Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2 And when he returned to ^tCapernaum after some days, it was reported that he wasat home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, noteven at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 ^uAnd they came, bringing tohim a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because ofthe crowd, ^vthey removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, theylet down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus ^wsaw their faith, he said tothe paralytic, “Son, ^xyour sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there,questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? ^yHe is blaspheming!^zWho can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, ^aperceiving in his spiritthat they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thesethings in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ orto say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that ^bthe Son of Manhas authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pickup your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went outbefore them all, so that they were all amazed and ^cglorified God, saying, “We never sawanything like this!”

Jesus Calls Levi

13 He went out again beside the sea, and ^dall the crowd was coming to him, and he wasteaching them. 14 ^eAnd as he passed by, he saw ^fLevi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the taxbooth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many ^gtax collectors and sinners werereclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And ^hthescribes of¹ the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and taxcollectors, said to his disciples, ^g“Why does he eat² with tax collectors and sinners?”17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of aphysician, but those who are sick. ⁱI came not to call the righteous, ^jbut sinners.”