Bible Reading Plan

Mark 2

Chapter 2

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

¹ When^(a) He entered Capernaum^(b) again after some days, it was reported that He was at home. ² So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message^(c) to them. ³ Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic,^(d) carried by four men. ⁴ Since they were not able to bring him to^[a] Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

⁵ Seeing their faith,^(e) Jesus told the paralytic, "Son, your sins^(f) are forgiven." ^(g)

⁶ But some of the scribes^(h) were sitting there, thinking⁽ⁱ⁾ to themselves:^{[b] 7} "Why does He speak like this? He's blaspheming!^(j) Who can forgive^(k) sins^(l) but God alone?"^(m)

⁸ Right away⁽ⁿ⁾ Jesus understood in His spirit^(o) that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?^{[c] 9} Which is easier:^(p) to say to the paralytic,^(q) ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'?^{(r) 10} But so you may know that the Son of Man^(s) has authority^(t) on earth to forgive sins," ^(u) He told the paralytic, ¹¹ "I tell you: get up,^(v) pick up your mat, and go home."

¹² Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded^(w) and gave glory^(x) to God,^(y) saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"^(z)

The Call of Matthew

¹³ Then^(aa) Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught^(ab) them. ¹⁴ Then, moving on, He saw Levi^(ac) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,^(ad) and He said to him, "Follow Me!" ^(ae) So he got up and followed^(af) Him.

Dining with Sinners

¹⁵ While He was reclining at the table in Levi's house, many tax collectors^(ag) and sinners^(ah) were also guests^[d](ai) with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. ¹⁶ When the scribes^(aj) of the Pharisees^[e](ak) saw that He was eating^(al) with sinners^(am) and tax collectors,^(an) they asked His disciples, "Why does He eat^[f] with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, He told them, "Those who are well don't need^(ao) a doctor,^(ap) but the sick^(aq) do need one. I didn't come to call the righteous,^(ar) but sinners." ^(as)

A Question about Fasting

¹⁸ Now^(at) John's^(au) disciples^(av) and the Pharisees^[g](aw) were fasting.^(ax) People came and asked Him, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests^[h] cannot fast while the groom^(ay) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time^[i] will come^(az) when the groom is taken away from them,^(ba) and then they will fast^(bb) in that day. ²¹ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,^(bc) and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine^(bd) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst^(be) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins.^[j] But new wine is for fresh wineskins."

Lord of the Sabbath

²³ On^(bf) the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples^(bg) began to make their way picking some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees^(bh) said to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful^(bi) on the Sabbath?"

²⁵ He said to them, "Have you never read what David^(bj) and those who were with him did when he was in need^(bk) and hungry^(bl)— ²⁶ how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar^(bm) the high priest^(bn) and ate the sacred bread^(bo)—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests^(bp)—and also gave some to his companions?" ²⁷ Then He told them, "The Sabbath was made for^[k] man and not man for^[l] the Sabbath.^{(bq) 28} Therefore, the Son of Man^(br) is Lord^(bs) even of the Sabbath." ^(bt)