Old/New Testament

The raising of the little girl

¹⁸ As Jesus was saying this, suddenly an official came up and knelt down in front of him.

“It’s my daughter!” he said. “She’s just died! But—if you’ll come and lay your hand on her, she’ll come back to life!”

¹⁹ Jesus got up and followed him. So did his disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman appeared. She had suffered from internal bleeding for twelve years. She came up behind Jesus and touched the hem of his coat.

²¹ “If I can only touch his coat,” she said to herself, “I’ll be rescued.”

²² Jesus turned round and saw her.

“Cheer up, my daughter!” he said. “Your faith has rescued you.”

And the woman was healed from that moment.

²³ Jesus went into the official’s house. There he saw the flute-players, and everybody in a great state of agitation.

²⁴ “Go away!” he said. “The little girl isn’t dead. She’s asleep!” And they laughed at him.

²⁵ So when the crowd had been put out, he went in and took hold of her hand, and she got up. ²⁶ The report of this went out around the whole of that region.

Jesus’ fame increases

²⁷ As Jesus was leaving the area, two blind men followed him, shouting “Have pity on us, son of David!” at the tops of their voices.

²⁸ Jesus went into the house, and the blind men came to him.

“Do you believe that I can do this?” asked Jesus.

“Yes, Master,” they replied.

²⁹ Then Jesus touched their eyes. “As you have believed, so let it happen,” he said. ³⁰ And their eyes were opened.

Then Jesus gave them a stern warning. “Take good care,” he said, “that nobody gets to know about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news in the whole of that region.

³² After they had left, people brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak. ³³ Jesus cast out the demon, and the man spoke. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this ever happened in Israel,” they said. ³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

³⁵ Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he felt deeply sorry for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “There’s plenty of harvest to be had, but not many workers! ³⁸ So pray the master of the harvest to send more workers to harvest his fields!”