The Great Catch of Fish

51 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God , He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret ; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake ; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets . 3 And He got into one of the boats , which was Simon's , and asked him to put out a little way from the land . And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat . 4 When He had finished speaking , He said to Simon , "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch ." 5 Simon answered and said , " Master , we worked hard all night and caught nothing , but I will do as You say and let down the nets ." 6 When they had done this , they enclosed a great quantity of fish , and their nets began to break ; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats , so that they began to sink . 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet , saying , "Go away from me Lord , for I am a sinful man , O Lord !" 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions e because of the catch of fish which they had taken ; 10 and so also were James and John , sons of Zebedee , who were partners with Simon . And Jesus said to Simon , " Do not fear , from now on you will be catching men ." 11 When they had brought their boats to land , they left everything and followed Him.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

12 While He was in one of the cities , behold , there was a man covered with leprosy ; and when he saw Jesus , he fell on his face and implored Him, saying , "Lord , if You are willing , You can make me clean ." 13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying , "I am willing ; be cleansed ." And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He ordered him to tell no one , "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing , just as Moses commanded , as a testimony to them." 15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther , and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses . 16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray .

Jesus Heals a Palsied Man

17 One day He was teaching ; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem ; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing . 18 And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed ; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19 But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd , they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher , into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus . 20 Seeing their faith , He said , "Friend , your sins are forgiven you." 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason , saying , " Who is this man who speaks blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins , but God alone ?" 22 But Jesus , aware of their reasonings , answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts ? 23 "Which is easier , to say , 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say , 'Get up and walk '? 24 "But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ,"-He said to the paralytic -"I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home ." 25 Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God . 26 They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God ; and they were filled with fear , saying , "We have seen remarkable things today ."

The Call of Levi

27 After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth , and He said to him, "Follow Me." 28 And he left everything behind , and got up and began to follow Him. 29 And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house ; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples , saying , "Why e do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners ?" 31 And Jesus answered and said to them, " It is not those who are well who need a physician , but those who are sick . 32 "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance ."

The Question about Fasting

33 And they said to Him, " The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers , the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same , but Yours eat and drink ." 34 And Jesus said to them, "You cannot e make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while e the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 " But the days will come ; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days ." 36 And He was also telling them a parable : "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment ; otherwise he will both tear the new , and the piece from the new will not match the old . 37 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins ; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined . 38 "But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins . 39 "And no one , after drinking old wine wishes for new ; for he says , 'The old is good enough.' "

The Preaching of John the Baptist

31 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar , when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea , and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee , and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis , and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene , 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas , the word of God came to John , the son of Zacharias , in the wilderness . 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan , preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins ; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet , " THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS , 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE Lord , MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT . 5 ' EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED , AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW ; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME e STRAIGHT , AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH ; 6 AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD .' " 7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, " You brood of vipers , who warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? 8 "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance , and do not begin to say to yourselves , ' We have Abraham for our father ,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham . 9 "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees ; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire ." 10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying , " Then what shall we do ?" 11 And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none ; and he who has food is to do likewise ." 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized , and they said to him, "Teacher , what shall we do ?" 13 And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying , "And what about us, what shall we do ?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force , or accuse anyone falsely , and be content with your wages ."

15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John , as to whether he was the Christ , 16 John answered and said to them all , "As for me, I baptize you with water ; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals ; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire . 17 "His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor , and to gather the wheat into His barn ; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire ." 18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people . 19 But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias , his brother's wife , and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done , 20 Herod also added this to them all : he locked John up in prison .

The Baptism of Jesus

21 Now when all the people were baptized , Jesus was also baptized , and while He was praying , heaven was opened , 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove , and a voice came out of heaven , " You are My beloved Son , in You I am well-pleased ."

The Genealogy of Jesus

23 When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age , being , as was supposed , the son of Joseph , the son of Eli , 24 the son of Matthat , the son of Levi , the son of Melchi , the son of Jannai , the son of Joseph , 25 the son of Mattathias , the son of Amos , the son of Nahum , the son of Hesli , the son of Naggai , 26 the son of Maath , the son of Mattathias , the son of Semein , the son of Josech , the son of Joda , 27 the son of Joanan , the son of Rhesa , the son of Zerubbabel , the son of Shealtiel , the son of Neri , 28 the son of Melchi , the son of Addi , the son of Cosam , the son of Elmadam , the son of Er , 29 the son of Joshua , the son of Eliezer , the son of Jorim , the son of Matthat , the son of Levi , 30 the son of Simeon , the son of Judah , the son of Joseph , the son of Jonam , the son of Eliakim , 31 the son of Melea , the son of Menna , the son of Mattatha , the son of Nathan , the son of David , 32 the son of Jesse , the son of Obed , the son of Boaz , the son of Salmon , the son of Nahshon , 33 the son of Amminadab , the son of Admin , the son of Ram , the son of Hezron , the son of Perez , the son of Judah , 34 the son of Jacob , the son of Isaac , the son of Abraham , the son of Terah , the son of Nahor , 35 the son of Serug , the son of Reu , the son of Peleg , the son of Heber , the son of Shelah , 36 the son of Cainan , the son of Arphaxad , the son of Shem , the son of Noah , the son of Lamech , 37 the son of Methuselah , the son of Enoch , the son of Jared , the son of Mahalaleel , the son of Cainan , 38 the son of Enosh , the son of Seth , the son of Adam , the son of God .