Mark 2

1A few days later, Jesus came back to Capernaum. People heard that He was home.

2So many people gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door. And Jesus preached the word to them.

3Some men came, bringing a man who was paralyzed. Four men were carrying him.

4But they could not get near Jesus because of the crowd. So they dug through the roof above Jesus, and they let the paralyzed man down on his mat.

5When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man: Son, your sins are forgiven.

6Some teachers of the law were sitting there. They were thinking to themselves:

7Why does this man talk like this? He is insulting God! Only God can forgive sins.

8Jesus knew right away what they were thinking. He said to them: Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

9Which is easier? To say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven? Or to say, Get up, take your mat, and walk?

10But I will show you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. So Jesus said to the paralyzed man:

11I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.

12The man got up at once, took his mat, and walked out in front of them all. Everyone was amazed and praised God. They said: We have never seen anything like this!

13Jesus went out beside the lake again. A large crowd came to Him, and He taught them.

14As He walked along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth. Jesus said to him: Follow me. Levi got up and followed him.

15Later Jesus was eating at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and His disciples, for many of them were following Him.

16The teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with sinners and tax collectors. They asked His disciples: Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?

17When Jesus heard this, He said to them: Healthy people do not need a doctor. Sick people do. I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners.

18John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and asked: John's disciples fast, and the Pharisees' disciples fast. Why don't your disciples fast?

19Jesus answered: The friends of the groom do not fast while the groom is still with them. As long as He is with them, they cannot fast.

20But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

21No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat. If they do, the new patch will pull away from the old, and the tear will be worse.

22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.

23One Sabbath day Jesus was walking through the grain fields. As His disciples walked, they began to pick some heads of grain.

24The Pharisees said to Him: Look! Why are they doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath?

25Jesus answered: Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry and needed food?

26It was when Abiathar was high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the holy bread, which only the priests were allowed to eat. And he also gave some to his men.

27Then Jesus said to them: The Sabbath was made to help people. People were not made for the Sabbath.

28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.