Chapter 9

A Paralytic Healed

1 Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to aHis own city.

2 aAnd they brought to Him a bparalytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “cTake courage, 1son; dyour sins are forgiven.”

3 And some of the scribes said 1to themselves, “This fellow ablasphemes.”

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

5 “Which is easier, to say, ‘aYour sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?

6 “But so that you may know that athe Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He * said to the bparalytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”

7 And he got up and 1went home.

8 But when the crowds saw this, they were 1awestruck, and aglorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew Called

9 aAs Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called bMatthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He * said to him, “cFollow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

10 Then it happened that as 1Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and 2sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “aWhy is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not athose who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

13 “But go and learn 1awhat this means: ‘bI desire 2compassion, 3and not sacrifice,’ for cI did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Question about Fasting

14 Then the disciples of John * came to Him, asking, “Why do we and athe Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

15 And Jesus said to them, “The 1attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 “But no one puts 1a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for 2the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

17 “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Miracles of Healing

18 aWhile He was saying these things to them, 1a synagogue 2official came and 3bbowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”

19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched athe 1fringe of His 2cloak;

21 for she was saying 1to herself, “If I only atouch His garment, I will 2get well.”

22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, atake courage; byour faith has 1made you well.” 2At once the woman was 3made well.

23 When Jesus came into the 1official’s house, and saw athe flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder,

24 He said, “Leave; for the girl ahas not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.

25 But awhen the crowd had been sent out, He entered and btook her by the hand, and the girl 1got up.

26 aThis news spread throughout all that land.

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, aSon of David!”

28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus * said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They * said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “1It shall be done to you aaccording to your faith.”

30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus asternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!”

31 But they went out and aspread the news about Him throughout all that land.

32 As they were going out, aa mute, bdemon-possessed man 1was brought to Him.

33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “aNothing like this has 1ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He acasts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, ateaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

36 aSeeing the 1people, He felt compassion for them, bbecause they were 2distressed and 3dispirited like sheep 4without a shepherd.

37 Then He * said to His disciples, “aThe harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Chapter 10

The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service

1 Jesus asummoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to bheal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

2 aNow the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, bSimon, who is called Peter, and bAndrew his brother; and 1cJames the son of Zebedee, and 2John his brother;

3 aPhilip and 1Bartholomew; bThomas and cMatthew the tax collector; 2dJames the son of Alphaeus, and eThaddaeus;

4 Simon the 1Zealot, and aJudas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

5 aThese twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not 1go 2in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the bSamaritans;

6 but rather go to athe lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 “And as you go, 1preach, saying, ‘aThe kingdom of heaven 2is at hand.’

8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

9 “aDo not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,

10 or a 1bag for your journey, or even two 2coats, or sandals, or a staff; for athe worker is worthy of his 3support.

11 “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay 1at his house until you leave that city.

12 “As you enter the 1house, agive it your 2greeting.

13 “If the house is worthy, 1give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, 2take back your blessing of peace.

14 “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, ashake the dust off your feet.

15 “Truly I say to you, ait will be more tolerable for the land of bSodom and Gomorrah in cthe day of judgment than for that city.

A Hard Road before Them

16 “aBehold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so 1be bshrewd as serpents and cinnocent as doves.

17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the acourts and scourge you bin their synagogues;

18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

19 “aBut when they hand you over, bdo not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.

20 “For ait is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 “aBrother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and bchildren will rise up against parents and 1cause them to be put to death.

22 “aYou will be hated by all because of My name, but bit is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

23 “But whenever they apersecute you in 1one city, flee to 2the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel buntil the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

24 “aA 1disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.

25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. aIf they have called the head of the house 1bBeelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

26 “Therefore do not afear them, bfor there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

27 “aWhat I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim bupon the housetops.

28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather afear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in 1bhell.

29 “aAre not two sparrows sold for a 1cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

30 “But athe very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 “So do not fear; ayou are more valuable than many sparrows.

32 “Therefore aeveryone who 1confesses Me before men, I will also confess 2him before My Father who is in heaven.

33 “But awhoever 1denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

34 “aDo not think that I came to 1bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 “For I came to aset a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

36 and aa man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

37 “aHe who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 “And ahe who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

39 “aHe who has found his 1life will lose it, and he who has lost his 1life for My sake will find it.

The Reward of Service

40 “aHe who receives you receives Me, and bhe who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

41 “aHe who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

42 “And awhoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these 1little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Chapter 11

John’s Questions

1 aWhen Jesus had finished 1giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there bto teach and 2preach in their cities.

2 aNow when bJohn, 1while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples

3 and said to Him, “Are You athe 1Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see:

5 athe blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the bpoor have the 1gospel preached to them.

6 “And blessed is he 1who adoes not 2take offense at Me.”

Jesus’ Tribute to John

7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into athe wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

8 “1But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ 2palaces!

9 “1But what did you go out to see? aA prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

10 “This is the one about whom it 1is written,

‘aBehold, I send My messenger 2ahead of You,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’

11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is 1least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12 “aFrom the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven 1suffers violence, and violent men 2take it by force.

13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

14 “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is aElijah who 1was to come.

15 “aHe who has ears to hear, 1let him hear.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,

17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not 1mourn.’

18 “For John came neither aeating nor bdrinking, and they say, ‘cHe has a demon!’

19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a 1drunkard, aa friend of tax collectors and 2sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

The Unrepenting Cities

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His 1amiracles were done, because they did not repent.

21 “aWoe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, bBethsaida! For if the 1miracles had occurred in cTyre and cSidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in 2dsackcloth and ashes.

22 “Nevertheless I say to you, ait will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in bthe day of judgment than for you.

23 “And you, aCapernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will bdescend to cHades; for if the 1miracles had occurred in dSodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.

24 “Nevertheless I say to you that ait will be more tolerable for the land of bSodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”

Come to Me

25 aAt that 1time Jesus said, “I praise You, bFather, Lord of heaven and earth, that cYou have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.

26 “Yes, aFather, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

27 “aAll things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father bexcept the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28 “aCome to Me, all 1who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

29 “Take My yoke upon you and alearn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and byou will find rest for your souls.

30 “For aMy yoke is 1easy and My burden is light.”