Matthew 9

1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came into His own city. 2 And look, they brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. And Joshua, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic,“Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you!”

3 But look, some of the scholars said to themselves, “This man blasphemes!”

4 So Joshua, knowing their thoughts, said,“Why do you think bad thoughts in your hearts? 5 For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ 6 But 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 mat, and go to your house.”

7 So he got up and went to his house. 8 But when the crowds saw it, they were amazed and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9 As Joshua passed by from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. And He said to him,“Follow Me.” So he got up and followed Him. 10 Now it happened, as He was reclining at the table in the house, look, many tax collectors and sinners came and reclined together at the table with Joshua and His apprentices. 11 And when the Separators saw it, they said to His apprentices, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 When Joshua heard it, He said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, only those who are sick. 13 But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ because I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

14 Then Johanan’s apprentices came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Separators fast often, but Your disciples don’t fast?”

15 And Joshua said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. 17 Neither do people put new wine into old wine skins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into new wine skins, and both are preserved.”

18 While He told these things to them, look, a leader came and bowed down in front of Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

19 So Joshua got up and followed him, and His apprentices did too. 20 And look, a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years came behind Him, and touched the tassels on His robe; 21 because she had been saying in herself, “If I just touch His robe, I will be made well.”

22 But Joshua, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23 When Joshua came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said to them, “Clear out, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping!”

So they were laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd was put out, He entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 And the news of this went out into all that land. 27 As Joshua went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Joshua said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They told Him, “Yes, Master.”

29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it happen to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Joshua strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows!” 31 But they went out and spread abroad His fame in all that land.

32 As they went out, look, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Him. 33 And when the demon was expelled, the man who couldn’t speak spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

34 But the Separators said, “He expels demons by the prince of the demons.”

35 Then Joshua was traveling through all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. 36 But when He saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to his apprentices, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 So beg the Master of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”