Mark 2:14-27

Holman Christian Standard Bible

¹⁴ Then, moving on, He saw Levi^(A) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,^(B) and He said to him, “Follow Me!”^(C) So he got up and followed^(D) Him.

Dining with Sinners

¹⁵ While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors^(E) and sinners^(F) were also guests^[a](G) with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. ¹⁶ When the scribes^(H) of the Pharisees^[b](I) saw that He was eating^(J) with sinners^(K) and tax collectors,^(L) they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat^[c] with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need^(M) a doctor,^(N) but the sick^(O) do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous,^(P) but sinners.”^(Q)

A Question about Fasting

¹⁸ Now^(R) John’s^(S) disciples^(T) and the Pharisees^[d](U) were fasting.^(V) People came and asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests^[e] cannot fast while the groom^(W) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time^[f] will come^(X) when the groom is taken away from them,^(Y) and then they will fast^(Z) in that day. ²¹ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,^(AA) and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine^(AB) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst^(AC) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins.^[g] But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

²³ On^(AD) the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples^(AE) began to make their way picking some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees^(AF) said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful^(AG) on the Sabbath?”

²⁵ He said to them, “Have you never read what David^(AH) and those who were with him did when he was in need^(AI) and hungry^(AJ)— ²⁶ how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar^(AK) the high priest^(AL) and ate the sacred bread^(AM)—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests^(AN)—and also gave some to his companions?” ²⁷ Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made for^[h] man and not man for^[i] the Sabbath.^(AO)