1And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. (Mt 4:13; Mr 2:1)2And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” (Mt 8:10; Mt 8:13; Mt 9:22; Mt 9:29; Mt 15:28; Mr 2:3; Mr 10:52; Lu 5:18; Lu 7:9; Lu 7:48; Lu 7:50; Lu 17:19; Lu 18:42; Joh 5:14; Ac 3:16; Ac 14:9; Jas 5:15)3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” (Mt 26:65; Joh 10:36)4But Jesus, knowing[1] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? (Mt 12:25; Joh 2:24)5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”7And he rose and went home.8When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (Mt 28:18; Lu 7:16)
Jesus Calls Matthew
9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (Mt 10:3; Mr 2:14; Mr 3:18; Lu 5:27; Lu 6:15; Ac 1:13)10And as Jesus[2] reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. (Mt 5:46; Mt 11:19)11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mt 9:10; Lu 15:2)12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.13Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Ho 6:6; Mt 12:7; Mt 23:23; Mr 12:33; Lu 15:7; Joh 9:39; 1Ti 1:15)
A Question About Fasting
14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast,[3] but your disciples do not fast?” (Mt 11:2; Mt 14:12; Mt 15:2; Lu 11:1; Lu 18:12; Joh 1:35; Joh 3:25; Joh 4:1; Ac 18:25; Ac 19:3)15And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Lu 17:22; Joh 3:29; Joh 16:20)16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” (Jos 9:4)
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” (Mt 8:2; Mr 5:22; Lu 8:41)19And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.20And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, (Le 15:25; Nu 15:38; De 22:12; Mt 14:36; Mt 23:5)21for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly[4] the woman was made well. (Mt 8:13; Mt 9:2; Mt 15:28; Mt 17:18; Lu 7:50)23And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, (Re 18:22)24he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. (Joh 11:4; Joh 11:11; Ac 20:10)25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. (Mr 9:27; Ac 3:7; Ac 9:40; Ac 9:41)26And the report of this went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” (Mt 1:1; Mt 12:23; Mt 15:22; Mt 20:30; Mt 22:42)28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”29Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” (Mt 9:2; Mr 8:25; Joh 9:6)30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” (Mt 8:4)31But they went away and spread his fame through all that district. (Mr 1:45; Mr 7:36)
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
32As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. (Mt 4:24; Mt 12:22; Lu 11:14)33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” (Mr 1:27)34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
35And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. (Mt 4:23)36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Nu 27:17; 1Ki 22:17; Eze 34:5; Mt 14:14; Mr 6:34)37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; (Lu 10:2; Joh 4:35)38therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 20:2; Mr 1:12; 2Th 3:1)
Matthew 9
New International Version
Jesus forgives and heals a paralysed man
1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.2Some men brought to him a paralysed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!’4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?5Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”?6But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralysed man, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’7Then the man got up and went home.8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
The calling of Matthew
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’12On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill.13But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ (Ho 6:6)
Jesus questioned about fasting
14Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’15Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.16‘No-one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.17Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.’
Jesus raises a dead girl and heals a sick woman
18While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.21She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’22Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.23When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and the people playing pipes,24he said, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at him.25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.26News of this spread through all that region.
Jesus heals the blind and the mute
27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied.29Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you’;30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, ‘See that no-one knows about this.’31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’34But the Pharisees said, ‘It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.’
The workers are few
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and illness.36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.37Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’