Matthew 9
JESUS
Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
“JESUS
stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to HIS own town.
2 Some men brought to HIM a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When
JESUS saw
their faith, HE said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
3 At this, some of the teachers of
the law said to themselves, “THIS FELLOW is blaspheming!”
4 Knowing their thoughts, JESUS said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or
to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
6 But I want you to know that THE SON OF MAN HAS AUTHORITY ON EARTH TO FORGIVE
SINS.” So
HE said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
7 Then the man got up and went home.
8 When the crowd saw this, they were
filled with awe; and they praised GOD, WHO had given such authority to man.
The Calling of Matthew
9 As 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.
10 While JESUS was having dinner at Matthew’s
house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with HIM and HIS disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they
asked HIS disciples, “Why does YOUR TEACHER eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, JESUS said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not
sacrifice.’
For I
have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’
JESUS Questioned About Fasting
14 Then John’s disciples came
and asked HIM, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but YOUR
disciples do not fast?’
15 JESUS
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.
17 Neither 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
18 While 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.”
19 JESUS got
up and went with him, and so did HIS disciples.
20 Just then a woman who had been
subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of
his cloak.
21 She said to herself, “If I only
touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
22 JESUS
turned and saw her. “Take
heart, daughter,” HE
said, “your
faith has healed you.” And
the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When JESUS entered the synagogue leader’s
house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,
24 HE said, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at HIM.
25 After the crowd had been put
outside, HE went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
26 News of this spread through all
that region.
JESUS Heals the Blind and the Mute
27 As JESUS went on from there, two blind men
followed HIM, calling out, ‘Have mercy on us, SON OF DAVID!
28 When 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.
29 Then HE touched their eyes and
said, ‘According
to your faith let it be done to you’;
30 and their sight was restored. JESUS warned them
sternly, ‘See
that no one knows about this.’
31 But they went out and spread the
news about HIM all over that region.
32 While they were going out, a man
who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to JESUS.
33 And 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.’
34 But the Pharisees said, ‘It is by
the prince of demons that HE drives out demons.’
The Workers Are Few
35 JESUS went
through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM
and healing every disease and sickness.
36 When HE saw the crowds, HE had
compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without A SHEPHERD.
37 Then HE said to HIS
disciples, ‘The
harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38 Ask THE LORD OF THE HARVEST, therefore, to send out workers into
HIS harvest field.”
