1 HE came again into Capernaum, and after some days it was heard that he was in the house.
2 Many came together, so that there was no longer room even near the door, and he preached to them.
3 Then some people came bringing to him a paralytic, borne by four.
4 Not being able to bring him near, owing to the crowd, they opened the roof where he was, and when they had broken through it, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 There were some of the scribes sitting there and debating in their minds,
7 "Why does this man talk so? He speaks profane words. Who except God can forgive sins?"
8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving that they were inwardly reasoning in this way, said to them, "Why do you reason so in your minds?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk'?
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins," turning to the paralytic he said,
11 "I tell you, Rise, take up your pallet and go to your house."
12 Immediately the man rose and took up his pallet and went out before all, so that they were astounded and gave praise to God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
13 Jesus went out again beside the lake, and all the crowd came to him and he taught them.
14 As he was passing along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office and said to him, "Follow me." He arose and followed.
15 Jesus was reclining at table in Levi's house, and many tax collectors and sinners also reclined at table along with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
16 When the scribes and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Can it be that he eats with tax collectors and sinners?"
17 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "The strong have no need of a physician, but the sick have. I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners."
18 The disciples of John as well as the Pharisees were fasting. They came and said to Jesus, "Why is it that the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but your disciples are not fasting?"
19 Jesus replied, "Can guests at a wedding 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 will be taken away from them, and then they will fast, in those days.
21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old coat. For the patch will break away, the new from the old, and a worse tear will be made.
22 No one pours new wine into old wine-skins. For the wine will burst the skins, and both wine and skins will be lost."
23 It happened on a Sabbath day that he was passing through the grainfields, and his disciples began, as they walked, to pluck the heads of grain.
24 The Pharisees said to him, "See what they are doing on the Sabbath \'97 something that is not allowable."
25 He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry, he and his companions? \'97
26 how he went into the house of God, when Abiathar was High Priest, and ate the consecrated loaves, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave them also to his companions?"
27 He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath;
28 so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."