Luke Chapter 5
Showing all 39 verses for Luke Chapter 5.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, "
"While the crowds pressed in to hear him teach God's message, Jesus stood by the Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Gennesaret."
I stood among ordinary people at their own lakeside, not in a temple - wherever you're searching for meaning right now, that's exactly where I meet you.
"And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. "
"He saw two boats moored at the water's edge; the fishermen had climbed out and were washing their nets after a night's work."
I found my first followers not while they were succeeding, but at the end of an exhausting, empty night - your low, discouraged moments are exactly where I show up.
"And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. "
"Jesus climbed into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little from the shore; then he sat down and taught the crowd from the boat."
I asked Simon for a small favour before I asked anything big of him - I tend to build trust in small, everyday steps rather than sudden demands.
"Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. "
"When he finished speaking, Jesus told Simon to row out into deeper water and let down the nets for a catch."
I sometimes ask you to try again in the very place you've already failed and grown tired of trying - trust matters more than confidence in the outcome.
"And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. "
"Simon replied, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing - but because you say so, I'll let the net down.""
I don't need you to feel certain before you obey me - Simon's honest doubt paired with willing action is exactly the kind of trust that opens the door to something new.
"And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. "
"When they did this, they caught such a huge number of fish that their net began to tear."
When you trust and act despite tired doubt, I don't just give you enough - I tend to give more than you expected, more than you can easily hold on to.
"And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. "
"They signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help; both boats filled with fish until they began to sink."
I involve your wider community, not just you alone, in what I'm doing in your life - lean on others when you're overwhelmed, even by something good.
"When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. "
"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus's knees and said, "Leave me, Lord, because I'm a sinful man.""
I don't leave when you're honest with me about your flaws and failures - Simon asked me to depart because he felt unworthy, and my answer, in the next verse, is to draw him closer instead.
"For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: "
"He was astonished, and so was everyone with him, at the huge catch of fish they had taken."
I want the good things happening in your life to be witnessed and shared, not just privately held - real wonder tends to grow when it's experienced together.
"And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. "
"James and John, Zebedee's sons, were partners with Simon and had seen it too. Jesus told Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.""
I take your existing skills and everyday experience and repurpose them for something meaningful - I don't ask you to abandon who you are, but to redirect it.
"And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. "
"When they brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him."
I ask for a real yes, not a half-commitment squeezed in around everything else - but I only ever ask you to leave behind what's holding you back from something better.
"And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. "
"In a certain town there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you're willing, you can make me clean.""
I never turn away someone who comes to me honestly, however excluded or "unclean" society has made them feel - your dignity isn't up for debate with me.
"And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. "
"Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be clean." Immediately the leprosy left him."
I choose to touch what others are afraid to go near - real love reaches towards people, not just offers advice from a safe distance.
"And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. "
"Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone, but instead to go show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifice Moses commanded for his cleansing, as proof to the people."
I care about you being fully restored to your community, not just fixed and left isolated - real healing includes belonging again, not just symptoms disappearing.
"But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. "
"Even so, news about him spread more and more, and large crowds gathered to hear him and be healed of their illnesses."
I never turned people away just because I was tired or overwhelmed by demand - but I also knew I needed to withdraw sometimes, which is exactly what happens next.
"And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. "
"But Jesus would often withdraw to remote places and pray."
I regularly stepped away from the crowds, even at the height of my popularity, to be alone and pray - protecting your own quiet, private space isn't selfish, it's necessary.
"And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law siting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. "
"One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religious law experts sat nearby, having come from every village of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem - and the Lord's power was present to heal."
I kept teaching and healing even under scrutiny from people looking to catch me out - don't let critics watching your every move stop you from doing good.
"And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. "
"Some men arrived carrying a paralysed man on a mat, trying to bring him in and set him before Jesus."
I notice and respond to the effort other people make on your behalf - you don't always have to reach me under your own strength; let others carry you sometimes.
"And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the filing with his couch into the midst before Jesus. "
"But because of the crowd they couldn't find a way to bring him in, so they went up onto the roof and lowered him through the tiles, mat and all, right in front of Jesus."
I don't mind a bit of disruption or mess if it means someone in need gets to me - don't let awkwardness or obstacles stop you helping someone who needs it.
"And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. "
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Friend, your sins are forgiven.""
I see and respond to the faith shown on your behalf by the people who love you, not only your own effort - and I care about your inner freedom as much as your outer problems.
"And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? "
"The religious scholars and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, "Who is this man, saying such blasphemous things? Only God can forgive sins.""
I welcome honest questioning about who I really am - even suspicion, when it's sincere, can become a door towards the truth rather than something to be feared.
"But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? "
"But Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked them, "Why are you questioning this in your hearts?""
I address what's really going on beneath the surface, not just what people say out loud - I'd rather deal honestly with your doubts than let them fester unspoken.
"Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? "
""Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Get up and walk'?""
I back up big claims with real, verifiable action - I don't just want you to take my word for who I am; watch what I actually do.
"But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. "
""So that you'll know the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" - he said to the paralysed man - "I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.""
I use the things you can see and measure in your life as evidence that the deeper, unseen work - your inner freedom and forgiveness - is real too.
"And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. "
"Immediately the man got up in front of them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home praising God."
When something good happens for you, let your first response be gratitude rather than self-congratulation - this man didn't boast, he gave credit where it belonged.
"And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. "
"Everyone was astonished and praised God, filled with awe, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today.""
I want what happens in your life to point people towards something greater than either of us individually - genuine wonder should lead outward into gratitude, not just admiration of the person involved.
"And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, siting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. "
"After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax booth, and said to him, "Follow me.""
I call people that everyone else has written off - if you feel like an outsider, or like nobody respectable would want you, that's exactly the kind of person I come looking for.
"And he left all, rose up, and followed him. "
"Levi got up, left everything, and followed him."
I ask for the same wholehearted response from someone with a shady, complicated past as from anyone else - a genuine change of direction is always available to you, starting right now.
"And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. "
"Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others sat down to eat with them."
I'm happy to sit at the table with people society looks down on - real change in your life should make you want to bring others along, not separate yourself from them.
"But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? "
"The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?""
I won't let other people's disapproval stop me sitting with those they've decided are beneath them - don't let anyone's judgement dictate who you're willing to be kind to.
"And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. "
"Jesus answered them, "It's not healthy people who need a doctor, but sick people.""
I go where the need is greatest, the way a good doctor does - if you feel too broken or messed up for me to bother with, you've misunderstood exactly why I came.
"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. "
""I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to change their hearts and lives.""
I'm not interested in people who think they already have it all together - I'm looking for people honest enough to admit they need to change, and willing to actually do it.
"And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? "
"They said to him, "John's disciples fast often and pray, and so do the Pharisees' disciples, but yours eat and drink.""
I don't measure devotion by how much you deprive yourself, but by the state of your heart - outward performance of religion isn't the same as a genuine relationship with God.
"And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? "
"Jesus replied, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he's still with them?""
I want you to recognise the different seasons of your life - there's a time for joy and celebration, and forcing solemnity onto a moment that calls for gladness misses the point entirely.
"But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. "
""But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them - then they will fast.""
I don't ask you to manufacture sorrow you don't feel - real mourning has its own proper time, and I'd rather you be honest about where you are than perform an emotion for show.
"And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. "
"He also told them a parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment to patch an old one; if they did, the new garment would be torn, and the patch wouldn't match the old.""
I'm not here to patch up old ways of living that aren't working - real change sometimes means starting fresh rather than stitching a small fix onto something fundamentally broken.
"And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. "
""And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; if they did, the new wine would burst the skins, spill out, and ruin the skins.""
I need room to grow in you - trying to squeeze new life into old, rigid habits or mindsets that can't flex will only end up breaking something.
"But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. "
""New wine must be put into new wineskins, and then both are preserved.""
I want to give you a fresh start that fits who you're becoming, not force you back into an old shape that can't hold what I'm doing in you.
"No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. "
""And no one who has drunk old wine wants new wine straightaway, because they say, 'The old is better.'""
I understand if what I'm offering feels strange or uncomfortable compared to what you're used to - but don't let mere familiarity with the old stop you from genuinely tasting something new.