Luke 5:27

New Century Version

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax collector's booth. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!"

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
After this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector sitting at his place for collecting taxes. His name was Levi. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And after that he went forthe and sawe a Publican named Levi sittinge at the receyte of custome and sayde vnto him: folow me.

Hebrew Names Version
After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me!"

International Standard Version
After that, Jesushe">[fn] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector's desk. He said to him, "Follow me!"Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13-14;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
After that He went out and looked at a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me."

Update Bible Version
And after these things he went forth, and looked at a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said to him, Follow me.

Webster's Bible Translation
And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him, Follow me.

Amplified Bible
After this Jesus went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi (Matthew) sitting at the tax booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk]."

English Standard Version
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me."

World English Bible
After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said to him, Follow me.

Weymouth's New Testament
After this He went out and noticed a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the Toll office; and He said to him, "Follow me."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And after these thingis Jhesus wente out, and saiy a pupplican, Leuy bi name, sittynge at the tolbothe. And he seide to hym, Sue thou me;

English Revised Version
And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me.

Berean Standard Bible
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. "Follow Me," He told him,

Contemporary English Version
Later, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said to him, "Come with me."

American Standard Version
And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me.

Bible in Basic English
And after these things he went out, and saw Levi, a tax-farmer, seated at the place where taxes were taken, and said to him, Come after me.

Complete Jewish Bible
Later Yeshua went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi sitting in his tax-collection booth; and he said to him, "Follow me!"

Darby Translation
And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me.

Etheridge Translation
After these things Jeshu went forth, and saw a tribute-taker, whose name was Levi, sitting at the house of tribute. And he said to him, Come after me:

Murdock Translation
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.

King James Version (1611)
And after these things hee went foorth, and sawe a Publicane, named Leui, sitting at the receit of custome: and hee said vnto him, Follow me.

New Living Translation
Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him.

New Life Bible
After this Jesus went out and saw a man who gathered taxes. His name was Levi (Matthew). Levi was sitting at his work. Jesus said to him, "Follow Me."

New Revised Standard
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And after that, he went foorth and sawe a Publicane named Leui, sitting at the receite of custome, and sayd vnto him, Follow me.

George Lamsa Translation
After these things, Jesus went out and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the custom house; and he said to him, Follow me.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, after these things, he went forth, and looked upon a tax-collector, by name Levi, - presiding over the tax-office; and he said to him - Be following me!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And after these things, he went forth and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him: Follow me.

Revised Standard Version
After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
After these thynges, he went foorth, & sawe a publicane named Leui, sittyng at the receipt of custome: and he sayde vnto hym, folowe me.

Good News Translation
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me."

Christian Standard Bible®
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.”

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And after these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me!"

Literal Translation
And after these things, He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, Follow Me!

Young's Literal Translation
And after these things he went forth, and beheld a tax-gatherer, by name Levi, sitting at the tax-office, and said to him, `Be following me;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And afterwarde he wete out, and sawe a publican named Leui, syttinge at ye receate of custome, & he sayde vnto him: Folowe me.

Mace New Testament (1729)
After this Jesus left the place, and seeing a publican named Levi, sitting at the custom-house, he said to him, follow me.

THE MESSAGE
After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.

New English Translation
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," he said to him.

New King James Version
Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17">[xr] After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Later, Jesus was riding out of town and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in his tax collecting hut. "Ride with me and I'll teach you how to cowboy for the Boss," Jesus said as he rode by.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me."

Legacy Standard Bible
And after that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me."

Contextual Overview

²⁷ After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax collector's booth. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" ²⁸ So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. ²⁹ Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people were eating there, too. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to Jesus' followers, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" ³¹ Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to invite good people but sinners to change their hearts and lives." ³³ They said to Jesus, "John's followers often fast for a certain time and pray, just as the Pharisees do. But your followers eat and drink all the time." ³⁴ Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is still with them. ³⁵ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast." ³⁶ Jesus told them this story: "No one takes cloth off a new coat to cover a hole in an old coat. Otherwise, he ruins the new coat, and the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and saw: Matthew 9:9-13, Matthew 10:3, Matthew, Mark 2:13, Mark 2:14, Mark 3:18

Follow me: Luke 18:22, Matthew 4:19-21, Matthew 8:22, Matthew 16:24, John 1:43, John 12:26, John 21:19-22

Reciprocal: Matthew 19:21 - come Matthew 19:27 - we have forsaken Luke 6:15 - Matthew Acts 1:13 - Matthew

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And after these things he went forth,.... After his discourse with the Scribes and Pharisees, and his healing of the man, sick with the palsy, he went forth from the city of Capernaum, to the sea side; not only for retirement and recreation, after the work of the day hitherto, but in order to meet with, and call one that was to be a disciple of his:

and saw a publican named Levi who is said to be the son of Alphaeus, Mark 2:14 and so it is said to be in Beza's ancient copy here; and who was also called Matthew, see Matthew 9:9

sitting at the receipt of custom; at the place where custom was received, and toll taken, near the sea side, of such that went over. The Syriac and Persic versions read, "sitting among publicans", of which business he himself was; and these might be his servants under him, or partners with him; Matthew 9:9- :

and he said unto him, follow me: of all the publicans that were there, he singled out Levi, or Matthew, and directed his discourse to him, and called him to be a follower of him: an instance of powerful, special, and distinguishing grace this; Matthew 9:9- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 9:9-13.

Luke 5:29

Made him a great feast - This circumstance “Matthew,” or “Levi” as he is here called, has omitted in his own gospel. This fact shows how little inclined the evangelists are to say anything in favor of themselves or to praise themselves. True religion does not seek to commend itself, or to speak of what it does, even when it is done for the Son of God. It seeks retirement; it delights rather in the consciousness of doing well than in its being known; and it leaves its good deeds to be spoken of, if spoken of at all, by others. This is agreeable to the direction of Solomon Proverbs 27:2; “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth.” This feast was made expressly for our Lord, and was attended by many publicans, probably people of wicked character; and it is not improbable that Matthew got them together for the purpose of bringing them into contact with our Lord to do them good. Our Saviour did not refuse to go, and to go, too, at the risk of being accused of being a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, Matthew 11:19. But his motives were pure. In the thing itself there was no harm. It afforded an opportunity of doing good, and we have no reason to doubt that the opportunity was improved by the Lord Jesus. Happy would it be if all the “great feasts” that are made were made in honor of our Lord; happy if he would be a welcome guest there; and happy if ministers and pious people who attend them demeaned themselves as the Lord Jesus did, and they were always made the means of advancing his kingdom. But, alas! there are few places where our Lord would be “so unwelcome” as at great feasts, and few places that serve so much to render the mind gross, dissipated, and irreligious.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. Levi — See on Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14.