Luke 5
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Luke chapter 5 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
16 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 2 Fathers — Saint Augustine and Saint Cyril of Alexandria.
Luke 5
Four Fishermen Called
1Now it came to pass, while the crowd pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ τὸν ὄχλον ἐπικεῖσθαι αὐτῷ τοῦ ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἑστὼς παρὰ τὴν λίμνην Γεννησαρέτ·
2and He saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen, after getting out of them, were washing their nets.καὶ εἶδε δύο πλοῖα ἑστῶτα παρὰ τὴν λίμνην· οἱ δὲ ἁλιεῖς ἀποβάντες ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀπέπλυναν τὰ δίκτυα.
3Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and He asked him to put out a little from the land. And sitting down, He began to teach the crowds from the boat.Ἐμβὰς δὲ εἰς ἓν τῶν πλοίων, ὃ ἦν τοῦ Σίμωνος, ἠρώτησεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐπαναγαγεῖν ὀλίγον. Καὶ καθίσας ἐδίδασκεν ἐκ τοῦ πλοίου τοὺς ὄχλους.
4Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch.”Ὡς δὲ ἐπαύσατο λαλῶν, εἶπε πρὸς τὸν Σίμωνα, Ἐπανάγαγε εἰς τὸ βάθος, καὶ χαλάσατε τὰ δίκτυα ὑμῶν εἰς ἄγραν.
5But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have labored all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will lower the net.”Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Σίμων εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἐπιστάτα, δι᾽ ὅλης τῆς νυκτὸς κοπιάσαντες οὐδὲν ἐλάβομεν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ῥήματί σου χαλάσω τὸ δίκτυον.
6And when they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was tearing.Καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσαντες, συνέκλεισαν πλῆθος ἰχθύων πολύ· διερρήγνυτο δὲ τὸ δίκτυον αὐτῶν·
7So they beckoned to their partners who were in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they were sinking.καὶ κατένευσαν τοῖς μετόχοις τοῖς ἐν τῷ ἑτέρῳ πλοίῳ, τοῦ ἐλθόντας συλλαβέσθαι αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἦλθον καὶ ἔπλησαν ἀμφότερα τὰ πλοῖα, ὥστε βυθίζεσθαι αὐτά.
8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”Ἰδὼν δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος προσέπεσε τοῖς γόνασιν Ἰησοῦ, λέγων, Ἔξελθε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, Κύριε.
9For astonishment gripped him and all who were with him at the haul of fish which they had taken.Θάμβος γὰρ περιέσχεν αὐτὸν καὶ πάντας τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ, ἐπὶ τῇ ἄγρᾳ τῶν ἰχθύων ᾗ συνέλαβον·
10And likewise also it gripped James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you shall be catching men.”ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην, υἱοὺς Ζεβεδαίου, οἳ ἦσαν κοινωνοὶ τῷ Σίμωνι. Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν Σίμωνα ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Μὴ φοβοῦ· ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ ζωγρῶν.
11And having brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.Καὶ καταγαγόντες τὰ πλοῖα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀφέντες ἅπαντα, ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12And it came to pass while He was in a certain city, that behold, there was a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, falling on his face he begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can cleanse me.”Καὶ ἐγένετο, ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐν μιᾷ τῶν πόλεων, καὶ ἰδού, ἀνὴρ πλήρης λέπρας· καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον, ἐδεήθη αὐτοῦ, λέγων, Κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς, δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι.
13And reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy departed from him.Καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἥψατο αὐτοῦ, εἰπών, Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι. Καὶ εὐθέως ἡ λέπρα ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
14And He ordered him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and bring an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses prescribed.”Καὶ αὐτὸς παρήγγειλεν αὐτῷ μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν· Ἀλλὰ ἀπελθὼν δεῖξον σεαυτὸν τῷ ἱερεῖ, καὶ προσένεγκε περὶ τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ σου, καθὼς προσέταξε Μωσῆς, εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς.
15But the report about Him spread all the more; and great crowds came together to hear, and to be healed by Him from their sicknesses.Διήρχετο δὲ μᾶλλον ὁ λόγος περὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ συνήρχοντο ὄχλοι πολλοὶ ἀκούειν, καὶ θεραπεύεσθαι ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀσθενειῶν αὐτῶν.
16But He Himself would withdraw into the wilderness and would pray.Αὐτὸς δὲ ἦν ὑποχωρῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις καὶ προσευχόμενος.
Jesus Forgives Sins
17Now it happened on a certain day that He was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν διδάσκων· καὶ ἦσαν καθήμενοι Φαρισαῖοι καὶ νομοδιδάσκαλοι, οἳ ἦσαν ἐληλυθότες ἐκ πάσης κώμης τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ Ἰουδαίας καὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ δύναμις Κυρίου ἦν εἰς τὸ ἰᾶσθαι αὐτούς.
18And behold, men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and to lay him before Him.Καὶ ἰδού, ἄνδρες φέροντες ἐπὶ κλίνης ἄνθρωπον ὃς ἦν παραλελυμένος, καὶ ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν εἰσενεγκεῖν καὶ θεῖναι ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ·
19And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, going up on the roof, they lowered him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst in front of Jesus.καὶ μὴ εὑρόντες ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα, διὰ τῶν κεράμων καθῆκαν αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ εἰς τὸ μέσον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
20And seeing their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins have been forgiven you.”Καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν, εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἄνθρωπε, ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου.
21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this Man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins except God alone?”Καὶ ἤρξαντο διαλογίζεσθαι οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, λέγοντες, Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὃς λαλεῖ βλασφημίας; Τίς δύναται ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, εἰ μὴ μόνος ὁ Θεός;
22But when Jesus perceived their reasonings, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?Ἐπιγνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς αὐτῶν ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς, Τί διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν;
23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?Τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον, εἰπεῖν, Ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου, ἢ εἰπεῖν, Ἔγειραι καὶ περιπάτει;
24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”Ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας—εἶπε τῷ παραλελυμένῳ—Σοὶ λέγω, ἔγειραι, καὶ ἄρας τὸ κλινίδιόν σου, πορεύου εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου.
25Immediately he rose up before them, taking up the bed which he had been lying on, he went off to his own house, glorifying God.Καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀναστὰς ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, ἄρας ἐφ᾽ ὃ κατέκειτο, ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν.
26And amazement gripped them all, and they were glorifying God, and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today!”Καὶ ἔκστασις ἔλαβεν ἅπαντας, καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν φόβου, λέγοντες ὅτι Εἴδομεν παράδοξα σήμερον.
Jesus Invites Matthew, a Sinner
27After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξῆλθε, καὶ ἐθεάσατο τελώνην, ὀνόματι Λευΐν, καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἀκολούθει μοι.
28And leaving everything, he arose and followed Him.Καὶ καταλιπὼν ἅπαντα, ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ.
29Then Levi made a great banquet for Him in his own house. And there was a great number of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them to eat.Καὶ ἐποίησε δοχὴν μεγάλην Λευῒς αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἦν ὄχλος τελωνῶν πολύς, καὶ ἄλλων οἳ ἦσαν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν κατακείμενοι.
30And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”Καὶ ἐγόγγυζον οἱ γραμματεῖς αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ, λέγοντες, Διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίετε καὶ πίνετε;
31Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς, Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ᾽ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες.
32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”Οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.
When Does Jesus Fast?
33Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”Οἱ δὲ εἶπον πρὸς αὐτόν, Διὰ τί οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου νηστεύουσι πυκνά, καὶ δεήσεις ποιοῦνται, ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ τῶν Φαρισαίων· οἱ δὲ σοὶ ἐσθίουσι καὶ πίνουσιν;
34And He said to them, “Can you make the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them?Ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς, Μὴ δύνασθε τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ νυμφῶνος, ἐν ᾧ ὁ νυμφίος μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐστι, ποιῆσαι νηστεύειν;
35But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”Ἐλεύσονται δὲ ἡμέραι, καὶ ὅταν ἀπαρθῇ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ὁ νυμφίος, τότε νηστεύσουσιν ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις.
36Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a patch of a new garment on an old one; otherwise both the new garment tears, and also the patch that was taken out of the new garment does not match with the old garment.Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ παραβολὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι Οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ἱματίου καινοῦ ἐπιβάλλει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν· εἰ δὲ μή γε, καὶ τὸ καινὸν σχίζει, καὶ τῷ παλαιῷ οὐ συμφωνεῖ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ καινοῦ.
37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the wineskins and it will be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.Καὶ οὐδεὶς βάλλει οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς· εἰ δὲ μή γε, ῥήξει ὁ νέος οἶνος τοὺς ἀσκούς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκχυθήσεται, καὶ οἱ ἀσκοὶ ἀπολοῦνται.
38But one must put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved together.Ἀλλὰ οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινοὺς βλητέον, καὶ ἀμφότεροι συντηροῦνται.
39And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”Καὶ οὐδεὶς πιὼν παλαιὸν εὐθέως θέλει νέον· λέγει γάρ, Ὁ παλαιὸς χρηστότερός ἐστιν.
The Fathers on Luke 5
Saint Augustine and Saint Cyril of Alexandria comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Luke 5:4Saint AugustineLuke, then, commences his Gospel in the following fashion: “There was in the days of Herod the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name...
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On Luke 5:4Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:4. And when He ceased speaking, He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep. As He had now taught them sufficiently, and it was fitting also to add some divine work to His words for the benefit of the spectators, He bade Simon and his companions push off a little from the land, and let down the net for a draught....
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →
On Luke 5:27Saint AugustineMatthew next continues his narrative in the following terms:—“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, Follow me.
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On Luke 5:27Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:27. And He saw a publican named Levi. For Levi was a publican, a man insatiable after filthy lucre, of unbridled covetousness, careless of justice in his eagerness after what was not his own; for such was the character of the publicans: yet was he snatched from the very workshop of iniquity, and saved beyond hope,...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →
On Luke 5:30, 32Saint AugustineMatthew, accordingly, goes on to say: “And it came to pass, as He sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples;” and so on, down to where we read, “But they put...
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On Luke 5:2Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:2. And He saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them, and, were washing their nets. LET us admire the skilfulness of the method employed in making them a prey who were to make prey of the whole earth; even the holy Apostles, who, though themselves well skilled in fishing, yet fell...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →
On Luke 5:8Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:8. And when Simon Peter saw it. For this reason also Peter, carried back to the memory of his former sins, trembles and is afraid, and as being impure ventures not to receive Him Who is pure: and his fear was laudable: for he had been taught by the law to distinguish between the holy and the profane.
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →
On Luke 5:12Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:12. And behold a man full of leprosy. The faith, however, of him who drew near is worthy of all praise: for he testifies that the Emmanuel can successfully accomplish all things, and seeks deliverance by His godlike commands, although his malady was incurable: for leprosy will not yield to the skill of physicians. I...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →
On Luke 5:14Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:14. And He charged him to tell no man. Even though the leper had been silent, the very nature of the fact was enough to proclaim to all who knew him how great was His power Who had wrought the cure. But He bids him tell no man: and why? That they who receive from God the gift of working cures may hereby learn not to...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →
On Luke 5:17Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:17. And He Himself was teaching, and the Pharisees were sitting. Around Him verily was a company of the envious, scribes, that is, and pharisees, who were spectators of His wonderful works, and listened as He taught: "and the power of God was present, it says, to heal him." Is this spoken as though God gave Him the...
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On Luke 5:18Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:18. And behold certain bringing on a bed a man who was paralytic. [From Cod. D.] When, then, no small number, as it says, of scribes and pharisees, were assembled together, behold certain bringing upon a bed a man who was paralytic; and not being able to come in by the door, they carried him up to the roof, to...
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On Luke 5:21Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:21. And the scribes and pharisees began to reason, saying. He then, as was said, being endowed with a most godlike authority, declared the forgiveness of sins. But the declaration disturbs again the ignorant and envious gang of the Pharisees: for they said one to another, "Who is This That speaketh blasphemies?" But...
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On Luke 5:24Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:24. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power. But inasmuch as a place still remains open for disbelief, in saying, "Thy sins be forgiven thee:"----for man sees not the forgiven sins with the eyes of the body, whereas the putting off of the disease, and the paralytic's rising up and walking carries with it...
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On Luke 5:34Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:34. But He said unto them, Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? Observe, I pray again, the manner in which Christ shews that they have no share in the feast, but are altogether strangers to the joy felt on His account, and without part in the world's groat festival. For...
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On Luke 5:35Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:35. But the days will come, when also the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; then shall they fast in those days. For all things are good in their season. But what is the meaning of the bridegroom being taken away from them? It is His being taken up into heaven.
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →
On Luke 5:36Open Luke 5 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Cyril of Alexandria5:36. And He spake also a parable unto them. But that the institutions of Christ cannot be received by those who live according to the law, nor admitted into the hearts of such as have not as yet received the renewing by the Holy Ghost, the Lord shews by saying, that "a tattered patch cannot be put upon a new garment,...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 →