Jesus Heals a Palsied Man

21 And he entered again into Capernaum after [several] days, and it was reported that he was at [the] house; 2 and straightway many were gathered together, so that there was no longer any room, not even at the door; and he spoke the word to them. 3 And there come to him [men] bringing a paralytic, borne by four; 4 and, not being able to get near to him on account of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was, and having dug [it] up they let down the couch on which the paralytic lay. 5 But Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic, Child, thy sins are forgiven [thee]. 6 But certain of the scribes were there sitting, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why does this [man] thus speak? he blasphemes. Who is able to forgive sins except God alone? 8 And straightway Jesus, knowing in his spirit that they are reasoning thus within themselves, said to them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, [Thy] sins are forgiven [thee]; or to say, Arise, and take up thy couch and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, he says to the paralytic, 11 To thee I say, Arise, take up thy couch and go to thine house. 12 And he rose up straightway, and, having taken up his couch, went out before [them] all, so that all were amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it thus.

The Call of Levi

13 And he went out again by the sea, and all the crowd came to him, and he taught them. 14 And passing by, he saw Levi the [son] of Alphaeus sitting at the tax-office, and says to him, Follow me. And he rose up and followed him. 15 And it came to pass as he lay at table in his house, that many tax-gatherers and sinners lay at table with Jesus and his disciples; for they were many, and they followed him. 16 And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing him eating with sinners and tax-gatherers, said to his disciples, Why [is it] that he eats and drinks with tax-gatherers and sinners? 17 And Jesus having heard [it] says to them, They that are strong have not need of a physician, but those who are ill. I have not come to call righteous [men], but sinners.

The Question about Fasting

18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and [the disciples] of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19 And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But days will come when the bridegroom shall have been taken away from them, and then shall they fast in that day. 21 No one sews a patch of new cloth on an old garment: otherwise its new filling-up takes from the old [stuff], and there is a worse rent. 22 And no one puts new wine into old skins; otherwise the wine bursts the skins, and the wine is poured out, and the skins will be destroyed; but new wine is to be put into new skins.

The Disciples Pluck Grain on the Sabbath

23 And it came to pass that he went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples began to walk on, plucking the ears. 24 And the Pharisees said to him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath what is not lawful? 25 And he said to them, Have ye never read what David did when he had need and hungered, he and those with him, 26 how he entered into the house of God, in [the section of] Abiathar [the] high priest, and ate the shew-bread, which it is not lawful unless for the priests to eat, and gave even to those that were with him? 27 And he said to them, The sabbath was made on account of man, not man on account of the sabbath; 28 so that the Son of man is lord of the sabbath also.

The Man with a Withered Hand

31 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was there a man having his hand dried up. 2 And they watched him if he would heal him on the sabbath, that they might accuse him. 3 And he says to the man who had his hand dried up, Rise up [and come] into the midst. 4 And he says to them, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But they were silent. 5 And looking round upon them with anger, distressed at the hardening of their heart, he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched [it] out, and his hand was restored. 6 And the Pharisees going out straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

A Multitude at the Seaside

7 And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea and beyond the Jordan; and they of around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, having heard what things he did, came to him. 9 And he spoke to his disciples, in order that a little ship should wait upon him on account of the crowd, that they might not press upon him. 10 For he healed many, so that they beset him that they might touch him, as many as had plagues. 11 And the unclean spirits, when they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12 And he rebuked them much, that they might not make him manifest.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve

13 And he goes up into the mountain, and calls whom he himself would, and they went to him. 14 And he appointed twelve that they might be with him, and that he might send them to preach, 15 and to have power [to heal diseases, and] to cast out demons. 16 And he gave to Simon the surname of Peter; 17 and James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the surname of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder; 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariote, who also delivered him up. And they come to [the] house.

A Divided House Cannot Stand

20 And again a crowd comes together, so that they cannot even eat bread. 21 And his relatives having heard [of it] went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is out of his mind.

22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons he casts out demons. 23 And having called them to [him], he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom has become divided against itself, that kingdom cannot subsist. 25 And if a house has become divided against itself, that house cannot subsist. 26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and is divided, he cannot subsist, but has an end. 27 But no one can, having entered into his house, plunder the goods of the strong [man] unless he first bind the strong [man], and then he will plunder his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, that all sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and all the injurious speeches [with] which they may speak injuriously; 29 but whosoever shall speak injuriously against the Holy Spirit, to eternity has no forgiveness; but lies under the guilt of an everlasting sin; 30 —because they said, He has an unclean spirit.

Jesus' Mother and Brethren

31 And his brethren and his mother come, and standing without sent to him calling him. 32 And a crowd sat around him. And they said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek thee without. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother or my brethren? 34 And looking around in a circuit at those that were sitting around him, he says, Behold my mother and my brethren: 35 for whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.