Matthew 9
1 Jesus entered a boat, crossed over, and came into his own city.
And he got into a boat and went across and came to his town.
2 Behold, they brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Son, be of good cheer. Your sins have been 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 Behold, some of the scribes said among themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
And some of the scribes said among themselves, This man has no respect for God.
4 Jesus knew their thoughts and said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
And Jesus, having knowledge of what was in their minds, said, Why are your thoughts evil?
5 For which is 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 that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, ... “he said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go to your house.”
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 Then the man got up and went away to his house.
And he got up and went away to his house.
8 When the crowds saw this, they were amazed and praised God, who had given such authority to people.
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 passed by from there, he saw a man named Matthew, who was sitting at the tax collection's tent. He said to him, “Follow me.” He 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 As Jesus sat down to eat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinful people came and dined 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 it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinful people?”
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why does your Master take food with tax-farmers and sinners?
12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “People who are strong in body do not need a physician, only those who are sick.
But on hearing this he said, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill.
13 You should go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous to repent, but sinners.”
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 the disciples of John came to him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
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 said to them, “Can wedding attendants be sorrowful while the bridegroom is still with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
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 No man puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment, for the patch will tear away from the garment, and a worse tear will be 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 Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will be spilled, and the wineskins will be destroyed. Instead, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both will be 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 these things to them, behold, an official came and bowed down to him. He said, “My daughter has just now died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
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 Then Jesus got up and followed him, and so did his disciples.
And Jesus got up and went after him, and so did his disciples.
20 Behold, a woman who suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his garment.
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 For she had said to herself, “If only I touch his clothes, I will be made well.”
Because, she said to herself, if I may but put my hand on his robe, I will be made well.
22 But Jesus turned and saw her, and said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed from that hour.
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 came into the official's house, he saw the flute players and the crowds making much noise.
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, for the girl is not dead, but she is asleep.” But they laughed at him in mockery.
He said, Make room; for the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they were laughing at him.
25 When the crowd had been put outside, he entered the room and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.
But when the people were sent out, he went in and took her by the hand; and the girl got up.
26 The news about this spread into all that region.
And the news of it went out into all that land.
27 As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him. They kept shouting and saying, “Have mercy 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 Jesus had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”
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 Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done to you according to your faith,”
Then he put his hand on their eyes, saying, As your faith is, let it be done to you.
30 and their eyes were opened. Then Jesus strictly commanded them and said, “See that no one knows about this.”
And their eyes were made open. And Jesus said to them sharply, Let no man have knowledge of it.
31 But the two men went out and spread the news about this throughout that region.
But they went out and gave news of him in all that land.
32 As those two men were going away, behold, a mute man possessed by a demon was brought to Jesus.
And while they were going away, there came to him a man without the power of talking, and with an evil spirit.
33 When the demon had been driven out, the mute man spoke. The crowds were astonished and said, “This has never been seen before 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 were saying, “By the ruler of the demons, he drives out demons.”
But the Pharisees said, By the ruler of evil spirits, he sends evil spirits out of men.
35 Jesus went about all the cities and the villages. He continued teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and all kinds 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 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were troubled and discouraged. They were 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 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, 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 urgently pray to the Lord of the harvest, so that he may send out laborers into his harvest.”
Make prayer, then, to the Lord of the grain-fields, that he may send out workers to get in his grain.
