Matthew 9
1 Afterward Jesus got into a boat, and, crossing over, came to his own city.
And he got into a boat and went across and came to his town.
2 There some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Courage, child! Your sins are forgiven.”
And they took to him a man stretched on a bed who had no power of moving; and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man who was ill, Son, take heart; you have forgiveness for your sins.
3 Then some of the teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”
And some of the scribes said among themselves, This man has no respect for God.
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus exclaimed, “Why do your cherish such wicked thoughts?
And Jesus, having knowledge of what was in their minds, said, Why are your thoughts evil?
5 Which, I ask, is the easier? – to say ‘Your sins are forgiven’? Or to say ‘Get up, and walk’?
For which is the simpler, to say, You have forgiveness for your sins; or to say, Get up and go?
6 But to show you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” – then he said to the paralyzed man – “Get up, take up your bed, and return to your home.”
But so that you may see that on earth the Son of man has authority for the forgiveness of sins, (then said he to the man who was ill, ) Get up, and take up your bed, and go to your house.
7 The man got up and went to his home.
And he got up and went away to his house.
8 When the crowd saw this, they were awe-struck, and praised God for giving such power to human beings.
But when the people saw it they were full of fear, and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men.
9 As Jesus went along, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him.
And when Jesus was going from there, he saw a man whose name was Matthew, seated at the place where taxes were taken; and he said to him, Come after me. And he got up and went after him.
10 And, later on, when he was having dinner in the house, a number of tax collectors and outcasts came in and took their places at the table with Jesus and his disciples.
And it came about, when he was in the house taking food, that a number of tax-farmers and sinners came and took their places with Jesus and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat in the company of tax collectors and outcasts?”
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why does your Master take food with tax-farmers and sinners?
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill.
But on hearing this he said, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill.
13 Go and learn what this means – ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’; for I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast.”
But go and take to heart the sense of these words, My desire is for mercy, not offerings: for I have come not to get the upright, but sinners.
14 Then John’s disciples came to Jesus, and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast while your disciples do not?”
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees frequently go without food, but your disciples do not?
15 Jesus answered, “Can the groom’s friends mourn as long as the groom is with them? But the days will come, when the groom will be taken away from them, and they will fast then.
And Jesus said to them, Will the friends of the newly-married man be sad as long as he is with them? But the days will come when he will be taken away from them, and then will they go without food.
16 Nobody ever puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for such a patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.
And no man puts a bit of new cloth on an old coat, for by pulling away from the old, it makes a worse hole.
17 Nor do people put new wine into old wine-skins; for, if they do, the skins burst, and the wine runs out, and the skins are lost; but they put new wine into fresh skins, and so both are preserved.”
And men do not put new wine into old wine-skins; or the skins will be burst and the wine will come out, and the skins are of no more use: but they put new wine into new wine-skins, and so the two will be safe.
18 While Jesus was saying this, a synagogue leader came up and bowed to the ground before him. “My daughter,” he said, “has just died; but come and place your hand on her, and she will be restored to life.”
While he was saying these things to them, there came a ruler and gave him worship, saying, My daughter is even now dead; but come and put your hand on her, and she will come back to life.
19 So Jesus rose and followed him, and his disciples went also.
And Jesus got up and went after him, and so did his disciples.
20 But meanwhile a woman, who had been suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind and touched the tassel of his cloak.
And a woman, who for twelve years had had a flow of blood, came after him, and put her hand on the edge of his robe:
21 “If I only touch his cloak,” she said to herself, “I will get well.”
Because, she said to herself, if I may but put my hand on his robe, I will be made well.
22 Turning and seeing her, Jesus said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has delivered you.” And at that very moment she became well.
But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, Daughter, take heart; your faith has made you well. And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 When Jesus reached the leader’s house, seeing the flute players, and a number of people all in confusion,
And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the players with their instruments and the people making a noise,
24 he said, “Go away, the little girl is not dead; she is asleep.” They began to laugh at him;
He said, Make room; for the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they were laughing at him.
25 but, when the people had been sent out, Jesus went in, and took the little girl’s hand, and she rose.
But when the people were sent out, he went in and took her by the hand; and the girl got up.
26 The report of this spread through all that part of the country.
And the news of it went out into all that land.
27 As Jesus was passing on from there, he was followed by two blind men, who kept calling out, “Take pity on us, Son of David!”
And when Jesus went on from there, two blind men came after him, crying out, Have mercy on us, you Son of David.
28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came up to him; and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Master!” they answered.
And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, Have you faith that I am able to do this? They said to him, Yes, Lord.
29 Then he touched their eyes, and said, “It will be according to your faith.”
Then he put his hand on their eyes, saying, As your faith is, let it be done to you.
30 Then their eyes were opened. Jesus sternly cautioned them. “See that no one knows of it,” he said.
And their eyes were made open. And Jesus said to them sharply, Let no man have knowledge of it.
31 But the men went out, and spread the news about him through all that part of the country.
But they went out and gave news of him in all that land.
32 Just as they were going out, some people brought up to Jesus a dumb man who was possessed by a demon;
And while they were going away, there came to him a man without the power of talking, and with an evil spirit.
33 and, as soon as the demon had been driven out, the dumb man spoke. The people were astonished at this, and exclaimed, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”
And when the evil spirit had been sent out, the man had the power of talking: and they were all surprised, saying, Such a thing has never been seen in Israel.
34 But the Pharisees said, “He drives out the demons by the help of the chief of the demons.”
But the Pharisees said, By the ruler of evil spirits, he sends evil spirits out of men.
35 Jesus went around all the towns and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
And Jesus went about all the towns and small places, teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom and making well all sorts of disease and pain.
36 But, when he saw the crowds, his heart was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and harassed, like sheep without a shepherd;
But when he saw all the people he was moved with pity for them, because they were troubled and wandering like sheep without a keeper.
37 and he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.
Then he said to his disciples, There is much grain but not enough men to get it in.
38 Therefore pray to the owner of the harvest to send laborers to gather in his harvest.”
Make prayer, then, to the Lord of the grain-fields, that he may send out workers to get in his grain.
