Matthew 8-10

English Standard Version

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When he came down from the mountain, ^(A)great crowds followed him. ^2 (B)And behold, a leper^[a] came to him and ^(C)knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ³ And Jesus^[b] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, ^(D)“See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, ^(E)show yourself to the priest and ^(F)offer the gift that Moses commanded, ^(G)for a proof to them.”

The Faith of a Centurion

^5 (H)When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” ⁷ And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸ But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but ^(I)only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,^[c] ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, ^(J)he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with ^(K)no one in Israel^[d] have I found such faith. ¹¹ I tell you, ^(L)many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ^12 (M)while the sons of the kingdom ^(N)will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place ^(O)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you ^(P)as you have believed.” ^(Q)And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many

^14 (R)And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw ^(S)his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵ He ^(T)touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. ¹⁶ That evening they brought to him many who were ^(U)oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits ^(V)with a word and healed all who were sick. ^17 (W)This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ^(X)“He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸ Now ^(Y)when Jesus saw a crowd around him, ^(Z)he gave orders to go over to the other side. ^19 (AA)And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ²¹ Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ²² And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave ^(AB)the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

^23 (AC)And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but ^(AD)he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, ^(AE)“Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you ^(AF)afraid, ^(AG)O you of little faith?” Then he rose and ^(AH)rebuked the winds and the sea, and ^(AI)there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men ^(AJ)marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even ^(AK)winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

^28 (AL)And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,^[e] two ^(AM)demon-possessed^[f] men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they ^(AN)cried out, “What have you to do with us, ^(AO)O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us ^(AP)before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the ^(AQ)demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, ^(AR)they begged him to leave their region.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to ^(AS)his own city. ^2 (AT)And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus ^(AU)saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ^(AV)“Take heart, my son; ^(AW)your sins are forgiven.” ³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ^(AX)“This man is blaspheming.” ⁴ But Jesus, ^(AY)knowing^[g] 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, ^(AZ)they were afraid, and ^(BA)they glorified God, who had ^(BB)given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

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

¹⁰ And as Jesus^[h] reclined at table in the house, behold, many ^(BE)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, ^(BF)“Why does your teacher eat with ^(BG)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 ^(BH)what this means: ^(BI)‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For ^(BJ)I came not to call the righteous, ^(BK)but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

¹⁴ Then ^(BL)the disciples of John came to him, saying, ^(BM)“Why do we and ^(BN)the Pharisees fast,^[i] but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, ^(BO)“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? ^(BP)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and ^(BQ)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 ^(BR)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 (BS)While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and ^(BT)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 ^(BU)who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched ^(BV)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, ^(BW)“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” ^(BX)And instantly^[j] the woman was made well. ²³ And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw ^(BY)the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴ he said, “Go away, for ^(BZ)the girl is not dead but ^(CA)sleeping.” And they laughed at him. ²⁵ But ^(CB)when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and ^(CC)took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

^27 (CD)And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, ^(CE)Son 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 (CF)Then he touched their eyes, saying, ^(CG)“According to your faith be it done to you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, ^(CH)“See that no one knows about it.” ^31 (CI)But 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 ^(CJ)demon-oppressed man who was mute ^(CK)was brought to him. ³³ And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds ^(CL)marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” ³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

^35 (CM)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 (CN)When he saw the crowds, ^(CO)he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, ^(CP)like sheep without a shepherd. ^37 (CQ)Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore ^(CR)pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to ^(CS)send out laborers into his harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles

10 ^(CT)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 (CU)The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, ^(CV)who is called Peter, and ^(CW)Andrew his brother; ^(CX)James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and ^(CY)Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^{[k] 4} Simon the Zealot,^[l] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

^5 (CZ)These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of ^(DA)the Samaritans, ^6 (DB)but go rather to ^(DC)the lost sheep of ^(DD)the house of Israel. ⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, ^(DE)‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’^{[m] 8 (DF)}Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,^[n] cast out demons. ^(DG)You received without paying; give without pay. ^9 (DH)Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics^[o] or sandals or a staff, for ^(DI)the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹² As you enter the house, ^(DJ)greet it. ¹³ And if the house is ^(DK)worthy, let ^(DL)your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let ^(DM)your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ^(DN)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, ^(DO)it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for ^(DP)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

^16 (DQ)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be ^(DR)wise as serpents and ^(DS)innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for ^(DT)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you ^(DU)in their synagogues, ^18 (DV)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, ^(DW)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19 (DX)When ^(DY)they deliver you over, ^(DZ)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for ^(EA)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20 (EB)For it is not you who speak, but ^(EC)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21 (ED)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 (EE)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. ^(EF)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they ^(EG)persecute you in one town, ^(EH)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ^(EI)before the Son of Man comes.

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

Have No Fear

²⁶ “So have no fear of them, ^(EL)for nothing 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 ^(EM)the housetops. ²⁸ And ^(EN)do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him ^(EO)who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^{[r] 29} Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[s] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But ^(EP)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; ^(EQ)you are of more value than many sparrows. ^32 (ER)So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but ^(ES)whoever denies me before men, ^(ET)I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

^34 (EU)“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. ^(EV)I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^35 (EW)For I have come ^(EX)to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^36 (EY)And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. ^37 (EZ)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. ³⁸ And ^(FA)whoever does not take his cross and ^(FB)follow me is not worthy of me. ^39 (FC)Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

^40 (FD)“Whoever receives you receives me, and ^(FE)whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ^41 (FF)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 ^(FG)whoever gives one of ^(FH)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.”