Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(A)

¹⁴ Then John’s^(B) disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often,^(C) but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?^(D) The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.^(E)

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman^(F)

¹⁸ While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him^(G) and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her,^(H) and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.^{(I) 21} She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart,^(J) daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”^(K) And the woman was healed at that moment.^(L)

²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,^{(M) 24} he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead^(N) but asleep.”^(O) But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.^{(P) 26} News of this spread through all that region.^(Q)

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”^(R)

²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.^(S)

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;^{(T) 30} and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”^{(U) 31} But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.^(V)

³² While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed^(W) and could not talk^(X) was brought to Jesus. ³³ And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”^(Y)

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”^(Z)

The Workers Are Few

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.^{(AA) 36} When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,^(AB) because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.^{(AC) 37} Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest^(AD) is plentiful but the workers are few.^{(AE) 38} Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”