A Paralytic Healed

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

2 aAnd they brought to Him a bparalytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “cTake courage, 1son; dyour sins are forgiven.”

3 And some of the scribes said 1to themselves, “This fellow ablasphemes.”

4 And Jesus aknowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?

5 “Which is easier, to say, ‘aYour sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?

6 “But so that you may know that athe Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He * said to the bparalytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”

7 And he got up and 1went home.

8 But when the crowds saw this, they were 1awestruck, and aglorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew Called

9 aAs Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called bMatthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He * said to him, “cFollow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

10 Then it happened that as 1Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and 2sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “aWhy is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not athose who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

13 “But go and learn 1awhat this means: ‘bI desire 2compassion, 3and not sacrifice,’ for cI did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”