Bible in Basic English
And some men had with them, on a bed, a man who was ill, without power of moving; and they made attempts to get him in and put him before Jesus.
And because of the mass of people, there was no way to get him in; so they went up on the top of the house and let him down through the roof, on his bed, into the middle in front of Jesus.
And seeing their faith he said, Man, you have forgiveness for your sins.
And the scribes and Pharisees were having an argument, saying, Who is this, who has no respect for God? who is able to give forgiveness for sins, but God only?
But Jesus, who had knowledge of their thoughts, said to them, Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
Which is the simpler: to say, You have forgiveness for your sins; or to say, Get up and go?
But so that you may see that on earth the Son of man has authority for the forgiveness of sins, (he said to the man who was ill,) I say to you, Get up, and take up your bed, and go into your house.
And straight away he got up before them, and took up his bed and went away to his house giving praise to God.
And wonder overcame them all, and they gave glory to God; and they were full of fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.
And after these things he went out, and saw Levi, a tax-farmer, seated at the place where taxes were taken, and said to him, Come after me.
And giving up his business, he got up and went after him.
And Levi made a great feast for him in his house: and a great number of tax-farmers and others were seated at table with them.
And the Pharisees and their scribes made protests against his disciples, saying, Why do you take food and drink with tax-farmers and sinners?
And Jesus, answering, said to them, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill.
I have come, not to get the upright, but sinners, so that they may be turned from their sins.
And they said to him, The disciples of John frequently go without food, and make prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees; but your disciples take food and drink.
And Jesus said, Are you able to make the friends of the newly-married man go without food when he is with them?
But the days will come when he will be taken away from them, and then they will go without food.
And he said to them, in a story, No man takes a bit of cloth from a new coat and puts it on to an old coat, for so the new coat would be damaged and the bit from the new would not go well with the old.
And no man puts new wine into old wine-skins, for fear that the skins will be burst by the new wine, and the wine be let out, and the skins come to destruction.
But new wine has to be put into new wine-skins.
And no man, having had old wine, has any desire for new, for he says, The old is better.
— Luke 5:18-1964, Bible in Basic English
“And behold, men bring on a bed a man that was palsied: and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying God. And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day. And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me. And he forsook all, and rose up and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house: and there was a great multitude of publicans and of others that were sitting at meat with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with the publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are in health have no need of a physician; but they that are sick. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. And they said unto him, The disciples of John fast often, and make supplications; likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink. And Jesus said unto them, Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast in those days. And he spake also a parable unto them: No man rendeth a piece from a new garment and putteth it upon an old garment; else he will rend the new, and also the piece from the new will not agree with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be spilled, and the skins will perish. But new wine must be put into fresh wine-skins. And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good. ”
But news of him went out all the more, in every direction, and great numbers of people came together to give hearing to his words and to be made well from their diseases.
But he went away by himself to a waste place for prayer.
And it came about that on one of these days he was teaching; and some Pharisees and teachers of the law were seated there, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judaea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him, to make those who were ill free from their diseases.
And some men had with them, on a bed, a man who was ill, without power of moving; and they made attempts to get him in and put him before Jesus.
And because of the mass of people, there was no way to get him in; so they went up on the top of the house and let him down through the roof, on his bed, into the middle in front of Jesus.
And seeing their faith he said, Man, you have forgiveness for your sins.
And the scribes and Pharisees were having an argument, saying, Who is this, who has no respect for God? who is able to give forgiveness for sins, but God only?
But Jesus, who had knowledge of their thoughts, said to them, Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
Which is the simpler: to say, You have forgiveness for your sins; or to say, Get up and go?
But so that you may see that on earth the Son of man has authority for the forgiveness of sins, (he said to the man who was ill,) I say to you, Get up, and take up your bed, and go into your house.
And straight away he got up before them, and took up his bed and went away to his house giving praise to God.
And wonder overcame them all, and they gave glory to God; and they were full of fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.
And after these things he went out, and saw Levi, a tax-farmer, seated at the place where taxes were taken, and said to him, Come after me.
And giving up his business, he got up and went after him.
And Levi made a great feast for him in his house: and a great number of tax-farmers and others were seated at table with them.
And the Pharisees and their scribes made protests against his disciples, saying, Why do you take food and drink with tax-farmers and sinners?
And Jesus, answering, said to them, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill.
I have come, not to get the upright, but sinners, so that they may be turned from their sins.
And they said to him, The disciples of John frequently go without food, and make prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees; but your disciples take food and drink.
And Jesus said, Are you able to make the friends of the newly-married man go without food when he is with them?
But the days will come when he will be taken away from them, and then they will go without food.
And he said to them, in a story, No man takes a bit of cloth from a new coat and puts it on to an old coat, for so the new coat would be damaged and the bit from the new would not go well with the old.
And no man puts new wine into old wine-skins, for fear that the skins will be burst by the new wine, and the wine be let out, and the skins come to destruction.
But new wine has to be put into new wine-skins.
And no man, having had old wine, has any desire for new, for he says, The old is better.