simon answered him, “Master, we have worked hard throughout the entire night and have caught nothing, but at yoʋr word I will let down the net.”
6 When Peter [and the men with him] had done that, they caught so many fish that their nets were breaking.
When he and the men with him did so, they enclosed such a large number of fish that their net 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 signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and assist them, and they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
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 fell down at Jesus' knees and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For he and all who were with him were gripped with astonishment at the catch of fish they had taken,
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 were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on yoʋ will be catching 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.
So they brought their boats to shore, left everything, and followed Jesus.
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!”
While Jesus was in one of the towns, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if yoʋ are willing, yoʋ can 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]!
So Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him.
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].”
Then Jesus ordered him to tell no one, but said, “Go show yoʋrself to the priest, and make an offering for yoʋr cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
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}.
But the news about Jesus spread even more, and large crowds would gather together to hear him and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
16 But he often would go away from them to the desolate area and pray.
But he would often withdraw to desolate 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, as he was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was present to heal the people.
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 behold, some men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed. They were trying to bring him in and place 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 when they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down through the tiles, together with his mat, into the middle of the crowd 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 Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Man, yoʋr sins are forgiven yoʋ.”
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!”
But the scribes and the Pharisees began to question what Jesus said: “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
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]:
Aware of their thoughts, Jesus answered them, “Why are you questioning in your hearts?
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 easier, to say, ‘Yoʋr sins are forgiven yoʋ,’ or to say, ‘Rise 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 authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man—“I say to yoʋ, rise, pick up yoʋr mat, and go to yoʋr house.”
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.
Immediately the man rose up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went to his house, glorifying 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!”
Amazement seized them all, and they too began glorifying God. Filled with awe, they said, “We have seen extraordinary 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 saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,”
28 So Levi left his work [HYP] and went with Jesus.
and leaving everything behind, Levi rose 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.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for Jesus in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others reclining at the table 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]
But the scribes of the people and the Pharisees were grumbling at his disciples, saying, “Why are you eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?”
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].
Jesus answered them, “It is not those who are well who have need of a physician, but those who are sick.
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 did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
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]?”
Then they said to him, “Why is it that the disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but yoʋrs eat and drink?”
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].
Jesus said to them, “Can you make the bridegroom's attendants fast while the bridegroom 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 those days are coming, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, they will fast in those days.”
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.
He also told them a parable: “No one puts a patch from a new garment on an old garment. For not only would he tear the new garment, but the patch from the new garment would not match the old garment.
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 wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins and would itself be spilled, and the wineskins would be ruined.
38 On the contrary, new wine must be put into new wineskins.
But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and then both are preserved.
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!’”
And no one after drinking old wine immediately desires new wine, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
