Mark 2

₁A few days later Jesus went to the town of Capernaum again and someone told the people that He was at home. ₂There were so many people who came together that there was no more place in the house, and some of them were standing outside the front door. Jesus started to tell the people the Good_News. ₃Then 4 men came. They were carrying a man who could not walk. ₄But because there were too many people, they could not take the man to Jesus. Then they opened the roof of the house and made a hole in it above Jesus. When the roof was open, they let the man down. He was lying on his sleeping-mat. ₅When Jesus saw that they believed He could heal the man, He said to the man: ‘My friend, I forgive you your sins.’

₆There were teachers_of_the_Laws sitting there. They said to each other: ₇‘Why does this Man say that? Does He think He is God? Only God can forgive sins.’

₈Jesus looked at them and He knew immediately what they were thinking. Then Jesus asked them: ‘Why do you think these things? ₉Do you think it is easy for Me to say: “I forgive your sins?” Or is it easier to say: “Stand up, take your sleeping-mat and walk?” ₁₀But I will show you that I, the Son of man, can forgive sins on earth.’

Then Jesus told the man who could not walk: ₁₁‘I am telling you: Stand up, pick up your mat and go home.’ ₁₂The man got up and he immediately took his mat and went out. All the people saw this and they were very surprised. They praised God and said: ‘We have never seen something like this before.’

₁₃Jesus went back to the lake. Many people came to Him and He started to teach them. ₁₄When Jesus came back, He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was a tax-collector and Jesus said to him: ‘Come with Me.’ Levi got up and he went with Jesus. ₁₅Later, Jesus and his disciples were eating at Levi's house. Some tax-collectors and sinners started to follow Jesus and they were also eating there. ₁₆Some teachers_of_the_Laws were Pharisees. They saw Jesus eating with the tax-collectors and sinners. Then they asked the disciples: ‘Why does Jesus eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’

₁₇Jesus heard what they said and He told them: ‘People who are healthy do not need a doctor, but people who are sick need a doctor. I did not come to call good people to follow Me. I came to call sinners.’

₁₈The disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus: ‘The followers of John and the Pharisees fast. Why do your disciples never fast?’ ₁₉Jesus said:

₂₃Jesus and his disciples walked in the wheat_field. It was on a Sabbath day. Then his disciples started to pick heads_of_wheat to eat. ₂₄The Pharisees said to Jesus: ‘Look what your disciples are doing. Why are they picking wheat on the Sabbath day? The laws say we may not work on a Sabbath day.’ ₂₅Jesus said to them: ‘Did you read what David did when he and his men were hungry and they had no food? ₂₆It was in the time when Abiathar was the high-priest. David went into the temple and he ate the bread that was on the table. No one may eat that bread. Only the priests may eat it. And David also gave some of that bread to his men who were with him.’

₂₇Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘God made the Sabbath day for man. He did not make man for the Sabbath day. ₂₈So I, the Son of man, am Lord and also Lord over the Sabbath day.’