Chapter 9

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.”

The Question about Fasting

14 Then the disciples of John * came to Him, asking, “Why do we and athe Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

15 And Jesus said to them, “The 1attendants 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.

16 “But no one puts 1a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for 2the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

17 “Nor 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

18 aWhile He was saying these things to them, 1a synagogue 2official came and 3bbowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”

19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched athe 1fringe of His 2cloak;

21 for she was saying 1to herself, “If I only atouch His garment, I will 2get well.”

22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, atake courage; byour faith has 1made you well.” 2At once the woman was 3made well.

23 When Jesus came into the 1official’s house, and saw athe flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder,

24 He said, “Leave; for the girl ahas not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.

25 But awhen the crowd had been sent out, He entered and btook her by the hand, and the girl 1got up.

26 aThis news spread throughout all that land.

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, aSon of David!”

28 When 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.”

29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “1It shall be done to you aaccording to your faith.”

30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus asternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!”

31 But they went out and aspread the news about Him throughout all that land.

32 As they were going out, aa mute, bdemon-possessed man 1was brought to Him.

33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “aNothing like this has 1ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He acasts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

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

36 aSeeing the 1people, He felt compassion for them, bbecause they were 2distressed and 3dispirited like sheep 4without a shepherd.

37 Then He * said to His disciples, “aThe harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”