1HE came again into Capernaum, and after some days it was heard that he was in the house. 2Many came together, so that there was no longer room even near the door, and he preached to them. 3Then some people came bringing to him a paralytic, borne by four. 4Not being able to bring him near, owing to the crowd, they opened the roof where he was, and when they had broken through it, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6There were some of the scribes sitting there and debating in their minds, 7"Why does this man talk so? He speaks profane words. Who except God can forgive sins?" 8Immediately Jesus, perceiving that they were inwardly reasoning in this way, said to them, "Why do you reason so in your minds? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins," turning to the paralytic he said, 11"I tell you, Rise, take up your pallet and go to your house." 12Immediately the man rose and took up his pallet and went out before all, so that they were astounded and gave praise to God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" 13Jesus went out again beside the lake, and all the crowd came to him and he taught them. 14As he was passing along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office and said to him, "Follow me." He arose and followed. 15Jesus was reclining at table in Levi's house, and many tax collectors and sinners also reclined at table along with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the scribes and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Can it be that he eats with tax collectors and sinners?" 17When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "The strong have no need of a physician, but the sick have. I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners." 18The disciples of John as well as the Pharisees were fasting. They came and said to Jesus, "Why is it that the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but your disciples are not fasting?" 19Jesus replied, "Can guests at a wedding fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast, in those days. 21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old coat. For the patch will break away, the new from the old, and a worse tear will be made. 22No one pours new wine into old wine-skins. For the wine will burst the skins, and both wine and skins will be lost." 23It happened on a Sabbath day that he was passing through the grainfields, and his disciples began, as they walked, to pluck the heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, "See what they are doing on the Sabbath \'97 something that is not allowable." 25He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry, he and his companions? \'97 26how he went into the house of God, when Abiathar was High Priest, and ate the consecrated loaves, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave them also to his companions?" 27He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath; 28so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."