14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

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14 Then the disciples of John came to Jesus, inquiring, Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast [a]often, [that is, abstain from food and drink as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?

15 And Jesus replied to them, Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 And no one puts a piece of cloth that has not been shrunk on an old garment, for such a patch tears away from the garment and a worse rent (tear) is made.

17 Neither is new wine put in old wineskins; for if it is, the skins burst and are [b]torn in pieces, and the wine is spilled and the skins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 9:14 Many manuscripts so read.
  2. Matthew 9:17 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.

14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast as we do and as the Pharisees do?”

15 “Should the bridegroom’s friends mourn and go without food while he is with them?” Jesus asked. “But the time is coming when I[a] will be taken from them. Time enough then for them to refuse to eat.

16 “And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the patch would tear away and make the hole worse. 17 And who would use old wineskins[b] to store new wine? For the old skins would burst with the pressure, and the wine would be spilled and skins ruined. Only new wineskins are used to store new wine. That way both are preserved.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 9:15 I, literally, “the Bridegroom.”
  2. Matthew 9:17 old wineskins. These were leather bags for storing wine.