3 They came to him bringing a paralytic,av carried by four of them. 4 Since they were not able to bring him toF Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5 Seeing their faith,aw Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sinsax are forgiven.”ay

6 But some of the scribesaz were sitting there, questioningba in their hearts: 7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming!bb Who can forgivebc sinsbd but God alone?”be

8 Right awaybf Jesus perceived in his spiritbg that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier:bh to say to the paralytic,bi ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?bj 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Manbk has authoritybl on earth to forgive sins”bm—he told the paralytic—11 “I tell you: get up,bn take your mat, and go home.”

12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astoundedbo and gave glorybp to God,bq saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”br

THE CALL OF LEVI

13 Jesusbs went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teachingbt them. 14 Then, passing by, he saw Levibu the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,bv and he said to him, “Follow me,”bw and he got up and followedbx him.

15 While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectorsby and sinnersbz were eatingG with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. 16 When the scribesca who were PhariseesH,cb saw that he was eatinga with sinnersb and tax collectors,c they asked his disciples, “Why does he eatA with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who needd a doctor,e but those who are sick.f I didn’t come to call the righteous,g but sinners.”h

A QUESTION ABOUT FASTING

18 Nowi John’sj disciplesk and the PhariseesB,l were fasting.m 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 cannot fast while the groomn is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the timeC will comeo when the groom will be taken away from them,p and then they will fastq on 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,r and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wines into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstt the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”

LORD OF THE SABBATH

23 Onu the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciplesv began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. 24 The Phariseesw said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawfulx on the Sabbath?”

25 He said to them, “Have you never read what Davidy and those who were with him did when he was in needz and hungryaa—26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiatharab the high priestac and ate the bread of the Presencead—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priestsae—and also gave some to his companions?” 27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made forD man and not man for the Sabbath.af 28 So then, the Son of Manag is Lordah even of the Sabbath.”ai