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¹ And as the multitude pressed on him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesareth,² And saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.³ And going into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he desired him to thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the multitude out of the boat.⁴ When he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.⁵ But Simon answering said to him, Master, Having toiled all the night, we have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word, I will let down the net.⁶ And having done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake.⁷ And they beckoned to their partners, who were in the other boat, to come and help them; and they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.⁸ Simon Peter seeing it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.⁹ For astonishment seized him, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes,¹⁰ which they had taken, And in like manner 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 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 putting forth his hand he 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, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.¹⁵ But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him, and great multitudes came together, to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.¹⁶ But he withdrew into the deserts and prayed.

¹⁷ And on a certain day as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every town of Galilee, and out of Judea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.¹⁸ And behold men bringing on a couch a man that was ill of the palsy; and they sought to bring him in, and lay him before him.¹⁹ And not finding by what way they might bring him in thro' the multitude, they went upon the house, and let him down thro' the tiling with his couch into the midst, before Jesus.²⁰ And seeing their faith, he said to him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees reasoned, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies?²² Who can forgive sins but God only? And Jesus knowing their thoughts, answered and said to them, Why reason ye in your hearts?²³ Which is easier? To say, Thy sins are forgiven thee? Or to say, Rise up and walk?²⁴ But that ye may know, that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said to the paralytic) I say to thee, Arise, take up thy couch, and go to thine house.²⁵ And immediately rising up before them, and taking up that on which he lay, he went to his house, glorifying God.²⁶ And they were all amazed and 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 said to him, Follow me.²⁸ And leaving all, he rose up and followed him.²⁹ And Levi made him a great entertainment, in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.³⁰ But the 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 whole 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, and likewise of the Pharisees, fast often and make prayers; but thine eat and drink?³⁴ And he said to them, Can ye make the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bride-groom is with them?³⁵ But the days will come, when the bride-groom shall be taken away from them: and then shall they fast in those days.³⁶ He spake also a parable to them, No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; otherwise both the new maketh a rent, and the piece out of the new agreeth not with the old.³⁷ And no man putteth new wine into old leathern-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 And no man having drunk old wine, straightway desireth new; for he saith, The old is better.