^2 (A)And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus ^(B)saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ^(C)“Take heart, my son; ^(D)your sins are forgiven.” ³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ^(E)“This man is blaspheming.” ⁴ But Jesus, ^(F)knowing^[a] 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 authority 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, ^(G)they were afraid, and ^(H)they glorified God, who had ^(I)given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

^9 (J)As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called ^(K)Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

¹⁰ And as Jesus^[b] reclined at table in the house, behold, many ^(L)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, ^(M)“Why does your teacher eat with ^(N)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 ^(O)what this means: ^(P)‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For ^(Q)I came not to call the righteous, ^(R)but sinners.”