Matthew 9

1. And after going into the ship, He passed over and came to His own city.

2. And behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Then Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Be of good courage, child; your sins have been forgiven you.”

3. And immediately some of the scribes said within themselves, “This man blasphemes.”

4. But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?

5. For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?

6. But I speak these words so that you may understand that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

7. And he arose and went away to his house.

8. Now when the multitudes saw it, they were amazed and glorified God, Who had given such authority to men.

9. And passing from there, Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow Me.” And he arose and followed Him.

10. Then it came to pass, when Jesus sat down to eat in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

11. And after seeing this, the Pharisees said to His disciples, “Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12. But when Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are strong do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick.

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

14. Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

15. And Jesus said to them, “Are the children of the bridechamber able to mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.

16. Now no one sews a new piece of cloth onto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill up the hole takes away from the garment, and a worse tear develops.

17. Neither do they put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins will burst, and the wine will spill out, and the wineskins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved together.”

18. While He was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hands on her, and she shall live.”

19. Then Jesus and His disciples arose and followed him.

20. And behold, a woman who had been afflicted with a flow of blood for twelve years, after coming behind Him, touched the hem of His garment.

21. For she said within herself, “If only I shall touch His garment, I shall be healed.”

22. But Jesus turned; and seeing the woman, He said to her, “Be of good courage, daughter; your faith has made you whole.” And from that hour the woman was healed.

23. Now when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the multitude making an uproar,

24. He said to them, “Back away! For the damsel is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they laughed at Him.

25. But when the multitude had been put out, He went in and took hold of her hand, and the damsel arose.

26. And this report went out into all that land.

27. Now as Jesus was traveling from there, two blind men followed, crying and saying, “Have pity on us, Son of David!”

28. And after coming into the house, the blind men came to Him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I have the power to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

29. Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it to you.”

30. And their eyes were opened. And He sternly warned them, saying, “See that you do not let anyone know it.”

31. But they went out and made Him known in all that land.

32. And as they were leaving, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man, possessed by a demon;

33. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been dumb spoke. And the multitudes wondered, saying, “Never has the like been seen in Israel.”

34. But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons He casts out demons.”

35. Then Jesus went around to all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every bodily weakness among the people.

36. And seeing the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were wearied and scattered abroad, as sheep who did not have a shepherd.

37. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is truly great, but the workmen are few;

38. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest, that He may send out workmen into His harvest.”