Matthew 9

1And after getting into a boat, he crossed over and came to his own city.

2And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take courage, child; your sins are forgiven.”

3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

4And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?”

5For which 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 paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed, and go to your house.”

7And he got up and went home.

8But when the crowds saw it, they were afraid and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9And as Jesus was passing on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he says to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10And as he was reclining at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining at table with Jesus and his disciples.

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

12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do.”

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

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

15And Jesus said to them, “The wedding attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

16But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

17Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wineskins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. Rather, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.

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

19And Jesus rose and followed him, and his disciples did too.

20And behold, a woman who had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment.

21For she was saying to herself, “If only I touch his garment, I will be saved.”

22But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Take courage, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,

24He was saying, “Go away, for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they were laughing at him.

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

26And this report went out into all that region.

27And as Jesus was passing on from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”

28When he entered the house, the blind men approached 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, let it be done for you.”

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

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

32As they were going out, behold, they brought to him a mute, demon-possessed man.

33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds were amazed, saying, “Never has anything like this appeared in Israel.”

34But the Pharisees were saying, “By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.”

35And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and every sickness.

36And when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and cast down, like sheep without a shepherd.

37Then he says to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

38Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest that he would send out workers into his harvest.