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¹ And it came to pass, that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret.² And saw two boats standing by the lake: but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing [their] nets.³ And he entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the boat.⁴ Now when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Lanch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.⁵ And Simon answering said to him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.⁶ And when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.⁷ And they beckoned to [their] partners, who were in the other boat, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.⁸ When Simon Peter saw [it], he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.⁹ For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:¹⁰ And so [was] also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.¹¹ And when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

¹² And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold, a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus, fell on [his] face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.¹³ And he put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, I will: Be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.¹⁴ And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded for a testimony to them.¹⁵ But so much the more a fame of him went abroad: and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.¹⁶ And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

¹⁷ And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was [present] to heal them.¹⁸ And behold, men brought in a bed a man who was taken with the palsy: and they sought [means] to bring him in, and to lay [him] before him.¹⁹ And when they could not find by what [way] they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went upon the house-top, and let him down through the tiling with [his] couch, into the midst before Jesus.²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said to him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?²² But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering, said to them, What reason ye in your hearts?²³ Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Rise and walk?²⁴ But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, He said to the sick with the palsy, I say to thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thy house.²⁵ And immediately he arose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.²⁶ And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.

²⁷ 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.²⁸ And he left all, arose, and followed him.²⁹ And Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others that sat down with them.³⁰ But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?³¹ And Jesus answering, said to them, They that are well need not a physician; but they that are 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 make prayers, and likewise [the disciples] of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?³⁴ And he said to them, Can ye make the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?³⁵ But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then they will fast in those days.³⁶ And he spoke also a parable to them: No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old: if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was [taken] out of the new, agreeth not with the old.³⁷ And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles will perish.³⁸ But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved.³⁹ No man also having drank old [wine], immediately desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.