5. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
6. Now some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7. “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?”
8. And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they were reasoning like this within themselves, said to them, “Why are you considering these things in your hearts?
9. Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Get up and pick up your stretcher and walk’?
10. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic—
11. “I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher, and go to your home.”
12. And he got up and immediately picked up his stretcher and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
13. And he went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he began to teach them.
14. And as he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!” And he stood up and followed him.
15. And it happened that he was dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they were following him.
16. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, began to say to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17. And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”