Matthew 9
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus helps a man who cannot walk
9 Then Jesus got back into the boat. He sailed across to the other side of the lake again. He went to Capernaum, the town where he was living.
2 Some men came to see Jesus there. They carried with them a man who could not walk or move his legs. He was lying on a mat. Jesus knew that they believed in him. He said to the man who could not walk, ‘Do not be afraid, my friend. I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
3 Then some teachers of God's Law said to themselves: ‘This man is speaking as if he is God. That is not right.’
4 Jesus knew what the teachers were thinking. So he said to them, ‘You should not think these bad things in your minds. 5 I said to this man, “I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.” Instead, I could have said to him, “Stand up and walk.” Which one is easier for me to say? 6 But I want you to know this. I, the Son of Man, have authority on earth.[a] I can forgive people for the wrong things that they have done.’ Then he said to the man who could not walk, ‘Stand up. Pick up your mat and go home.’ 7 So then the man stood up and he went home. 8 The crowds of people saw what had happened. They were very surprised and afraid. They saw that God had given so much authority to men. So they praised God and they said, ‘God is great!’
Jesus asks Matthew to come with him
9 Jesus went away from that place. While he walked, he saw a man called Matthew. Matthew's job was to take taxes from people. He was sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, ‘Come with me and be my disciple.’ So Matthew stood up and he went with Jesus.
10 Later, Jesus went to eat a meal in Matthew's house. Many bad people and men who took taxes also came to the house.[b] They came to eat there with Jesus and his disciples.
11 Some Pharisees saw what was happening. They said to Jesus' disciples, ‘Your teacher is eating a meal with these bad people. That is not right. They are people who do not obey God, and some of them take taxes from people.’
12 Jesus heard what the Pharisees were saying. He said to them, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor. It is people who are ill that need a doctor. 13 Go and study what it says in the Bible. God says there, “I want people to be kind to each other. I do not want them only to offer sacrifices to me.” Some people think that they always obey God. I did not come to help people like that. Some people know that they have done wrong things. I am asking those people to come to me for help.’
14 Then the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘We often decide to fast for a time. The disciples of the Pharisees also do that. Why do your disciples never do that?’[c]
15 Jesus answered them: ‘When a man marries, his friends cannot be sad. They cannot refuse to eat food while he is with them. But there will be a time when people will take the man away from his friends. At that time his friends will choose to fast.’[d]
16 Then Jesus said, ‘Nobody uses a piece of new cloth to mend an old coat. If he does, the new cloth will cause the old cloth to tear again. It will make a bigger hole than before.
17 Nobody pours new wine into old wineskins.[e] If he does that, the new wine will tear the old wineskins. He will lose the wine and the wineskins will spoil. Instead, you must put new wine into new wineskins. Then there will be nothing to spoil the wine or the wineskins.’[f]
Jesus causes a dead girl to become alive again
18 While Jesus was saying these things to the people, a leader at the Jewish meeting place came to him. The man went down on his knees in front of Jesus and said to him, ‘My daughter has just died. Come to my house. Put your hand on her and then she will live again.’ 19 So Jesus went with the man. His disciples also went with them.
20 There was a sick woman in the crowd. She had been losing blood for 12 years. She came near to Jesus, behind him. She touched the edge of his coat. 21 The woman thought, ‘Even if I only touch his coat, I will become well again.’
22 Jesus turned round and he saw the woman. He said to her, ‘Young woman, do not be afraid. You are now well again because you believed in me.’ And immediately the woman became well again.
23 Then Jesus arrived at the Jewish leader's house. Some people there were making sad music and the crowd was making a loud noise.[g]
24 When Jesus saw this, he said to everybody in the house, ‘Go outside. This girl is not dead. She is only sleeping.’ The people laughed at Jesus when he said that. 25 The family sent all the people out of the house. Jesus went inside and he held the girl's hand. Immediately she stood up. 26 People in all that part of the country heard about what had happened.
Jesus causes two blind men to see again
27 Jesus left the house. While he walked along, two blind men began to follow him. They were shouting out to him, ‘Son of David! Please be kind to us and help us!’[h]
28 Jesus went into a house and the blind men came to him there. Jesus asked them, ‘Do you believe that I can make your eyes become well?’ The men replied, ‘Yes, Master, we believe that you can do this.’
29 So Jesus touched the men's eyes. He said to them, ‘Because you believed in me, you will now see again.’ 30 Then immediately the men could see again. Jesus said strongly to them, ‘You must not tell anyone about this.’ 31 So the men went away. But they told everybody in that part of the country all about what Jesus had done for them.
Jesus causes a man to speak again
32 While those two men were leaving, some people brought another man to Jesus. This man could not speak because of a bad spirit in him. 33 Jesus made the bad spirit go out of the man and leave him. Then the man began to speak again. Everybody there was very surprised. They said, ‘Nobody has seen anything like this happen in Israel before.’
34 But the Pharisees said, ‘This man can send bad spirits out of people because Satan gives him authority. Satan is the one who rules the bad spirits.’
Jesus wants God to send out more disciples
35 Jesus went to visit all the towns and villages near there. He taught the people in the Jewish meeting places. He told them the good news about God's kingdom. He also caused sick people to become well again from all their different pains and illnesses.
36 When Jesus saw the crowds of people, he felt sorry for them. They had trouble in their minds. They had nobody to help them. Jesus thought, ‘These people are like sheep that have nobody to take care of them.’ 37 Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Many people are ready to believe God's message. They are like crops in the fields at harvest time. But there are very few workers to bring in the crops. 38 So pray to God to send out workers. The field and the crops belong to him.’[i]
Footnotes
- 9:6 Jesus often called himself the Son of Man. He did this so that people would remember about some messages in the Bible. We can read about the Son of Man in the book called Daniel. (See Daniel 7:13-14.)
- 9:10 These people were Jews who did not obey everything in God's Law. The Pharisees did not like them. They thought that they were bad people. The Pharisees thought that they themselves obeyed everything in God's Laws. They thought that they themselves were better than other people.
- 9:14 Some people stop eating for some hours or days so that they can have more time with God. This causes them to feel nearer to God when they pray.
- 9:15 In this picture story, Jesus is like the bridegroom. Those who follow him are like his friends at the marriage. Jesus will not always be with them. That will be the time when they will stop eating for some time to pray.
- 9:17 Some people kept wine in bottles made from an animal skin. Wine grows as it gets older, but the wineskins become hard. New wine would cause them to break.
- 9:17 Jesus is teaching the people that the old bottles are like the old Law. The new wine and the new cloth are like the new things that Jesus was teaching them. They could not mix the old things and the new things.
- 9:23 Jewish people made music in the house after somebody had died. They also made music while people buried that person.
- 9:27 King David was an ancestor of Jesus.
- 9:38 In this story, the master of the fields is like God. The fields are like the world. The plants that are growing in the fields are like the people in the world. The workers are like the people who know the Good News about the kingdom of God. They must tell other people about God and the Good News.
Matthew 9
Lexham English Bible
A Paralytic Healed
9 And getting into a boat, he crossed over and came to his own town.[a] 2 And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher, and when[b] Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” 4 And knowing[c] their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go to your home.” 7 And he got up and[d] went to his home. 8 But when[e] the crowds saw this,[f] they were afraid and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
Matthew Called to Follow Jesus
9 And as[g] Jesus was going away from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth and said to him, “Follow me!” And he stood up and[h] followed him.
10 And it happened as[i] he was dining[j] in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners were coming and[k] dining[l] with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when they[m] saw it,[n] the Pharisees began to say to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 And when he[o] heard it,[p] he said, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick.[q] 13 But go and[r] learn what it means, “I want mercy and not sacrifice.”[s] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
On Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John[t] approached him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “The bridegroom’s attendants[u] are not able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. But days are coming when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise[v] the wineskins burst and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”
A Woman Healed and a Daughter Raised
18 As[w] he was saying these things to them, behold, one of the rulers came and[x] knelt down before him, saying, “My daughter has just now died, but come, place your hand on her and she will live!” 19 And Jesus and his disciples got up and[y] followed him. 20 And behold, a woman who had been suffering with a hemorrhage twelve years approached from behind and[z] touched the edge[aa] of his cloak, 21 for she said to herself, “If only I touch his cloak I will be healed.” 22 But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that hour.
23 And when[ab] Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd, 24 he said, “Go away, because the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, he entered and[ac] took her hand, and the girl got up. 26 And this report went out into that whole region.
Two Blind Men Healed
27 And as[ad] Jesus was going away from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 And when he[ae] came into the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be done for you.” 30 And their eyes were opened, and Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one finds out.” 31 But they went out and[af] spread the report about him in that whole region.
A Demon Expelled
32 Now as[ag] they were going away, behold, they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak. 33 And after[ah] the demon had been expelled, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were astonished, saying, “This has never been seen before[ai] in Israel!” 34 But the Pharisees were saying,[aj] “By the ruler of demons he expels the demons!”
A Plentiful Harvest But Few Workers
35 And Jesus was going around all the towns and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every[ak] disease and every[al] sickness. 36 And when he[am] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were weary and dejected, like sheep that did not have a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 9:1 A reference to Capernaum
- Matthew 9:2 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:4 Some manuscripts have “perceiving”
- Matthew 9:7 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:8 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:8 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 9:9 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:9 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stood up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:10 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was dining”)
- Matthew 9:10 Literally “was reclining at table”
- Matthew 9:10 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“were coming”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:10 Literally “reclining at table”
- Matthew 9:11 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:11 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 9:12 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:12 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 9:12 Literally “having badly”
- Matthew 9:13 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:13 A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7)
- Matthew 9:14 That is, John the Baptist
- Matthew 9:15 Literally “the sons of the bridal chamber”
- Matthew 9:17 Literally “but if not”
- Matthew 9:18 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was saying”)
- Matthew 9:18 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:19 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:20 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“approached”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:20 Or “tassel”
- Matthew 9:23 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:25 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“entered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:27 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“going away”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:28 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 9:31 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went out”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 9:32 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“were going away”)
- Matthew 9:33 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had been expelled”)
- Matthew 9:33 Literally “never has it been seen thus”
- Matthew 9:34 Or “began to say”
- Matthew 9:35 Or “every kind of”
- Matthew 9:35 Or “every kind of”
- Matthew 9:36 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
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