James

18Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, which is a big lake. He saw two brothers, Simon (also called Peter) and Andrew. They were throwing a net into the water. Catching fish was their job.

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

NoteSimon and Peter are two names for the same man. Fishermen threw a round net with weights on the edge. It sank fast and trapped the fish under it.

19Jesus said to them, "Come and follow me. I will make you catch people instead of fish."

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Note"Fishers of men" plays with their job. Jesus means they will now gather people to God.

20Right away they left their nets and went with him.

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21Jesus walked on and saw two more brothers, James and John. Their father was Zebedee. They were in a boat with him, fixing their nets. Jesus called them to come.

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

NoteNets tore all the time and had to be sewn up again. Fishing was this family's work, with their own boat.

22Right away they left the boat and their father, and they went with him.

And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

NoteLeaving their father meant leaving the family work too. Sons usually fished with their father all their lives.

1Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. John was James's brother. Jesus led them up a high mountain, away from other people.

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

NotePeter, James, and John were three of Jesus's closest friends. They traveled with him and learned from him every day.

2There Jesus changed right in front of them. His face shone like the sun. His clothes turned as white as light.

And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

NoteThe King James says Jesus was "transfigured." That means his whole look changed. It also says "raiment," which is an old word for clothes.

3All at once, Moses and Elijah were there. They were talking with Jesus.

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

NoteMoses and Elijah lived long, long before Jesus. Moses led God's people out of Egypt. Elijah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. The King James spells his name "Elias."

4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you want, I will build three shelters. One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

NoteShelters were little huts made of branches and leaves. People built them to stay in when they slept outside. The King James calls them "tabernacles."

5While Peter was still talking, a bright cloud covered them. A voice came out of the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I love him. He makes me very glad. Listen to him!"

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

NoteFor the people back then, a bright cloud meant God was very near. In their old stories, God spoke from a cloud like this one.

6When his followers, called disciples, heard the voice, they fell with their faces to the ground. They were very afraid.

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

NoteLying face down on the ground was a way to show great respect. People did it in front of a king.

7Jesus came over and touched them. He said, "Get up. Do not be afraid."

And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8They looked up. They saw no one there but Jesus.

And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

9As they walked down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen. They should wait until the Son of Man rose from the dead. Jesus called himself the Son of Man.

And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

NoteThe King James calls what they saw a "vision," something shown to them. "Son of man" was a name from an old book of the Bible. Jesus used it about himself.

1One day Jesus stood by a lake called Gennesaret. A crowd pushed close to hear God's message.

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

NoteThis lake is also called the Sea of Galilee. It is big, and many families caught fish there for a living.

2He saw two boats resting at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had gotten out and were washing their nets.

And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3Jesus got into Simon's boat. He asked Simon to push out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

NoteSimon is the same man who is later called Peter. He was a fisherman with his own boat.

4When Jesus finished talking, he said to Simon, "Go out where the water is deep. Let your nets down to catch fish."

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5Simon said, "Teacher, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because You say so, I will let the nets down."

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

NoteFishermen there worked at night, when fish came near the top. Catching nothing all night meant no food and no money.

6They did it, and they caught so many fish that their nets started to rip.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7They waved to their friends in the other boat to come help. The friends came, and both boats got so full they began to sink.

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8When Simon Peter saw this, he knelt down in front of Jesus. He said, "Go away from me, Lord. I am a man who does wrong."

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

NoteSimon calls himself sinful. Sin means doing wrong things that hurt God and other people.

9He was amazed at how many fish they caught. So were all the men with him.

For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10James and John, the sons of Zebedee, worked with Simon, and they were amazed too. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will gather people instead of fish."

And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

NoteJesus meant Simon would help bring people to God. He used to gather fish; now he would gather people.

11They brought their boats to shore. Then they left everything behind and went with Jesus.

And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

NoteLeaving everything meant leaving their boats, their nets, and their job. That was how they fed their families.

51The time was coming for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. So he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem.

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

52He sent messengers ahead of him. They went into a village in Samaria to get things ready for him.

And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

NoteSamaritans lived in Samaria, the land between Galilee and Jerusalem. Jews and Samaritans did not get along. They each said God should be worshiped in a different place.

53But the people there would not welcome him. This was because he was heading for Jerusalem.

And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

54His followers James and John saw this. They said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to burn them up, as Elijah did?"

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

NoteIn an old story, Elijah once called fire down from the sky. James and John were remembering that story.

55Jesus turned and told them they were wrong. He said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you have."

But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

56"The Son of Man did not come to destroy people's lives. He came to save them." Then they went on to another village.

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

1Around that time, King Herod began to hurt some people in the church. The church was the group of people who followed Jesus.

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

NoteHerod was a king in that land. He ruled because the Romans, who were in charge, let him. The word "church" means the people who follow Jesus. It does not mean a building.

2He had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword.

And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

NoteThis James was one of Jesus' twelve closest friends. Killing someone "with the sword" meant soldiers put him to death.

3Herod saw that this made the Jewish people glad. So he arrested Peter too. It was the week called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when people ate flat bread made without yeast.

And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

NoteThe Feast of Unleavened Bread was a special week each year. Yeast is what makes bread puff up and get soft. During that week people ate flat bread with no yeast in it. It helped them remember a time long ago when they left Egypt in a hurry.

4Herod took Peter and put him in prison. He gave him to four groups of four soldiers to guard. Herod planned to bring Peter out to the people after Passover.

And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

NotePassover was the holiday at the start of that same week. Herod did not want to hurt Peter during the holy days. Four groups of soldiers meant they took turns watching, so someone guarded Peter all night.

5So Peter stayed in prison. But the church kept praying to God for him, again and again.

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

NotePraying means talking to God. The church did it over and over, day after day, without stopping.