Chapter 2

¹And again he entered into Capharnaum after some days. ²And it was heard that he was in the house, and many came together, so that there was no room; no, not even at the door; and he spoke to them the word. ³And they came to him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four. ⁴And when they could not offer him unto him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof where he was; and opening it, they let down the bed wherein the man sick of the palsy lay. ⁵And when Jesus had seen their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee. ⁶And there were some of the scribes sitting there, and thinking in their hearts: ⁷Why doth this man speak thus? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only? ⁸Which Jesus presently knowing in his spirit, that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: Why think you these things in your hearts? ⁹Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk? ¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) ¹¹I say to thee: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. ¹²And immediately he arose; and taking up his bed, went his way in the sight of all; so that all wondered and glorified God, saying: We never saw the like. ¹³And he went forth again to the sea side; and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them. ¹⁴And when he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith to him: Follow me. And rising up, he followed him. ¹⁵And it came to pass, that as he sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. For they were many, who also followed him. ¹⁶And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners, said to his disiples: Why doth your master eat and drink with publicans and sinners? ¹⁷Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners. ¹⁸And the disiples of John and the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast? ¹⁹And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; and then they shall fast in those days. ²¹No man seweth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise the new piecing taketh away from the old, and there is made a greater rent. ²²And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the wine will burst the bottles, and both the wine will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles. ²³And it came to pass again, as the Lord walked through the corn fields on the sabbath, that his disciples began to go forward, and to pluck the ears of corn. ²⁴And the Pharisees said to him: Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? ²⁵And he said to them: Have you never read what David did when he had need, and was hungry himself, and they that were with him? ²⁶How he went into the house of God, under Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which was not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave to them who were with him? ²⁷And he said to them: The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. ²⁸Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.