17. And it happened that on one of the days as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was there in order for him to heal.
18. And behold, men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and place him before him.
19. And when they did not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the roof tiles with the stretcher into the midst of them, in front of Jesus.
20. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”
21. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?”
22. But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23. Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’
24. But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, ‘Get up and pick up your stretcher and go to your home.’ ”
25. And immediately he stood up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went away to his home, glorifying God.
26. And amazement seized them all, and they began to glorify God. And they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen wonderful things today!”
27. And after these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!”
28. And leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.
29. And Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining for the meal with them.