The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.(A) Just then(B) some men[a] brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.”(C)

At this, some of the scribes said among themselves, “He’s blaspheming!”(D)

But perceiving their thoughts,(E) Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?[b] For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He told the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” And he got up and went home. When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck[c][d] and gave glory(F) to God who had given such authority to men.

The Call of Matthew

As Jesus went on from there,(G) He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” So he got up and followed Him.(H)

10 While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat[e] with Jesus and His disciples.(I) 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(J)

12 But when He heard this, He said, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.(K) 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.(L)[f] For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”[g]

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?”(M)

15 Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests[h] be sad while the groom is with them? The time[i] 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[j] new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. But 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,(N) suddenly one of the leaders[k] came and knelt down before Him, saying, “My daughter is near death,[l] but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”(O) 19 So Jesus and His disciples got up and followed(P) him.

20 Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe,(Q) 21 for she said to herself, “If I can just touch His robe, I’ll be made well!”[m](R)

22 But Jesus turned and saw her. “Have courage, daughter,” He said. “Your faith has made you well.”[n](S) And the woman was made well from that moment.[o]

23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house, He saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly.(T) 24 “Leave,” He said, “because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.”(U) And they started laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.(V) 26 And this news spread throughout that whole area.(W)

Healing the Blind

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”(X)

28 When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe(Y) that I can do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they answered Him.

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!”[p](Z) 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.(AA) 33 When the demon had been driven out, the man[q] 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!”(AB)

The Lord of the Harvest

35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,(AC) and healing every[r] disease and every sickness.[s] 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out,(AD) like sheep without a shepherd.(AE) 37 Then He said to His disciples,(AF) “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.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 9:2 Lit then they
  2. Matthew 9:4 Or minds
  3. Matthew 9:8 Other mss read amazed
  4. Matthew 9:8 Lit afraid
  5. Matthew 9:10 Lit came, they were reclining (at the table); at important meals the custom was to recline on a mat at a low table and lean on the left elbow.
  6. Matthew 9:13 Hs 6:6
  7. Matthew 9:13 Other mss add to repentance
  8. Matthew 9:15 Lit the sons of the bridal chamber
  9. Matthew 9:15 Lit days
  10. Matthew 9:17 Lit And they do not put
  11. Matthew 9:18 A leader of a synagogue; Mk 5:22
  12. Matthew 9:18 Lit daughter has now come to the end
  13. Matthew 9:21 Or be delivered
  14. Matthew 9:22 Or has saved you
  15. Matthew 9:22 Lit hour
  16. Matthew 9:30 Lit no one knows
  17. Matthew 9:33 Lit the man who was unable to speak
  18. Matthew 9:35 Or every kind of
  19. Matthew 9:35 Other mss add among the people

And, having embarked into a sirah (boat), Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach crossed over [to the other side of the lake] and came into his own shtetl.

And hinei! They brought to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach a paralytic lying upon a mat. Having seen their emunah, he said to the paralytic, Chazak! (Be strong!) Selicha (forgiveness) is granted on your averos (sins)!

And hinei! Some of the Sofrim said to themselves, This one commits Chillul Hashem! [VAYIKRA 22:32]

And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, reading their minds, said, Why are you thinking ra’ah (evil) in your levavot (hearts)?

For which is easier to say, Selicha is granted on your averos! Or...Arise and walk!?

But in order that you may have da’as that the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] has samchut (authority) on earth to pronounce selicha (forgiveness) on chattaim (sins) Moshiach then declared to the paralytic, Arise, take up your mat and go to your bais (house).

And arising, he went away to his bais.

And having witnessed this, the multitudes experienced yirat Shomayim and gave kavod to Hashem, who had given such samchut to men.

And going away from there, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach saw a man called Mattityahu sitting in the tax office. And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to him, Follow me. And Mattityahu arose and followed him.

10 And it came about that while Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was sitting bimesibba (reclining) at tish (table) in the bais, hinei! Many mochesim (tax collectors) and choteim (sinners) came and were sitting bimesibba (reclining) at tish (table) with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and his talmidim.

11 When the Perushim saw this, they were saying to Moshiach’s talmidim, Why does your Rebbe eat with the mochesim and the choteim?

12 But when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach heard this, he said, It is not the bariim (healthy ones) who have need of a rofeh (physician), but the cholim.

13 Go and learn what this means: CHESED CHAFATZTI VLO ZEVACH (I desire loving kindness and not sacrifice HOSHEA 6:6), for I have not come to call the tzaddikim but the choteim (sinners) [to teshuva].

14 Then Yochanan’s talmidim approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, saying, Why do we and the Perushim often undergo tzomot (fasts), but your talmidim do not undergo tzomot?

15 And Moshiach said to them, Surely the Bnei HaChuppah (wedding invitees) are not able to act as avelim (mourners) as long as the Choson (Bridegroom, i.e., Moshiach) is with them. But the days will come when the Choson is taken away from them, and then they will undergo tzomot.

16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

17 Neither do men put yayin chadash (new wine) into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they pour yayin chadash into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

18 While Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was speaking these things to them one of the nichbadim (dignitaries) [of the shul] came and fell down before Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, saying, The bat (daughter) of me has just become niftar (passed away), but come lay your hand upon her and she will live.

19 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach got up and, with his talmidim, followed him.

20 And hinei! An isha (woman) hemorrhaging twelve years approached him from behind and touched the garment of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach’s tzitzit.

21 For she was saying to herself, If only I might touch his garment, I will receive refuah (healing).

22 Turning and seeing her, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Chazak, bat (daughter) of me! Your emunah has brought you refuah. And the isha was healed from that hour.

23 And having come into the bais (house) of the nichbad (dignitary), and having seen the flute players and the unruly crowd,

24 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was saying, Go away! For the yaldah is not among the mesim—she sleeps! And they were making leitzonus (mockery, fun) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

25 But when the crowd had been put outside, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went in and took the yaldah by the hand and the yaldah was made to stand up alive.

26 And this report went out into all that region.

27 And as Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went on from there, two ivrim (blind men) followed him, shouting loudly, Chaneinu, Ben Dovid!

28 And when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach [Ben Dovid] entered the bais (house), the ivrim (blind men) approached him, and he says to them, Do you have emunah that I am able to do this? They say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Ken, Adoneinu.

29 Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach touched their eyes, saying, According to your emunah, let it be done for you.

30 And their eyes were opened. Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sternly warned them, saying, See to it that no one knows!

31 But having gone out, they made him known in that entire district.

32 After they had departed, the people brought to him a mute man who was possessed by shedim.

33 And when the shedim had been cast out by Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, the mute man spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, Never was anything like this seen in Eretz Yisroel!

34 But the Perushim said, It was by the Sar HaShedim (the Prince of Demons) that this man casts out shedim!

35 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went about all the shtetlach and villages exercising the ministry of moreh (teacher) in their shuls and of darshan (preacher) of the Besuras HaGeulah of the Malchut Hashem and bringing refuah to all the cholim, every machla (disease) and every illness.

36 And looking out on the multitudes, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach felt rachmei Shomayim (heavenly compassion and mercy) for his people, for they were distressed and weary KATZON ASHER EIN LAHEM ROEH (like sheep without a shepherd BAMIDBAR 27:17).

37 Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to his talmidim, The katzir (harvest) is indeed great but the kotzerim (harvesters) are few.

38 Therefore, offer tefillos to the Adon HaKatzir (the L-rd of the Harvest) that He may send out Kotzerim into His Katzir.