14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, d“Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, emany tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of1 the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he feat2 with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. gI came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
18 hNow John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the ibridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”3
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 qAs Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, r“Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus1 reclined at table in the house, behold, smany tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher teat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: u‘I desire vmercy, and not sacrifice.’ For wI came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
14 xThen the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast,2 but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the ybridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Jesus Calls Levi
27 wAfter this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, x“Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was ya large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you zeat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 aI have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
A Question About Fasting
33 bAnd they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the cbridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
