Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy

When [a]Jesus came down from the mountain, [b]large crowds followed Him. And (A)a man with [c]leprosy came to Him and [d](B)bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” [e]Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his (C)leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus *said to him, (D)See that you tell no one; but (E)go, (F)show yourself to the priest and present the [f]offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The Centurion’s Faith

And (G)when [g]Jesus entered Capernaum, a [h]centurion came to Him, begging Him, and saying, “[i]Lord, my [j]servant is lying (H)paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.” Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “[k]Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just [l]say the word, and my [m]servant will be healed. For I also am a man under (I)authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith [n]with anyone in Israel. 11 And I say to you that many (J)will come from east and west, and [o]recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but (K)the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into (L)the outer darkness; in that place (M)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; [p]it shall be done for you (N)as you have believed.” And the [q]servant was healed at that very [r]moment.

Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed

14 (O)When Jesus came into Peter’s [s]home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and [t]waited on Him. 16 Now when evening came, they brought to Him many (P)who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and (Q)healed all who were ill. 17 This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “(R)He Himself took our illnesses and [u]carried away our diseases.”

Discipleship Tested

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, (S)He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19 (T)Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but (U)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21 And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus *said to him, (V)Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

23 (W)When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, a [v]violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “(X)Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He *said to them, “Why are you [w]afraid, (Y)you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [x]it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Jesus Sends Demons into Pigs

28 (Z)And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two (AA)demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “[y](AB)What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before [z]the time?” 30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them. 31 And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and [aa]drowned in the waters. 33 And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, [ab]including what had happened to the (AC)demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, (AD)they pleaded with Him to leave their region.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 8:1 Lit He
  2. Matthew 8:1 Or many
  3. Matthew 8:2 I.e., leprosy or a serious, unspecified skin disease, and so throughout the ch; see Lev 13
  4. Matthew 8:2 Or worshiped Him
  5. Matthew 8:3 Lit And He
  6. Matthew 8:4 Lit gift
  7. Matthew 8:5 Lit He
  8. Matthew 8:5 I.e., a Roman military officer
  9. Matthew 8:6 Or Sir
  10. Matthew 8:6 Lit boy
  11. Matthew 8:8 Or Sir
  12. Matthew 8:8 Lit say with a word
  13. Matthew 8:8 Lit boy
  14. Matthew 8:10 One early ms not even in Israel
  15. Matthew 8:11 I.e., to dine
  16. Matthew 8:13 Or it is to be done; Gr imperative, i.e., a command
  17. Matthew 8:13 Lit boy
  18. Matthew 8:13 Lit hour
  19. Matthew 8:14 Or house
  20. Matthew 8:15 Or served
  21. Matthew 8:17 Or removed
  22. Matthew 8:24 Lit great
  23. Matthew 8:26 Or cowardly
  24. Matthew 8:26 Lit a great calm occurred
  25. Matthew 8:29 Lit What to us and to you (an ancient idiom)
  26. Matthew 8:29 I.e., the appointed time of judgment
  27. Matthew 8:32 Lit died
  28. Matthew 8:33 Lit and the things of

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.[a] This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

The Faith of a Roman Officer

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer[b] came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant[c] lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

Jesus Heals Many People

14 When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. 15 But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him.

16 That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said,

“He took our sicknesses
    and removed our diseases.”[d]

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.

19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man[e] has no place even to lay his head.”

21 Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.[f]

Jesus Calms the Storm

23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”

Jesus Heals Two Demon-Possessed Men

28 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes,[g] two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area.

29 They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”

30 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31 So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.

Footnotes

  1. 8:4 See Lev 14:2-32.
  2. 8:5 Greek a centurion; similarly in 8:8, 13.
  3. 8:6 Or child; also in 8:13.
  4. 8:17 Isa 53:4.
  5. 8:20 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  6. 8:22 Greek Let the dead bury their own dead.
  7. 8:28 Other manuscripts read Gerasenes; still others read Gergesenes. Compare Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26.

The Paralyzed Man Healed

When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. And (A)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. (B)And some people *came, bringing to Him a man who was (C)paralyzed, carried by four men. And when they were unable to [a]get to Him because of the crowd, they (D)removed the roof [b]above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the (E)paralyzed man was lying. And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, (F)your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! (G)Who can forgive sins except God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware [c]in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the (H)paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and (I)were glorifying God, saying, “(J)We have never seen anything like this!”

13 And He went out again by the seashore; and (K)all the [d]people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

Levi (Matthew) Called

14 (L)As He passed by, He saw [e](M)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, (N)Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

15 And it *happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [f]sinners were [g]dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When (O)the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the [h]sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “(P)Why is He eating with tax collectors and [i]sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, (Q)It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

18 (R)John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “While the groom is with them, [j]the attendants of the groom cannot fast, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the (S)days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast, on that day.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, [k]the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

Question of the Sabbath

23 (T)And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while (U)picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, (V)why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the [l]time of (W)Abiathar the high priest, and ate the [m]consecrated bread, which (X)is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, (Y)The Sabbath [n]was made [o]for man, and (Z)not man [p]for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:4 Lit bring to
  2. Mark 2:4 Lit where He was
  3. Mark 2:8 Lit by
  4. Mark 2:13 Lit crowd
  5. Mark 2:14 Also called Matthew
  6. Mark 2:15 I.e., irreligious Jews
  7. Mark 2:15 Lit reclining with
  8. Mark 2:16 I.e., irreligious Jews
  9. Mark 2:16 I.e., irreligious Jews
  10. Mark 2:19 Lit sons of the bridal chamber
  11. Mark 2:21 Lit that which fills up
  12. Mark 2:26 Or passage about
  13. Mark 2:26 Lit loaves of presentation
  14. Mark 2:27 Or came into being
  15. Mark 2:27 Lit because of; or for the sake of
  16. Mark 2:27 Lit because of; or for the sake of

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[a] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees[b] saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?[c]

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

A Discussion about Fasting

18 Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

19 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. 20 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

A Discussion about the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Footnotes

  1. 2:10 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  2. 2:16a Greek the scribes of the Pharisees.
  3. 2:16b Greek with tax collectors and sinners?