Matthew 9:14-38

Christian Standard Bible

A Question about Fasting

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” ^(A)

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests^[a] be sad while the groom is with them? The time^[b] will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse. ¹⁷ And no one puts^[c] new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

¹⁸ As he was telling them these things,^(B) suddenly one of the leaders came and knelt down before him, saying, “My daughter just died,^[d] but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”^{(C) 19} So Jesus and his disciples got up and followed^(D) him.

²⁰ Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years approached from behind and touched the end of his robe,^{(E) 21} for she said to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I’ll be made well.”^[e](F)

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Have courage, daughter,” he said. “Your faith has saved you.”^[f](G) And the woman was made well from that moment.^[g]

²³ When Jesus came to the leader’s house, he saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly.^{(H) 24} “Leave,” he said, “because the girl is not dead but asleep.”^(I) And they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.^{(J) 26} Then news of this spread throughout that whole area.^(K)

Healing the Blind

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

²⁸ When he entered the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe^(M) that I can do this?”

They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly, “Be sure that no one finds out.”^{(N) 31} But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that whole area.

Driving Out a Demon

³² Just as they were going out, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to him.^{(O) 33} When the demon had been driven out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”^(P)

The Lord of the Harvest

³⁵ Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,^(Q) and healing every^[h] disease and every sickness.^{[i][j] 36} When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected,^(R) like sheep without a shepherd.^{(S) 37} Then he said to his disciples,^(T) “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”