Matthew 9
New King James Version
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic(A)
9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, (B)and came to His own city. 2 (C)Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. (D)When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
4 But Jesus, (E)knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.
8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they (F)marveled[a] and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Matthew the Tax Collector(G)
9 (H)As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
10 (I)Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with (J)tax collectors and (K)sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: (L)‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, (M)but sinners, [b]to repentance.”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting(N)
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, (O)“Why do we and the Pharisees fast [c]often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
15 And Jesus said to them, “Can (P)the [d]friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and (Q)then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for [e]the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins [f]break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed(R)
18 (S)While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His (T)disciples.
20 (U)And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and (V)touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; (W)your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 (X)When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw (Y)the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, (Z)“Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and (AA)took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the (AB)report of this went out into all that land.
Two Blind Men Healed
27 When Jesus departed from there, (AC)two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, (AD)“Son of David, have mercy on us!”
28 And when He had come into 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 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, (AE)“See that no one knows it.” 31 (AF)But when they had departed, they [g]spread the news about Him in all that [h]country.
A Mute Man Speaks
32 (AG)As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”
34 But the Pharisees said, (AH)“He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
The Compassion of Jesus(AI)
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, (AJ)teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease [i]among the people. 36 (AK)But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were [j]weary and scattered, (AL)like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, (AM)“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 (AN)Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 9:8 NU were afraid
- Matthew 9:13 NU omits to repentance
- Matthew 9:14 NU brackets often as disputed.
- Matthew 9:15 Lit. sons of the bridechamber
- Matthew 9:16 Lit. that which is put on
- Matthew 9:17 burst
- Matthew 9:31 Lit. made Him known
- Matthew 9:31 Lit. land
- Matthew 9:35 NU omits among the people
- Matthew 9:36 NU, M harassed
Matthew 9
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 9
The Healing of a Paralyzed Man.[a] 1 Therefore, Jesus got into a boat and, crossing over the lake, arrived at his hometown.[b] 2 Some people then approached him, carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. On perceiving their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Take heart, son. Your sins are forgiven.”
3 On hearing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”[c] 4 Jesus perceived what they were thinking, and he said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 [d]Which is easier, to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 But so that you may come to realize that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man—“Stand up, take your bed, and go to your home.” 7 The man got up and returned to his home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God for having given such authority to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew.[e] 9 As Jesus walked on from there, he noticed a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
10 Jesus Dines with Sinners. When he was sitting at dinner in the house, many tax collectors[f] and sinners were seated with Jesus and his disciples. 11 On seeing this, the Pharisees said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but rather those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this text means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
14 A Time of Joy and Grace.[g] Then the disciples of John came to him and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not do so?” 15 Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak, because the patch eventually pulls away from the cloak and a worse tear results. 17 Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins, for if they do, the wineskins burst, the wine spills forth, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins. In this way both are preserved.”
18 Jesus Heals a Sick Woman and Raises a Dead Girl.[h] While he was saying these things to them, an official[i] came forward. He knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live.” 19 Jesus then rose and followed him, together with his disciples.
20 Suddenly, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak. 21 For she thought to herself, “If only I touch his cloak, I shall be healed.” 22 Jesus turned and saw her, and he said, “Take heart, daughter! Your faith has healed you.” And from that moment the woman was cured.
23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players[j] and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead; she is asleep,”[k] but they laughed at him. 25 When the people had been sent outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the little girl stood up. 26 And the news of this spread throughout the entire district.
27 Jesus Heals Two Blind Men. As Jesus proceeded from there, two blind men followed him, crying out loudly, “Son of David,[l] have pity on us.” 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men approached him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” They replied, “Yes, Lord, we do.” 29 Then Jesus touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 30 And their sight was restored. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “See to it that no one learns about this.” 31 But as soon as they had departed, they spread the news about him throughout that entire district.
32 Jesus Heals a Mute Demoniac. As they left, a man who was possessed and unable to speak was brought to him. 33 When the demon had been driven out, the man who had been mute was able to speak. The crowds were amazed, and they said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees responded, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”[m]
35 The Harvest Is Abundant.[n] Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every kind of illness and disease. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were distressed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers for his harvest.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 9:1 The two preceding accounts have attested Jesus’ power over the frightful forces of nature and the unchained powers of hell. Here Christ delivers human beings from sin itself. For the first time he proclaims the forgiveness of sins—which is an act of God.
- Matthew 9:1 His hometown: Capernaum, which Jesus had made his headquarters.
- Matthew 9:3 Blaspheming: i.e., usurping God’s prerogative to forgive sins.
- Matthew 9:5 Christ indicates that it is easier to heal a person physically than to heal him spiritually. It is easier to heal a broken leg than a broken heart. As Son of Man, in his human nature, Christ has the power to forgive sins. Therefore, he could also bestow it on his apostles (see Mt 18:18; Jn 20:22); and just as they worked miracles only in his name (see Acts 3:6), they and their successors can forgive sins only in his name and by his authority.
- Matthew 9:9 Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector to follow him, then eats at Matthew’s house together with “many tax collectors” and “sinners.” The Jews are shocked, but Jesus reminds them that it is the sick who need a doctor and God desires mercy rather than sacrifice.
- Matthew 9:10 Tax collectors: see note on Mt 5:46.
- Matthew 9:14 The time when Jesus lived on earth was one of joy and grace. Later there would be a time for Jesus’ disciples to fast, for the Bridegroom would be taken from them. In ancient times, goatskins were used to hold wine. As the wine fermented, it would expand and the new wineskins would stretch. But a used wineskin could not expand any more and would break. In the same way, the teaching that Jesus brings cannot be kept in the old forms.
- Matthew 9:18 Jesus rewards the faith of a father in distress and the trust of a sick and timid woman. He does not deceive those who believe him to be Master of the impossible. Human beings organize ceremonies of sorrow that are important in the East (v. 23); Jesus brings life, for this twofold gesture announces that in the kingdom of God sickness and death no longer have a place (see Jn 5:26-29): this is the message that the Church must proclaim.
- Matthew 9:18 Official: literally, “ruler” or “leader.” See note on Mk 5:22.
- Matthew 9:23 Flute players: musicians who were hired to play at mourning ceremonies. Crowd: mourners who were hired to wail and lament.
- Matthew 9:24 Asleep: sleep is a metaphor for death (see Ps 87:6 LXX; Dan 12:2; 1 Thes 5:10). Jesus does not deny the child’s death but indicates that she will arise from it as from a sleep.
- Matthew 9:27 Son of David: a popular Jewish title for the Messiah who was to come (e.g., Mt 12:23; 20:30; 21:9; 22:41-45; see note on Mt 1:1).
- Matthew 9:34 The debate with the Pharisees on this claim will continue in Mt 12:25ff.
- Matthew 9:35 As in Mt 4:23-25, the evangelist concludes this part of his book with an action of Christ that shows compassion for the distress of the crowds and inculcates confidence in his followers. Jesus insistently works to impart the mercy of God upon all who come to him. He calls upon all who have the privilege of believing in him and benefiting from his salvation to share his concern for the misery of their neighbors. He seeks people who, like him and after him, will apply themselves to this task.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
