Bible in Basic English
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 5:23-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (he said to the paralyzed man), "I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house." Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God. Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today." After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me!" He left everything, and rose up and followed him. Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." They said to him, "Why do John's disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?" He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days." He also told a parable to them. "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"”
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.