Mark 2

The Paralytic Forgiven and Healed

1And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was at home. 2And many were gathered, so that there was no longer room, not even at the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four. 4And not being able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had broken it open, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”

6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, reasoning in their hearts, 7“Why does this one speak in this way? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they were reasoning within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk’? 10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11“I say to you, rise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” 12And he rose and immediately took up the mat and went out before them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

The Call of Levi

13And he went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15And it happened that he was reclining at table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for many were following him. 16And the scribes of the Pharisees, seeing that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17And hearing, Jesus said to them, “Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are ill. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Questions About Fasting

18And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to him, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19And Jesus said to them, “Can the sons of the wedding chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

23And it happened that he was passing through grainfields on the Sabbath, and his disciples began to make a path, plucking heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry, he and those with him, 26how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any to eat except the priests, and also gave it to those with him?”

27And he said to them, “The Sabbath came to be for the sake of humanity, and not humanity for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”