Matthew 9

₁Jesus got into the boat and He went to the other side of Lake Galilee. He went to the town where He had lived before. ₂Then a few men came. They were carrying a man who could not walk. He was lying on a sleeping-mat. When Jesus saw that they believed that He could heal the man, He said to the man: ‘My friend, I forgive your sins.’

₃There were teachers_of_the_Laws who heard what Jesus said and they said: ‘Does He think He is God? Only God can forgive sins.’

₄Jesus looked at them and He knew what they were thinking and He said to them: ‘Why do you think these bad things? ₅Do you think it is easy for Me to say: “I forgive your sins”, or is it easier to say: “Get up, take your mat and walk”?

₆But I will show you that I, the Son of man, can forgive sins on earth.’ Then Jesus said to the man who could not walk: ‘I am telling you: Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and go home.’

₇The man got up and he took his sleeping-mat and went home. ₈There were many people and they all saw this and they were afraid. They praised God because He had given people the power to do this.

₉Jesus walked on and He saw a tax-collector. His name was Matthew. Jesus said to him: ‘Come with Me.’

Matthew got up and he went with Jesus. ₁₀Later Jesus and his disciples went to Matthew's house to eat. Many tax-collectors and other sinners were also there. ₁₁The Pharisees saw this and they said to his disciples: ‘Why does Jesus eat with tax-collectors and other sinners?’

₁₂Jesus heard what they said and He said to them: ‘People who are healthy do not need a doctor, but people who are sick need a doctor. ₁₃Go and learn what these words in the Old_Testament mean:

I did not come to call people who think they do everything that the laws of God say. I came to call sinners.’

₁₄The disciples of John came to Jesus and they asked Him: ‘We fast and the Pharisees fast. Why don't your disciples fast?’

₁₅Jesus said: ‘The friends of the bridegroom can not be sad while the bridegroom is with them. But a time will come when the bridegroom will be away, then his friends will fast.

₁₆No one mends old clothes with a new piece of cloth that has not shrunk yet. When someone does that, the new cloth will shrink and the old material will tear even more.

₁₇No one pours new wine into old skin-bags, because the new wine will make the old skin-bags burst or break. Then the wine and the skin-bags will both be lost. No, you must put new wine into new skin-bags, then you will not lose the wine or the skin-bags.’

₁₈Jesus was talking to the disciples of John when a leader of the town came to Him and knelt before Him. The man said: ‘My daughter was very sick and she has died. Please come and put your hands on her, then she will live again.’ ₁₉Jesus and his disciples got up and they went with the man.

₂₀A woman who had been sick for 12 years came from behind, and she touched Jesus' clothes. She had been bleeding for 12 years, and she continued to bleed. People told her about Jesus and she came in the crowd of people behind Him. ₂₁She said to herself: ‘If only I can touch his clothes, I will be healed.’

₂₂Jesus turned_around and He saw her. He said to her: ‘Don't worry. You are well now because you believed in Me.’

The woman was healed immediately.

₂₃Jesus came to the home of the Jewish_leader. He saw the people who played the flutes when they bury someone who has died, and many people who were crying loudly and mourning. ₂₄Jesus said to them: ‘Go away. The girl is not dead. She sleeps.’ But the people did not believe Him. They laughed because He said she was sleeping. ₂₅Jesus told all the people to go out of the house, then He went to the girl's bed. He took her hand and He helped her to get up and she became alive. ₂₆The people began to tell all the other people in that part of the land about what had happened.

₂₇Jesus went away from that place and 2 blind men started to follow Him. They shouted and said: ‘Son of David, please feel sorry for us and help us.’

₂₈When Jesus came to the house, the 2 blind men came to Him and Jesus asked them: ‘Do you believe that I can heal you?’ They said to Jesus: ‘Yes, Lord.’

₂₉Then Jesus touched their eyes and He said: ‘You believe that I can heal you. That will now happen. You can see.’ ₃₀Their eyes were healed and they could see. Jesus warned them and He said: ‘You must not tell this to anyone.’

₃₁But they went away from Jesus and they told everyone in that part of the land what Jesus had done.

₃₂The 2 men went away and then the people brought a man to Jesus who could not speak, because he had a demon in him. ₃₃Jesus chased_the_demon out of the man and then the man could talk. All the people were amazed. They said: ‘We have never seen something like this in the land_of_Israel.’

₃₄But the Pharisees said: ‘It is the leader of the demons who helps Jesus chase_out_demons.’

₃₅Jesus went to all the towns and cities and He continued to teach the people in their synagogues. He told them the Good_News that God rules over all. Jesus also healed all the sick people. ₃₆Many people came to Jesus and when He saw all the people, He felt sorry for them. They looked like people who were suffering but there was no one who could help them. They were like sheep who did not have a shepherd. ₃₇Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is a big harvest of wheat that is ripe and ready to be cut off, but there are very few workers who can help to do it. ₃₈The ripe wheat is the people who belong to the Lord. You must pray to the Lord of the harvest and ask Him to send workers to cut off his ripe wheat.’