bring
The translation of προσφέρω (prospherō) as “bring” more consistently translates the verb since φέρω (pherō) was also translated as “bring” in the previous verse. And with greater consistency in English, readers can better see how the intentional effort of the four men in verse 3 is hindered in verse 4.

where
Mark’s repetition of the term “where” (ὅπου; hopou) helps his readers to note the distinct placement of Jesus and the paralytic in the story as the men desire to bring them together.

Child
Many translations have rendered this as “Son.” However, the Greek word used here is not υἱός (huios; “son”) but τέκνον (teknon), which more generally refers to a child. This translation preserves the proper distinction between the words. Jesus uses τέκνον (teknon) for this man as a term of endearment showing His true compassion and love for him (similar to John’s use of the word τεκνίον [teknion; “little child”] for his beloved audience in 1 John [2:1, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21]).

your home
While several translations simply say “go home,” the pronoun “your” is included in the original Greek (τὸν οἶκόν σου; ton oikon sou), and translating it in English clarifies the parallel in Jesus telling the man to pick up “your mat” and return to “your house.” The parallel helps readers to better grasp the man’s restoration: he went from being carried on his mat to the home where Jesus was (vv. 1–4) to carrying his own mat to his own home (v. 11).

the entire crowd
The Greek phrase πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος (pas ho ochlos) is translated as “the entire crowd” rather than something like “all the people.” The consistency in translating ὄχλος (ochlos) as “crowd” is significant for the reader because the crowd acts as a character in several scenes, sometimes approving of Jesus (cf. 12:37) and sometimes rejecting Him (cf. 15:11). In this case, Mark shows Jesus’ popularity by saying that the entire crowd was drawn to Him.

as He was reclining
This translation reflects the grammatical structure of the Greek—a fronted temporal clause (“as He was reclining”) followed by the main verb (“[they] were reclining with”). The clear temporal translation of this phrase helps to set the scene for the reader and better platform the main grammatical point, namely, that many tax collectors and sinners were welcomed at the table with Jesus (the point that becomes the center of controversy for the scribes in v. 16).

reclining
Both instances of “reclining” in this verse share the root κεῖμαι (keimai). By having each occurrence of this root translated with the same English word, readers can better detect how Mark is stressing the point that Jesus shared close fellowship with many repentant sinners, not just Levi.

were saying
The translation “were saying” rather than “said” better communicates the sense of this imperfect tense verb (ἔλεγον; elegon). The Greek imperfect tense portrays an action as ongoing or unfolding in the moment. In many places throughout this Gospel, Mark uses the imperfect tense to dramatize the events of a scene for his readers. In this case, the imperfect helps to draw attention to the very moment in which the scribes voice their complaint. This then sets up for the dramatic shift in verse 17 in which Jesus overhears these words and responds.

“He is eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners!”
Most translations phrase this statement as a question (“Why/How is He eating…”), however, the best Greek manuscripts do not contain anything to indicate that this is a question. The idea is better translated as an exclamatory statement, which shows the scribes’ and Pharisees’ surprise that Jesus is associating and even fellowshipping with people of such deplorable reputation.

Those who are healthy do not have need
This translation offers a more literal rendering of the Greek by maintaining “Those who are healthy” (οἱ ἰσχύοντες; hoi ischuontes) as the subject and using “have” (ἔχω; echō) as the main verb of the statement rather than “need” which is a noun in the Greek (χρεία; chreia). This more accurately captures the emphasis of the text, which places the idea of not having need at the very beginning of the sentence. The subtle difference in translation heightens the contrast between the two kinds of people, because rather than simply locating the need in the sick person, it more explicitly affirms that the healthy person does not have such a need. All this further serves the point that Jesus came to call the kind of people who clearly have need of Him (i.e., tax collectors and sinners).

Can the attendants…?
This question opens with the Greek negative particle μή (mē), which is used to prime the listener for an assumed negative answer. Thus, the correct answer to Jesus’ rhetorical question is “no,” as Jesus specifies immediately following. This is why some translations structure the question, “the attendants cannot…can they?” However, to avoid adding words which do not appear in the Greek, the rhetorical question is simply translated with a familiar English structure. This way, nothing external is added and the force of the rhetorical question and the negative answer is still retained. In the end, this phrasing in English helps to leave the rhetorical emphasis of the question hanging on the idea of the bridegroom being “with them.” This explains why the answer begins on that same point and treats it as the determining factor of whether or not to fast.

piece
The Greek term translated as “piece” is ἐπίβλημα (epiblēma) and literally refers to “that which is thrown upon.” While it is similar in thought to the term that is translated as “patch” later on in the verse (πλήρωμα; plērōma), the latter term identifies something that has successfully “filled” a gap. Therefore, that latter term is translated as “patch” while the former refers to the piece that was used in the patching process. In context, the distinction in translation helps to clarify how the “piece” of cloth can successfully patch the tear, but only for a time. This helps to bring more emphasis upon the kind of piece being used. As Jesus goes on to say, if someone were to use unshrunk cloth to patch an old garment, it reveals that they do not understand the distinction between the new and the old.

around the time of Abiathar the high priest
The preposition ἐπὶ (epi) with the genitive phrase (Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως; Abiathar archiereōs) most likely has the idea of “around the time of.” A. T. Robertson has a full discussion on how the construction of ἐπὶ with the genitive can mean “in the vicinity of, around” or something similar (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 602–04). Given this grammatical possibility in this context, it makes sense to translate ἐπὶ (epi) as “around the time of.” This possible translation prevents readers from thinking that Jesus was mistaken about when Abiathar was high priest.

was saying
Mark described Jesus speaking with the imperfect tense of the verb for “say” (λέγω, legō). As is often the case in Mark’s Gospel, Mark uses the imperfect tense to vividly portray a scene or action as it unfolds. Given the context, the imperfect tense is fitting in this case because this is the climactic statement of this round of conflict with the Jewish leadership.

Consequently
The Greek conjunction ὥστε (hōste) is a particle of logical result or consequence. Because of that, it is translated here as “consequently” in order to stress how this verse reveals the conclusion toward which Jesus’ argument has been moving.