Matthew 9

A Paralytic Healed

1Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to 1His own city.

22And they brought to Him a 3paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “4Take courage, 5son; 6your sins are forgiven.” 3And some of the scribes said 7to themselves, “This fellow 8blasphemes.” 4And Jesus 9knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5Which is easier, to say, ‘10Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6But so that you may know that 11the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--then He said to the 12paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7And he got up and 13went home. 8But when the crowds saw this, they were 14awestruck, and 15glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew Called

916As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called 17Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “18Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

10Then it happened that as 19Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and 20sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “21Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not 22those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13But go and learn 2324what this means: ‘25I desire 26compassion, 27and not sacrifice,’ for 28I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Question about Fasting

14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and 29the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “The 30attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16But no one puts 31a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for 32the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Miracles of Healing

1833While He was saying these things to them, 34a synagogue 35official came and 3637bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

20And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched 38the 39fringe of His 40cloak; 21for she was saying 41to herself, “If I only 42touch His garment, I will 43get well.” 22But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, 44take courage; 45your faith has 46made you well.” 47At once the woman was 48made well.

23When Jesus came into the 49official’s house, and saw 50the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24He said, “Leave; for the girl 51has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25But 52when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and 53took her by the hand, and the girl 54got up. 2655This news spread throughout all that land.

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, 56Son of David!” 28When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29Then He touched their eyes, saying, “57It shall be done to you 58according to your faith.” 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus 59sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31But they went out and 60spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

32As they were going out, 61a mute, 62demon-possessed man 63was brought to Him. 33After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “64Nothing like this has 65ever been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees were saying, “He 66casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

35Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, 67teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

3668Seeing the 69people, He felt compassion for them, 70because they were 71distressed and 72dispirited like sheep 73without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “74The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”