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, son; dyour sins are forgiven."
3
And some of the scribes said to 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 went home.
8
But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and aglorified God, who had given such authority to men.
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 Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners 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 awhat this means: 'bI DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for cI did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
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 attendants 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 a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the 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."
18
aWhile He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bbowed 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 fringe of His cloak;
21
for she was saying to herself, "If I only atouch His garment, I will get well."
22
But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, atake courage; byour faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well.
23
When Jesus came into the official'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 got 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, "It 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 was 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 ever 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 people, He felt compassion for them, bbecause they were distressed and dispirited like sheep