Luke Chapter 5 Verse 23‹Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?›

And he put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, ‹I will: be thou clean.› And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

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.›

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.

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting 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.

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.

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 tiling with [his] couch into the midst before Jesus.

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, ‹Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.›

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, ‹What reason ye in your hearts?›

‹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.›

And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, ‹Follow me.›

And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

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.

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

And Jesus answering said unto them, ‹They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.›

‹I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.›

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?

The Book of Luke, Chapter 5, Verse 23