Matthew 8:28-9:17

English Standard Version

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

^28 (A)And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,^[a] two ^(B)demon-possessed^[b] men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they ^(C)cried out, “What have you to do with us, ^(D)O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us ^(E)before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the ^(F)demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, ^(G)they begged him to leave their region.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to ^(H)his own city. ^2 (I)And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus ^(J)saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ^(K)“Take heart, my son; ^(L)your sins are forgiven.” ³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ^(M)“This man is blaspheming.” ⁴ But Jesus, ^(N)knowing^[c] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷ And he rose and went home. ⁸ When the crowds saw it, ^(O)they were afraid, and ^(P)they glorified God, who had ^(Q)given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

^9 (R)As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called ^(S)Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

¹⁰ And as Jesus^[d] reclined at table in the house, behold, many ^(T)tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ^(U)“Why does your teacher eat with ^(V)tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn ^(W)what this means: ^(X)‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For ^(Y)I came not to call the righteous, ^(Z)but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

¹⁴ Then ^(AA)the disciples of John came to him, saying, ^(AB)“Why do we and ^(AC)the Pharisees fast,^[e] but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, ^(AD)“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? ^(AE)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and ^(AF)then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. ¹⁷ Neither is new wine put into old ^(AG)wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”