Matthew 9
1 So Jesus took a boat back across the lake to the town where he lived.
And climbing into a boat, he crossed the sea, and he arrived at his own city.
2 There they brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw how they trusted him, he told the paralyzed man, “My friend, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven.”
And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Be strengthened in faith, son; your sins are forgiven you.”
3 In response some of the religious teachers said to themselves, “He's speaking blasphemy!”
And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves, “He is blaspheming.”
4 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked them, “Why are you thinking evil thoughts in your minds?
And when Jesus had perceived their thoughts, he said: “Why do you think such evil in your hearts?
5 What is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up and walk’?
Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?’
6 But to convince you that the Son of man does have the authority to forgive sins…” he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
But, so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he then said to the paralytic, “Rise up, take up your bed, and go into your house.”
7 The man got up and went home.
And he arose and went into his house.
8 When the crowds saw what had happened, they were scared. Then they praised God that he had given human beings such power.
Then the crowd, seeing this, was frightened, and they glorified God, who gave such power to men.
9 As Jesus moved on from there he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth. Jesus called to him, “Follow me!” He got up, and followed Jesus.
And when Jesus passed on from there, he saw, sitting at the tax office, a man named Matthew. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And rising up, he followed him.
10 While Jesus was eating at Matthew's home, many tax-collectors and sinners came and sat down at the table with Jesus and his disciples.
And it happened that, as he was sitting down to eat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners arrived, and they sat down to eat with Jesus and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this they asked Jesus' disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?”
And the Pharisees, seeing this, said to his disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard the question, he replied, “Those who are well don't need a doctor, but sick people do.
But Jesus, hearing this, said: “It is not those who are healthy who are in need of a physician, but those who have maladies.
13 Go and discover what this means: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call those who do what's right—I came to call sinners.’”
So then, go out and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the just, but sinners.”
14 Then the disciples of John came and asked, “Why is that we and the Pharisees fast frequently, but your disciples don't?”
Then the disciples of John drew near to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast frequently, but your disciples do not fast?”
15 “Do wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?” Jesus responded. “But the time is coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
And Jesus said to them: “How can the sons of the groom mourn, while the groom is still with them? But the days will arrive when the groom will be taken away from them. And then they shall fast.
16 No one puts a new patch on old clothes, otherwise it will shrink and make the tear worse.
For no one would sew a patch of new cloth onto an old garment. For it pulls its fullness away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.
17 No one puts new wine in old wineskins either, otherwise the wineskins will burst, spilling the wine and ruining the wineskins. No, new wine is put into new wineskins, and both last.”
Neither do they pour new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wineskins rupture, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are destroyed. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins. And so, both are preserved.”
18 While he was telling them this, one of the leading officials came and bowed before him. “My daughter has just died,” the man told Jesus. “But if you come and place your hand on her, I know she will come back to life.”
As he was speaking these things to them, behold, a certain ruler approached and adored him, saying: “Lord, my daughter has recently passed away. But come and impose your hand upon her, and she will live.”
19 Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him.
And Jesus, rising up, followed him, with his disciples.
20 At that moment a woman who had been sick with bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the hem of his cloak.
And behold, a woman, who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years, approached from behind and touched the hem of his garment.
21 She had told herself, “If I can just touch his cloak, I'll be healed.”
For she said within herself, “If I will touch even his garment, I shall be saved.”
22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Be happy, for your trust in me has healed you,” he told her. The woman was immediately healed.
But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said: “Be strengthened in faith, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 Jesus arrived at the official's house. He saw the flute-players and the crowd that was weeping loudly.
And when Jesus had arrived in the house of the ruler, and he had seen the musicians and the tumultuous crowd,
24 “Please leave,” he told them, “For the girl isn't dead, she's just asleep.” But they laughed and made fun of him.
he said, “Depart. For the girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they derided him.
25 But once the crowd had been sent out, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
And when the crowd had been sent away, he entered. And he took her by the hand. And the girl rose up.
26 News of what happened spread throughout that region.
And the news of this went out to that entire land.
27 As Jesus continued on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Son of David, please have mercy on us!”
And as Jesus passed from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, “Take pity on us, Son of David.”
28 When Jesus arrived at the house where he was staying, the blind men came in too. “Are you convinced that I'm able to do this?” he asked them. “Yes, Lord,” they replied.
And when he had arrived at the house, the blind men approached him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you trust that I am able to do this for you?” They say to him, “Certainly, Lord.”
29 Then Jesus touched their eyes, and said, “Because of your trust in me it will happen!”
Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, so let it be done for you.”
30 And they could see. Then Jesus warned them, “Make sure nobody knows about this.”
And their eyes were opened. And Jesus warned them, saying, “See to it that no one knows of this.”
31 But they went and spread the word about Jesus everywhere.
But going out, they spread the news of it to all that land.
32 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving, a man was brought to him who was dumb and demon-possessed.
Then, when they had departed, behold, they brought him a man who was mute, having a demon.
33 Once the demon had been thrown out of him, the dumb man spoke, and the crowds were amazed. “Nothing ever happened like this before in Israel,” they said.
And after the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds wondered, saying, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.”
34 But the Pharisees remarked, “He throws out demons using the power of the chief of demons.”
But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of demons does he cast out demons.”
35 Jesus went all over, visiting the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues, telling them about the good news of the kingdom, and he healed all kinds of sicknesses and diseases.
And Jesus traveled throughout all of the cities and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every illness and every infirmity.
36 When he saw the crowds, Jesus was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then, seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them, because they were distressed and were reclining, like sheep without a shepherd.
37 He told his disciples, “The harvest is large, but there are only a few workers.
Then he said to his disciples: “The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few.
38 Pray to the Lord of the harvest, and ask him to send more workers for his harvest.”
Therefore, petition the Lord of the harvest, so that he may sent out laborers to his harvest.”
