Matthew 9
Amplified Bible
A Paralytic Healed
9 And Jesus, getting into a boat, crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to [Capernaum] His own city.
2 They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, “Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].”(A) 3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven and the penalty paid,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.] 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority and the power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” 7 And he got up and went home [healed and forgiven]. 8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God and praised Him, who had given such authority and power to men.
Matthew Called
9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And Matthew got up and followed Him.(B)
10 Then as Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and [a]sinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].”(C)
The Question about Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Jesus, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus replied to them, “Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17 Nor is new wine put into old [b]wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”
Miracles of Healing
18 While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled down and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”(D) 19 Jesus got up and began to accompany the ruler, with His disciples.
20 Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe;(E) 21 for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.” 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.” And at once the woman was [completely] healed.
23 When Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players [who were professional, hired mourners] and the [grieving] crowd making an uproar, 24 He said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they laughed and jeered at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 And the news about this spread throughout all that district.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, screaming loudly, “Have mercy and compassion on us, [c]Son of David (Messiah)!” 28 When He went into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus [d]sternly warned them: “See that no one knows this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole district.
32 While they were going away, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out [by Jesus], the mute man spoke; and the crowds wondered in amazement, saying, “Never before has anything like this [miracle] been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by [the power of] the ruler of demons.”
35 Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].
36 When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.(F) 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 9:10 This description would include non-observant Jews, those who rejected Pharisaic ordinances and interpretations of the Law, as well as others who flaunted the rules of morality and civil law.
- Matthew 9:17 A skin was a bag made from the skin of an animal. New wine was always put in a new bag so that the bag would stretch as the wine continued to ferment, and then the bag would harden. An old bag would burst if new wine was put in it.
- Matthew 9:27 A common reference to the Messiah as a descendant of David.
- Matthew 9:30 In Greek this term suggests an emotional indignation or violent displeasure. It occurs five times in the NT (four times in reference to Jesus’ words or feelings): Matt 9:30; Mark 1:43; 14:5; John 11:33, 38.
Matthew 9
New American Standard Bible
A Paralyzed Man Healed
9 Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to (A)His own city.
2 (B)And they brought to Him a (C)paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “(D)Take courage, [a]son; (E)your sins are forgiven.” 3 And some of the scribes said [b]to themselves, “This man is (F)blaspheming!” 4 And Jesus, (G)perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘(H)Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that (I)the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the (J)paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” 7 And he got up and [c]went home. 8 But when the crowds saw this, they were [d]awestruck, and they (K)glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Matthew Called
9 (L)As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called (M)Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He *said to him, “(N)Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
10 Then it happened that as [e]Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [f]sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “(O)Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not (P)those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Now go and learn [g](Q)what this means: ‘(R)I desire [h]compassion, [i]rather than sacrifice,’ for (S)I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The Question about Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, “Why do we and (T)the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “The [j]attendants of the groom cannot mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for [k]the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17 Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Miracles of Healing
18 (U)While He was saying these things to them, behold, [l]a synagogue [m]official came and [n](V)bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.” 19 Jesus got up from the table and began to accompany him, along with His disciples.
20 And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched (W)the [o]border of His [p]cloak; 21 for she was [q]saying [r]to herself, “If I only (X)touch His cloak, I will [s]get well.” 22 But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Daughter, (Y)take courage; (Z)your faith has [t]made you well.” And [u]at once the woman was [v]made well.
23 When Jesus came into the [w]official’s house and saw (AA)the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said, “Leave; for the girl (AB)has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25 But (AC)when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and (AD)took her by the hand, and the girl [x]got up. 26 And (AE)this news spread throughout that land.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two men who were blind followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, (AF)Son of David!” 28 And after He entered the house, the men who were blind came up to Him, and Jesus *said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They *said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “[y]It shall be done for you (AG)according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus (AH)sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows about this!” 31 But they went out and (AI)spread the news about Him throughout that land.
32 And as they were going out, behold, (AJ)a (AK)demon-possessed man who was unable to speak [z]was brought to Him. 33 And after the demon was cast out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “(AL)Nothing like this has ever [aa]been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He (AM)casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, (AN)teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
36 (AO)Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, (AP)because they were [ab]distressed and downcast, like sheep [ac]without a shepherd. 37 Then He *said to His disciples, “(AQ)The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 9:2 Lit child
- Matthew 9:3 Lit among
- Matthew 9:7 Lit departed to his home
- Matthew 9:8 Lit afraid
- Matthew 9:10 Lit He
- Matthew 9:10 I.e., irreligious Jews
- Matthew 9:13 Lit what is
- Matthew 9:13 Or mercy
- Matthew 9:13 Lit and not
- Matthew 9:15 Lit sons of the wedding place
- Matthew 9:16 Lit that which fills up
- Matthew 9:18 Or one
- Matthew 9:18 Lit ruler
- Matthew 9:18 Or worshiped
- Matthew 9:20 Or tassel; i.e., a ritual tassel sewn to corners of garments for Jewish men
- Matthew 9:20 Or outer garment
- Matthew 9:21 Or thinking
- Matthew 9:21 Lit in herself
- Matthew 9:21 Lit be saved
- Matthew 9:22 Lit saved you
- Matthew 9:22 Lit from that hour
- Matthew 9:22 Lit saved
- Matthew 9:23 Lit ruler’s
- Matthew 9:25 Or was raised up
- Matthew 9:29 Or it is to be done; Gr imperative, i.e., a command
- Matthew 9:32 Lit they brought
- Matthew 9:33 Lit appeared
- Matthew 9:36 Or weary
- Matthew 9:36 Lit not having
Matthew 9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.(A) 2 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)
3 At this, some of the scribes said among themselves, “He’s blaspheming!”(D)
4 But perceiving their thoughts,(E) Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?[b] 5 For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 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.” 7 And he got up and went home. 8 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
9 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
- Matthew 9:2 Lit then they
- Matthew 9:4 Or minds
- Matthew 9:8 Other mss read amazed
- Matthew 9:8 Lit afraid
- 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.
- Matthew 9:13 Hs 6:6
- Matthew 9:13 Other mss add to repentance
- Matthew 9:15 Lit the sons of the bridal chamber
- Matthew 9:15 Lit days
- Matthew 9:17 Lit And they do not put
- Matthew 9:18 A leader of a synagogue; Mk 5:22
- Matthew 9:18 Lit daughter has now come to the end
- Matthew 9:21 Or be delivered
- Matthew 9:22 Or has saved you
- Matthew 9:22 Lit hour
- Matthew 9:30 Lit no one knows
- Matthew 9:33 Lit the man who was unable to speak
- Matthew 9:35 Or every kind of
- Matthew 9:35 Other mss add among the people
Matthew 9
The Message
Who Needs a Doctor?
9 1-3 Back in the boat, Jesus and the disciples recrossed the sea to Jesus’ hometown. They were hardly out of the boat when some men carried a paraplegic on a stretcher and set him down in front of them. Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, “Cheer up, son. I forgive your sins.” Some religion scholars whispered, “Why, that’s blasphemy!”
4-8 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why this gossipy whispering? Which do you think is simpler: to say, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . .” At this he turned to the paraplegic and said, “Get up. Take your bed and go home.” And the man did it. The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way.
9 Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” Matthew stood up and followed him.
10-11 Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and misfits?”
12-13 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”
Kingdom Come
14 A little later John’s followers approached, asking, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don’t?”
15 Jesus told them, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to exercise moderation, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”
16-17 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”
Just a Touch
18-19 As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, “My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along.
20-22 Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well.” Jesus turned—caught her at it. Then he reassured her: “Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well.” The woman was well from then on.
23-26 By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Clear out! This girl isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” They told him he didn’t know what he was talking about. But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl’s hand, and pulled her to her feet—alive. The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region.
Become What You Believe
27-28 As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, “Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!” When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!”
29-31 He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.” It happened. They saw. Then Jesus became very stern. “Don’t let a soul know how this happened.” But they were hardly out the door before they started blabbing it to everyone they met.
32-33 Right after that, as the blind men were leaving, a man who had been struck speechless by an evil spirit was brought to Jesus. As soon as Jesus threw the evil tormenting spirit out, the man talked away just as if he’d been talking all his life. The people were up on their feet applauding: “There’s never been anything like this in Israel!”
34 The Pharisees were left sputtering, “Smoke and mirrors. It’s nothing but smoke and mirrors. He’s probably made a pact with the Devil.”
35-38 Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
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