Matthew 9
1 Jesus and his disciples got into the boat. They skirted around [the lake] and went to [Capernaum, the city where he was living].
And He entered into the ship and passed over, and came to his own city:
2 [Some men] brought to him a man who was paralyzed and who was lying on a sleeping pad. When Jesus perceived that they believed [that he could heal the paralyzed man], he said to him, “Young man, be encouraged! I forgive your sins.”
and behold, they brought to Him one that had the palsy laid on a couch: and Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, Take heart my son, for thy sins are forgiven thee.
3 Some of the men who taught the [Jewish] laws said among themselves, “[He claims that he can forgive sins! That means that he claims to be equal with God] He is insulting God!”
Upon which, some of the scribes said in themselves, This man blasphemeth: but Jesus knowing their surmises,
4 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, “(You should not think evil [thoughts], [accusing me because I claim that I am God]!/Why do you think evil [thoughts], [saying that it is wrong for me to claim that I am God]?) [RHQ]
said to them, Why think ye evil in your hearts?
5 It would [not] be risky [for someone] to say [to this man], ‘[I] forgive your sins’, [because no one could see whether or not it really happened]. But [no one, without having the power to heal], would say [to him], ‘[Get] up and walk!’, [because people could easily see whether it happened or not!] [RHQ]
For which is easier? To say, thy sins be forgiven thee? or to say, rise up and walk?
6 [So I am going to do something] in order that you may know that [God] has authorized [me], the one who came from heaven, to forgive the sins [of people while I am] on the earth, [as well as to heal people].” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your sleeping pad, and go home!”
but that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, Arise (saith He then to the paralytic) and take up thy couch, and go away to thy house.
7 And [immediately] the man got up, [picked up his sleeping pad], and went home!
And he rose up and went away to his own house.
8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck. They praised God for giving authority to a human being [to do] such [things].
But when the multitudes saw it, they were amazed, and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
9 As Jesus was going away from there, he saw me, a man named Matthew. I was sitting at a table where I collected taxes [for the Roman government]. He said to me, “Come with me [and become my disciple]!” So I got up and went with him.
And as Jesus was passing from thence, He saw a man sitting at the custom-house, named Matthew; and He saith to him, Follow me: and he rose up and followed Him.
10 [Then I invited] Jesus and his disciples to my home for a meal. While [they] were sitting and eating in my home, many tax collectors and [other people who were] {whom [the Pharisees]} [considered to be habitual] sinners came unexpectedly to eat with us.
And as He was sitting at table in the house of Matthew, behold, several publicans and notorious sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw [that, they came] to us disciples and said, “([It is disgusting that] your teacher, [who claims to be righteous], eats [and associates] with tax collectors and [other] sinners!/Why is it that your teacher, [who claims to be righteous], eats [and associates] with tax collectors and [other] sinners?)” [RHQ]
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?
12 Jesus heard what [they said], so he told them [this parable]: “[It is] people who are sick who need a [doctor] [MET], not people who are well.” [What he meant by that was that it was people who knew that they were sinners who were coming to him in order to be helped spiritually].
But Jesus hearing them, said unto them, They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill: go therefore and learn what that means,
13 He continued by saying, “You need to learn what these words that [God said] mean: ‘I want you to [act] mercifully to people and not [just to offer] sacrifices.’ Keep in mind that I came [from heaven, not] to invite [people who think] [IRO] [that they are] righteous [to turn away from their sinful lives and come to me, but to invite people who know they are] sinners [to turn from their sins and come to me].”
"I desire mercy rather than sacrifice:" for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
14 Later, the disciples of John [the Baptizer] came to Jesus and asked him, “We [(exc)] and the Pharisees [often] abstain from food [to show that we want to please God], but your disciples do not do that. Why [do they not]?”
Then also come to Him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the pharisees fast much, but thy disciples do not fast?
15 [Jesus wanted to show them and the Pharisees that it was not appropriate for his disciples to abstain from food and mourn while he was still with them]. So he [gave them this illustration]: “When a bridegroom is with [his friends at the time of the wedding], (his friends certainly do not mourn, do they?/do his friends mourn?) [RHQ] [No, they do not mourn, because they are not sad at that time. But when] the bridegroom is taken {[someone] takes the [/his enemies] take the bridegroom} from them, they will abstain from food, [because then they will be sad].”
And Jesus said unto them, Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, while the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then they will fast.
16 [Jesus wanted to show them that people who desire to live in accordance with his new message should not try to continue to obey the old religious traditions like] ([abstaining from food/fasting]) [MET]. [So he said to them], “People do not sew a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment [to mend a hole]. If they did that, [when they washed the garment], the patch would [shrink] and tear the garment, and the hole would become bigger.
As no one putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment; for its new patch teareth away from the old garment, and the rent is made worse:
17 Neither does anyone pour freshly-[squeezed] grape juice into old skin bags [to store it]. If anyone did that, those skin bags would tear [because they would not stretch when the grape juice ferments and expands. They] would be ruined, and the wine would be spilled {spill} [on the ground]. Instead, [people] put new wine into new skin bags, [and the bags will stretch when the wine ferments]. As a result, both [the wine and the bags] are preserved.”
nor do they put new wine into old vessels; otherwise, the casks burst, and the wine is spilt, and the vessels are destroyed: but they put new wine into new vessels, and both are preserved.
18 While Jesus was saying that, a leader of the Jewish meeting place came and bowed down before him [to show respect]. Then he said, “My daughter just died! But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live [again]!”
As He was speaking these things to them, behold there came a ruler and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is at the point of death: but come, I pray Thee, and put thy hand upon her, and she shall live:
19 So Jesus got up, and he and [we] disciples went with the man.
and Jesus rose up, and followed him; as did also his disciples.
20 Then a woman who [had been suffering constant vaginal] bleeding for twelve years came near Jesus. She was saying to herself, “[I want Jesus to heal me without anyone finding out that I have this problem of bleeding]. So if I [touch him] or even if I just touch his garment, I will be healed [without anyone finding out about it].” So she came behind him and touched the tassel of his garment.
(And lo, a woman who had had a flux of blood for twelve years, came close behind Him, and touched the hem of his garment:
for she said within herself, If I can but touch his garment, I shall be cured.
22 Then Jesus turned around [to see who had touched him]. And when he saw the woman, he said to her, “Be encouraged, dear woman. Because you believed [PRS] [that I could heal you, I] have healed you.” The woman was healed at that very moment.
And Jesus turning about, and seeing her, said, Daughter be comforted, thy faith hath cured thee. And from that time the woman was healed.)
23 Then Jesus [and some of us disciples] came to the Jewish leader’s house. Jesus heard the flute players [playing funeral music] and the crowd [that had gathered] wailing loudly [because the girl had died].
And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the musicians, and the people in confusion;
24 [Knowing that he would cause her to live again], he said [to them], “Go away [and stop the funeral music and wailing], because the girl is not dead! She is [just] sleeping!” [The people laughed at him, because they knew that she was dead].
He saith unto them, Retire; for the child is not dead, but asleep. And they laughed at Him.
25 But Jesus told them to get out of the house. Then he went into [the room where the girl was lying]. He took hold of her hand and she [became alive again and] got up.
But when the people were put out, He went in and took hold of her hand, and the damsel rose up.
26 And the [people of that] whole region heard [PRS] about it.
And the fame of it spread over all the country.
27 As Jesus went away from there, two blind men followed him and shouted, “Have mercy on us [and heal our eyes, you who are the Messiah], the Descendant of [King] David!”
And as Jesus was going from thence, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, Have compassion on us, O Son of David.
28 Jesus went into the house, where he [was staying], and then the blind men went in, too. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able [to heal your eyes]?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord!”
And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus saith unto them, Do ye believe that I am able to do this? and they say unto Him, Yes Lord.
29 Then he touched their eyes and he said [to them], “Because you believe [that I can heal your eyes], I am healing them [right now]!”
Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you: and their eyes were opened.
30 And they were able to see [IDM]! Then Jesus told them sternly, “Be sure [IDM] that you do not tell anybody [what I did for you]!”
And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, Do not divulge it: but
31 But they went out and reported it throughout that whole region.
they went out and spread his fame through all that country.
32 When [Jesus and we disciples] left [the house], some people brought to Jesus a man who was unable to speak because he was controlled by a demon {a demon controlled him}.
And as they were going out, there was brought to Him a dumb man, a demoniac:
33 After Jesus had expelled the demon, the man who had been unable to speak began to speak! The crowd [who saw this] marveled. They said, “Never before have [we seen] anything as [marvelous] as this happen in Israel!”
and when the demon was cast out, the dumb man spake; and the multitudes were amazed, saying, there had never been seen the like in Israel:
34 But the Pharisees said, “It is [Satan], who rules the demons, who [enables this man to] expel demons [from people].”
but the pharisees said, he casts out devils by the prince of the devils.
35 Then [we] went [with] Jesus through many of [HYP] the cities and towns [in Galilee district. He was teaching (in the synagogues/in the Jewish meeting places)], and preaching the good message about how God rules [over people’s lives]. He also was healing the [people who had] various diseases and illnesses.
Now Jesus went round to all the cities, and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, and healing every disease, and every malady among the people.
36 When he saw the crowd of people, he pitied them because they were harassed and dejected. [They were] like sheep that do not have a shepherd [SIM].
And when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion towards them; because they were dispersed and scattered like sheep that have no shepherd:
37 Then he gave [this illustration] to us disciples: “[The people who are ready to receive my message are like a] field that is ready to be harvested {for people to harvest}. But there are only a few [of you who are teaching people my message].
upon which He saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers few:
38 So pray and ask the Lord [God] to send [more] workers [who will gather people together and teach them my message, just like a landowner sends workers] into his [field to gather] the [MET] harvest.”
therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He would send out laborers into his harvest.
