Matthew 9:1-21 ▼

1 He entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town.

2 And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

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

4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts?

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

6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

7 He rose and went home.

8 When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings.

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

10 While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

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

12 He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

13 Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

14 Then the disciples of John approached him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast [much], but your disciples do not fast?”

15 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.

17 People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

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

19 Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.

20 A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak.

21 She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”