Gospel according to Matthew 9

¹ He got back in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town.[*a]

² Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven’.

³ And at this some scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming’.

⁴ Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts?

⁵ Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Get up and walk”?

⁶ But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home’.

⁷ And the man got up and went home.

⁸ A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.

⁹ As Jesus was walking on from there he saw a man named Matthew[*b] sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me’. And he got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners[*c] came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples.

¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’

¹² When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick.

¹³ Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.[*d] And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

¹⁴ Then John’s[*e] disciples came to him and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’

¹⁵ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.

¹⁷ Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.'[*f]

¹⁸ While he was speaking to them, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved’.

¹⁹ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him.

²⁰ Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak,

²¹ for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again’.

²² Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health’. And from that moment the woman was well again.

²³ When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion[*g] he said,

²⁴ ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep’. And they laughed at him.

²⁵ But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up.

²⁶ And the news spread all round the countryside.

²⁷ As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, ‘Take pity on us, Son of David’.

²⁸ And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up with him and he said to them, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Sir, we do’.

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you’.

³⁰ And their sight returned. Then Jesus sternly warned them, ‘Take care that no one learns about this’.

³¹ But when they had gone, they talked about him all over the countryside.

³² They had only just left when a man was brought to him, a dumb demoniac.

³³ And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said.

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils’.

³⁵ Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.

³⁶ And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest’.