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¹ And it occurred, that a multitude gathered about him, to hear the word of God. And he was standing by the side of the sea of Gennesaret,² and he saw two ships standing near the sea, and the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.³ And one of them belonged to Simon Cephas: and Jesus entered and sat in it. And he told them to draw off a little from the shore, into the sea: and he seated himself, and taught the multitude from the ship.⁴ And when he ceased from speaking, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and cast your net for a draught.⁵ Simon answered, and said to him: Rabbi, all the night we have toiled, and have caught nothing: but, at thy bidding, I will cast the net.⁶ And when they had done so, they inclosed very many fishes, so that the net was rent.⁷ And they made signs to their associates, in the other ship, to come and help them. And when they came, they filled both the ships, so that they were near to sinking.⁸ And when Simon Cephas saw [fn] , he fell before the feet of Jesus, and said to him: I beseech thee, my Lord, that thou leave me, for I am a sinful man. ⁹ For astonishment had seized him, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes which they had caught:¹⁰ and in like manner also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. But Jesus said: Fear thou not; henceforth thou shalt catch men unto life.¹¹ And they brought the vessels to the land: and they left all and followed him.

¹² And when Jesus was in one of the cities, a man came all full of leprosy and seeing Jesus, he fell upon his face, and besought him, and said to him: My Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me.¹³ And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, and said to him: I will [fn] ; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy went from him. ¹⁴ And he charged him: Speak to no one; but go and show thyself to the priests, and offer the oblation for thy purification, as Moses hath commanded, for a testimony to them.¹⁵ And his fame spread abroad still more: and much people assembled to hear him, and to be cured of their diseases.¹⁶ And he retired into a desert, and prayed.

¹⁷ And it occurred, on one of the days when Jesus was teaching, that Pharisees and Doctors of the law were sitting by, who had come from all the villages of Galilee and of Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.¹⁸ And some persons brought a paralytic man, on a couch, and sought to bring him in, and to place him before him.¹⁹ And when they could not thus introduce him, because of the multitude of the people, they ascended to the roof, and let him down with the couch, from the covering, into the midst, before Jesus.²⁰ And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.²¹ And the Scribes and Pharisees began to reason, and to say: Who is this that speaketh blasphemy? Who can forgive sins, but God only?²² And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: What think ye in your heart?²³ Which is the easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk?²⁴ But that ye may know, that the Son of man is competent to forgive sins on the earth, he said to the paralytic: I say to thee, Arise, take up thy couch, and go to thy home.²⁵ And instantly, he rose up before their eyes, and took up his couch, and went home, glorifying God.²⁶ And astonishment seized every one; and they Praised God; and they were filled with awe, and said: We have seen wonders today.

²⁷ And after these things, Jesus went out and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting among the publicans; and he said to him: Come after me.²⁸ And he left every thing, and arose, and went after him.²⁹ And Levi made a great entertainment for him at his house; and there was a numerous company of publicans and others who reclined with them.³⁰ And the Scribes and Pharisees murmured, and said to his disciples: Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?³¹ And Jesus answered and said to them: A physician is not sought after for the well, but for those very sick.³² I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.³³ And they said to him: Why do the disciples of John fast often, and pray, and also [fn] of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? ³⁴ And he said to them: Ye cannot make the guests of the nuptial chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them.³⁵ But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken up from them, and then will they fast, in those days.³⁶ And he spoke a similitude to them: No one teareth a patch from a new garment, and putteth it to an old garment; lest he tear the new, and the patch from the new cease to make the old [fn] whole. ³⁷ And no one putteth new wine into old sacks; otherwise, the new wine will burst the sacks, and the wine will run out, and the sacks be ruined.³⁸ But they put new wine into new sacks, and both are preserved.³⁹ And no one drinketh old wine, and immediately calleth for new; for he saith, The old is the delicious.