1 When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 Many gathered, so that there was no more room, not even by the door, and he spoke the word to them. 3 They came bringing him a paralyzed man carried by four people. 4 Since they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where he was. After digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Some of the scribes were sitting there, reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were reasoning this way within themselves and said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.” 12 He got up, immediately took the mat, and went out before everyone. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

13 He went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them. 14 As he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth and said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

15 While he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners reclined with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are ill. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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

21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise the new patch pulls away from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine and the skins are ruined. But new wine goes into fresh wineskins.”

23 On a Sabbath he was passing through the grainfields, and as his disciples made their way, they began to pick heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry, 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence, which only the priests are allowed to eat, and also gave some to those with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”