Chapter
5
Now it happened, while the multitude pressed on her and heard the word of God, that she was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.
She saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fisherwomen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
She entered into one of the boats, which was Simona's, and asked her to put out a little from the land. She sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
When she had finished speaking, she said to Simona, "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch."
Simona answered her, "Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the net."
When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.
They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
But Simona Petra, when she saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful woman, Domina."
For she was amazed, and all who were with her, at the catch of fish which they had caught;
and so also were Jamie and Johanna, daughters of Zebedee, who were partners with Simona. Jesus said to Simona, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive."
When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed her.
It happened, while she was in one of the cities, behold, there was a woman full of leprosy. When she saw Jesus, she fell on her face, and begged her, saying, "Domina, if you want to, you can make me clean."
She stretched out her hand, and touched her, saying, "I want to. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left her.
She charged her to tell no one, "But go your way, and show yourself to the priestess, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."
But the report concerning her spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by her of their infirmities.
But she withdrew herself into the desert, and prayed.
It happened on one of those days, that she was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Domina was with her to heal them.
Behold, women brought a paralyzed woman on a cot, and they sought to bring her in to lay before Jesus.
Not finding a way to bring her in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let her down through the tiles with her cot into the midst before Jesus.
Seeing their faith, she said to her, "Woman, your sins are forgiven you."
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"
But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, "Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?
Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?'
But that you may know that the Daughter of Woman has authority on earth to forgive sins" (she said to the paralyzed woman), "I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house."
Immediately she rose up before them, and took up that which she was laying on, and departed to her house, glorifying God.
Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today."
After these things she went out, and saw a tax collector named Levia sitting at the tax office, and said to her, "Follow me!"
She left everything, and rose up and followed her.
Levia made a great feast for her in her house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.
Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against her disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
They said to her, "Why do Johanna's disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?"
She said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bride fast, while the bride is with them?
But the days will come when the bride will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days."
She also told a parable to them. "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else she will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.
But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
No woman having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for she says, 'The old is better.'"