Mark 2:16-18
Living Bible
16 But when some of the Jewish religious leaders[a] saw him eating with these men of ill repute, they said to his disciples, “How can he stand it, to eat with such scum?”
17 When Jesus heard what they were saying, he told them, “Sick people need the doctor, not healthy ones! I haven’t come to tell good people to repent, but the bad ones.”
18 John’s disciples and the Jewish leaders sometimes fasted, that is, went without food as part of their religion. One day some people came to Jesus and asked why his disciples didn’t do this too.
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- Mark 2:16 the Jewish religious leaders, literally, “the scribes of the Pharisees.”
Mark 2:16-18
New International Version
16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees(A) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(B)
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(C)
Jesus Questioned About Fasting(D)
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.(E) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”
Mark 2:16-18
King James Version
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
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Mark 2:16-18
New King James Version
16 And when the scribes [a]and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, (A)“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, [b]to repentance.”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting(B)
18 (C)The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
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Mark 2:16-18
English Standard Version
16 And (A)the scribes of[a] the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, (B)“Why does he eat[b] 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. (C)I came not to call the righteous, (D)but sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
18 Now (E)John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, (F)“Why do John's disciples and (G)the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.


