Mark 2

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

1A few days later, Jesus came back to the town of Capernaum. People heard that he was home.

2And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

2So many people came that there was no room left. Even the doorway was packed. Jesus told them God's message.

3And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

3Some men brought him a man whose body could not move. Four men carried him.

4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

4The crowd was too thick to get near Jesus. So they opened up the roof right above him. Then they lowered the man down on his mat.

5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

5Jesus saw that they trusted him. He said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

6Some scribes were sitting there. Scribes were teachers who studied God's law. They were thinking inside themselves,

7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

7"Why does this man talk like that? He is speaking against God. Only God can forgive sins."

8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

8Right away Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked them, "Why are you thinking these things?"

9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

9"Which is easier to say to this man? 'Your sins are forgiven'? Or 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'?"

10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

10"I will show you something. The Son of Man is allowed to forgive sins here on earth." Son of Man was Jesus's name for himself. Then he spoke to the man who could not move.

11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

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

12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

12Right away the man got up. He picked up his mat and walked out in front of them all. Everyone was amazed. They praised God and said, "We have never seen anything like this!"

13And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

13Jesus went out again beside the lake. A big crowd came to him, and he taught them there.

14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

14As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi sat at a booth where he collected taxes. Jesus said, "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him.

15And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

15Later Jesus was eating at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and sinners ate with Jesus and his followers. Many of these people followed him.

16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

16Some scribes who were Pharisees saw this. Pharisees kept very strict rules about God's law. They asked his followers, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

17When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

17Jesus heard and said, "Well people do not need a doctor. Sick people do. I did not come to call good people. I came to call sinners."

18And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

18John's followers and the Pharisees often went without food to pray. That is called fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why don't your followers fast?"

19And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

19Jesus said, "Think of a wedding. Can the groom's friends go without food while he is there? While he is with them, they cannot."

20But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

20"But a day is coming when the groom will be taken away. Then they will go without food."

21No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

21"No one sews a patch of new cloth onto an old coat. The new patch would pull away, and the hole would get worse."

22And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

22"And no one pours new wine into old wine bags. The new wine would burst them. Then the wine spills and the bags are ruined. New wine goes into new bags."

NoteThe King James Bible says "bottles," but these were not glass. They were bags sewn from animal skin. Old ones had already stretched, so new wine still bubbling would split them.

23And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

23One Sabbath day Jesus walked through the grain fields. The Sabbath was the day for resting. As they walked, his followers picked some heads of grain.

NoteThe King James Bible says "corn." In 1611 that word meant grain of any kind, like wheat or barley, not the yellow corn on a cob.

24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

24The Pharisees said to him, "Look! Why are they doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath?"

25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

25Jesus said to them, "Have you never read what David did? He and his men were hungry and needed food."

26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

26"David went into God's house when Abiathar was the high priest. He ate the special bread set apart for God. Only the priests were allowed to eat it. David gave some to his men too."

NoteThis bread sat in God's house as a gift to God. It was swapped for fresh bread each week, and the priests ate the old loaves.

27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

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

28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

28"So the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath too."