Matthew 9

1Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town.

2Some people brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

3Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”

4Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil things in your hearts?

5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he said to the paralyzed man—“Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”

7And the man got up and went home.

8When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe, and they gave glory to God, who had given such authority to human beings.

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed him.

10While Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were eating with him and his disciples.

11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12When Jesus heard this, he said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick.

13Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

14Then John’s disciples came to him and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

15Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse.

17Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

18While he was saying these things to them, a leader came and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died. But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

19Jesus got up and followed him, and so did his disciples.

20Just then a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak.

21For she was saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.”

22Jesus turned, and when he saw her, he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment.

23When Jesus came into the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,

24he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” And they laughed at him.

25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

26The news of this spread through all that region.

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

28When he had gone into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him.

29Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”

30And their eyes were opened. Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about this.”

31But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that whole region.

32As they were going out, a man who could not speak and was possessed by a demon was brought to him.

33When the demon had been driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the ruler of the demons that he drives out demons.”

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.

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.

38So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”