⁹And as Jesus passed by from thence, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

¹⁰And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Teacher with the publicans and sinners? ¹²But when he heard it, he said, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. ¹³But go ye and learn what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice: for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

¹⁴Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? ¹⁵And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast. ¹⁶And no man putteth a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment; for that which should fill it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent is made. ¹⁷Neither do men put new wine into old wine-skins: else the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins perish: but they put new wine into fresh wine-skins, and both are preserved.

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Matthew 9:13: “Go and learn what this means, ‛I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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