Luke 5
5:1 Now it happened, while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.
5:2 He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
5:3 He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch."
5:5 Simon answered him, "Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the net."
5:6 When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.
5:7 They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
5:8 But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord."
5:9 For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;
5:10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive."
5:11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.
5:12 It happened, while he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."
5:13 He stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him.
5:14 He commanded him to tell no one, "But go your way, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."
5:15 But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
5:16 But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed.
5:17 It happened on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them.
5:18 Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.
5:19 Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the midst before Jesus.
5:20 Seeing their faith, he said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
5:21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"
5:22 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, "Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?
5:23 Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?'
5:24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (he said to the paralyzed man), "I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house."
5:25 Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God.
5:26 Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today."
5:27 After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me!"
5:28 He left everything, and rose up and followed him.
5:29 Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.
5:30 Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"
5:31 Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
5:33 They said to him, "Why do John's disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?"
5:34 He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
5:35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days."
5:36 He also told a parable to them. "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
5:37 No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.
5:38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
5:39 No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"
I Thessalonians 3
3:1 Therefore, when we couldn't stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone,
3:2 and sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;
3:3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.
3:4 For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know.
3:5 For this cause I also, when I couldn't stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.
3:6 But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you;
3:7 for this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith.
3:8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
3:9 For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God;
3:10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
3:11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you;
3:12 and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you,
3:13 to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
I Thessalonians 4
4:1 Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.
4:2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
4:3 For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,
4:4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
4:5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don't know God;
4:6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.
4:7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.
4:8 Therefore he who rejects this doesn't reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
4:9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
4:10 for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;
4:11 and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you;
4:12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
4:13 But we don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
4:15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.
4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,
4:17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.
4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
