Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1 lAnd getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; myour sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is nblaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing1 their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For 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 oauthority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they pglorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 qAs Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, r“Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus2 reclined at table in the house, behold, smany tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher teat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: u‘I desire vmercy, and not sacrifice.’ For wI came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
14 xThen the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast,3 but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the ybridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is 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 tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18 zWhile he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a adischarge of blood for twelve years bcame up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; cyour faith has made you well.” And instantly4 the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is dnot dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put eoutside, he went in and ftook her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the greport of this went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, htwo blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, iSon of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came 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, j“According to your faith let it be done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, k“See that no one knows about it.” 31 lBut they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mmute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds nmarveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, o“He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and pproclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had qcompassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like rsheep swithout a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, t“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The Twelve Apostles
1 uAnd he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them vauthority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the wtwelve apostles are these: first, xSimon, who is called Peter, and yAndrew his brother; zJames the son of Zebedee, and aJohn his brother; 3 bPhilip and cBartholomew; dThomas and eMatthew the tax collector; fJames the son of Alphaeus, and gThaddaeus;5 4 hSimon the Zealot,6 and iJudas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
5 jThese twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere kamong the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the llost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And mproclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is nat hand.’7 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,8 cast out demons. You received owithout paying; give pwithout pay. 9 Acquire qno gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics9 or sandals or a staff, for rthe laborer deserves his food. 11 And swhatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your tpeace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ushake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be vmore bearable on the day of judgment for wthe land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Persecution Will Come
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of xwolves, so be ywise as serpents and zinnocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their asynagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before bgovernors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the cSpirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 dBrother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. eBut the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they fpersecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 g“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant10 above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. hIf they have called the master of the house iBeelzebul, jhow much more will they malign11 those of his household.
Have No Fear
26 k“So have no fear of them, for lnothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather mfear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.12 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?13 And nnot one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who oacknowledges me before men, I also will packnowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever qdenies me before men, I also will rdeny before my Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 s“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set ta man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 uWhoever loves vfather or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not wtake his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 xWhoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 y“Whoever receives you receives me, and zwhoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And awhoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Revive Us Again
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you hrestored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You iforgave the iniquity of your people;
you jcovered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
4 kRestore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
5 lWill you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not mrevive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will nspeak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely his osalvation is near to those who fear him,
that pglory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, qthe Lord will give what is good,
and rour land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.