A Question About Fasting

¹⁴ Then ^(A)the disciples of John came to him, saying, ^(B)“Why do we and ^(C)the Pharisees fast,^[a] but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, ^(D)“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? ^(E)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and ^(F)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 ^(G)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 (H)While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and ^(I)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 ^(J)who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched ^(K)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, ^(L)“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” ^(M)And instantly^[b] the woman was made well. ²³ And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw ^(N)the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴ he said, “Go away, for ^(O)the girl is not dead but ^(P)sleeping.” And they laughed at him. ²⁵ But ^(Q)when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and ^(R)took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ And the report of this went through all that district.