10. and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear. From now on you will catch men.”
11. So when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
12. When He was in a certain city, a man full of leprosy, upon seeing Jesus, fell on his face and begged Him, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”
13. He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14. Then He commanded him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
15. Yet even more so His fame went everywhere. And great crowds came together to hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16. But He withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.
17. On a certain day, as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal the sick.
18. Now some men brought in a bed a man who was paralyzed. They searched for ways to bring him in and lay him before Him.
19. When they could not find a way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into their midst before Jesus.
20. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21. The scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is He who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22. When Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered them, “Why question in your hearts?
23. Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?
24. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, rise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25. Immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26. They were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen wonderful things today.”
27. After these things He went out and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax collector’s station. He said to him, “Follow Me.”
28. And he left everything, rose up, and followed Him.