Matthew 9-10 (English Standard Version)

Matthew 9

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

 ¹And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to^(A) his own city. ^2(B) And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus^(C) saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ^(D) "Take heart, my son;^(E) your sins are forgiven." ³And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves,^(F) "This man is blaspheming." ⁴But Jesus,^(G) knowing^[a] their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? ⁶But 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." ⁷And he rose and went home. ⁸When the crowds saw it,^(H) they were afraid, and^(I) they glorified God, who had 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.

 ¹⁰And 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. ¹¹And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples,^(M) "Why does your teacher eat with^(N) tax collectors and sinners?" ¹²But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go 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."

A Question About Fasting

 ¹⁴Then^(S) the disciples of John came to him, saying,^(T) "Why do we and^(U) the Pharisees fast,^[c] but your disciples do not fast?" ¹⁵And Jesus said to them, ^(V) "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?^(W) The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and^(X) then they will fast. ¹⁶No 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. ¹⁷Neither is new wine put into old^(Y) 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(Z) While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and^(AA) knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." ¹⁹And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. ²⁰And behold, a woman^(AB) who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched^(AC) the fringe of his garment, ²¹for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." ²²Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ^(AD) "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well."^(AE) And instantly^[d] the woman was made well. ²³And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw^(AF) the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴he said, "Go away, for^(AG) the girl is not dead but^(AH) sleeping." And they laughed at him. ²⁵But^(AI) when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and^(AJ) took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

 ^27(AK) And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us,^(AL) Son of David." ²⁸When 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(AM) Then he touched their eyes, saying, ^(AN) "According to your faith be it done to you." ³⁰And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, ^(AO) "See that no one knows about it." ^31(AP) But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

 ³²As they were going away, behold, a^(AQ) demon-oppressed man who was mute^(AR) was brought to him. ³³And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds^(AS) marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." ³⁴But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

 ^35(AT) And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ^36(AU) When he saw the crowds,^(AV) he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless,^(AW) like sheep without a shepherd. ^37(AX) Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸therefore^(AY) pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to^(AZ) send out laborers into his harvest."

Matthew 10

The Twelve Apostles

 ^1(BA) And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ^2(BB) The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon,^(BC) who is called Peter, and^(BD) Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and^(BE) Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^{[e] 4}Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

 ^5(BF) These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of^(BG) the Samaritans, ^6(BH) but go rather to^(BI) the lost sheep of^(BJ) the house of Israel. ⁷And proclaim as you go, saying,^(BK) 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ^8(BL) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,^[f] cast out demons.^(BM) You received without paying; give without pay. ^9(BN) Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, ¹⁰no bag for your journey, nor two tunics^[g] nor sandals nor a staff, for^(BO) the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹²As you enter the house,^(BP) greet it. ¹³And if the house is^(BQ) worthy, let^(BR) your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words,^(BS) shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly, I say to you,^(BT) it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for^(BU) the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

 ^16(BV) "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be^(BW) wise as serpents and^(BX) innocent as doves. ¹⁷Beware of men, for^(BY) they will deliver you over to courts and flog you^(BZ) in their synagogues, ^18(CA) and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake,^(CB) to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19(CC) When^(CD) they deliver you over,^(CE) do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for^(CF) what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20(CG) For it is not you who speak, but^(CH) the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21(CI) Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ^22(CJ) and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.^(CK) But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³When they^(CL) persecute you in one town,^(CM) flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel^(CN) before the Son of Man comes.

 ^24(CO) "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant^[h] above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.^(CP) If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign^[i] those of his household.

Have No Fear

 ²⁶"So have no fear of them,^(CQ) for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on^(CR) the housetops. ²⁸And^(CS) do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him^(CT) who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^{[j] 29}Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[k] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰But^(CU) even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Fear not, therefore;^(CV) you are of more value than many sparrows. ^32(CW) So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³but^(CX) whoever denies me before men,^(CY) I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

 ^34(CZ) "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.^(DA) I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^35(DB) For I have come^(DC) to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^36(DD) And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ^37(DE) Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And^(DF) whoever does not take his cross and^(DG) follow me is not worthy of me. ^39(DH) Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

 ^40(DI) "Whoever receives you receives me, and^(DJ) whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ^41(DK) 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. ⁴²And^(DL) whoever gives one of^(DM) 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."