Matthew 4:17–25

¹⁷From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^o has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

4:18–22pp—Mk 1:16–20; Lk 5:2–11; Jn 1:35–42

¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,^p he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter^q and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹“Come, follow me,”^r Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.^s

²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.^t They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²²and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.^u

Jesus Heals the Sick

²³Jesus went throughout Galilee,^v teaching in their synagogues,^w proclaiming the good news^x of the kingdom,^y and healing every disease and sickness among the people.^{z 24}News about him spread all over Syria,^a and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,^b those having seizures,^c and the paralyzed;^d and he healed them. ²⁵Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,^g Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.^e