Matthew 1-9

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1 The^(A) historical record^[a](B) of Jesus Christ, the Son of David,^(C) the Son of Abraham:^(D)

From Abraham to David

From David to the Babylonian Exile

From the Exile to the Messiah

¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, 14 generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, 14 generations.^(N)

The Nativity of the Messiah

¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.^{(O) 19} So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man,^(P) and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.^(Q)

²⁰ But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.^{(R) 21} She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,^[i](S) because He will save His people from their sins.”^(T)

²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

which is translated “God is with us.”^(U)

²⁴ When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her^{(V) 25} but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son.^[k] And he named Him Jesus.^(W)

Wise Men Seek the King

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,^{(X) 2} saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?^(Y) For we saw His star in the east^[l](Z) and have come to worship Him.”^[m]

³ When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes^(AA) of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

⁵ “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

⁷ Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”^[o](AC)

⁹ After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east!^[p] It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. ¹¹ Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.^[q] Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.^{(AD) 12} And being warned^(AE) in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

The Flight into Egypt

¹³ After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.”^{(AF) 14} So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. ¹⁵ He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.^(AG)[r]

The Massacre of the Innocents

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years^[s] old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.^{(AH) 17} Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

The Holy Family in Nazareth

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,^{(AJ) 20} saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ So he got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus^[v] was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.^{(AK) 23} Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.^(AL)

The Messiah’s Herald

3 In those days John the Baptist came,^(AM) preaching in the Wilderness of Judea^{(AN) 2} and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”^{(AO) 3} For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

⁴ John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were flocking to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.^(AQ)

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(AR) coming to the place of his baptism,^[x] he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(AS) 8} Therefore produce fruit^(AT) consistent with^[y] repentance. ⁹ And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(AU) For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(AV)

¹¹ “I baptize you with^[z] water for repentance,^[aa](AW) but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove^[ab] His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with^[ac] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(AX) 12} His winnowing shovel^[ad] is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”^(AY)

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.^{(AZ) 14} But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

¹⁶ After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens^(BA) suddenly opened for Him,^[ae] and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.^{(BB) 17} And there came a voice from heaven:

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then^(BD) Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.^{(BE) 2} After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,^(BF) He was hungry. ³ Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”^(BG)

⁴ But He answered, “It is written:

⁵ Then the Devil took Him to the holy city,^[ag] had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,^{(BI) 6} and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

⁷ Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”^(BL)[ai]

⁸ Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”^[aj]

¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go away,^[ak] Satan! For it is written:

¹¹ Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.^(BN)

Ministry in Galilee

¹² When He heard that John had been arrested,^(BO) He withdrew into Galilee.^{(BP) 13} He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum^(BQ) by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁷ From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven^(BS) has come near!”

The First Disciples

¹⁸ As^(BT) He was walking along the Sea of Galilee,^(BU) He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for^[ao] people!” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

²¹ Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Teaching, Preaching, and Healing

²³ Jesus was going all over Galilee,^(BV) teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every^[ap] disease and sickness among the people.^{(BW) 24} Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria.^(BX) So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics.^(BY) And He healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.^(BZ)

The Sermon on the Mount

5 When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain,^(CA) and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. ² Then^[aq] He began to teach them, saying:^(CB)

The Beatitudes

¹¹ “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted^(CL) the prophets who were before you.^(CM)

Believers Are Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.^(CN)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.^{(CO) 15} No one lights a lamp^(CP) and puts it under a basket,^[ar] but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.^{(CQ) 16} In the same way, let your light shine^[as] before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.^(CR)

Christ Fulfills the Law

¹⁷ “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.^{(CS) 18} For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter^[at] or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.^{(CT) 20} For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors,^[au] Do not murder,^(CU)[av] and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.^{(CV) 22} But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother^[aw] will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’^[ax] will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire.^{[ay](CW) 23} So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge to^[az] the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.^{(CX) 26} I assure you: You will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!^[ba]

Adultery in the Heart

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.^{(CY)[bb] 28} But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.^{(CZ) 29} If your right eye causes you to sin,^(DA) gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.^{(DB) 30} And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!

Divorce Practices Censured

³¹ “It was also said, Whoever divorces^(DC) his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.^{(DD)[bc] 32} But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality,^[bd] causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(DE)

Tell the Truth

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,^[be] You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.^{(DF)[bf] 34} But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.^{(DG) 36} Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’^[bg] Anything more than this is from the evil one.^(DH)

Go the Second Mile

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.^{(DI)[bh] 39} But I tell you, don’t resist^[bi] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.^{(DJ) 40} As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt,^[bj] let him have your coat^[bk] as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces^[bl] you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.^(DK)

Love Your Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor^(DL)[bm] and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies^[bn] and pray for those who^[bo] persecute you,^{(DM) 45} so that you may be^[bp] sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(DN) 46} For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary?^[bq](DO) Don’t even the Gentiles^[br] do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect,^(DP) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

How to Give

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness^[bs] in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!^{(DQ) 3} But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[bt](DR)

How to Pray

⁵ “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!^{(DS) 6} But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^{[bu](DT) 7} When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters,^[bv] since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.^{(DU) 8} Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.^(DV)

The Model Prayer

⁹ “Therefore, you should pray like this:^(DW)

¹⁴ “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing,^[ca] your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.^{(EC) 15} But if you don’t forgive people,^[cb] your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.^[cc]

How to Fast

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive^[cd](ED) so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,^{(EE) 18} so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[ce]

God and Possessions

¹⁹ “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures^[cf] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.^{(EF) 20} But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven,^(EG) where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!^(EH)

²⁴ “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.^(EI)

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵ “This is why I tell you:^(EJ) Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?^{(EK) 26} Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?^{(EL) 27} Can any of you add a single cubit to his height^[cg] by worrying? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! ³⁰ If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?^{(EM) 31} So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the idolaters^[ch] eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God^[ci](EN) and His righteousness,^(EO) and all these things will be provided for you.^{(EP) 34} Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble^(EQ) of its own.

Do Not Judge

7 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.^{(ER) 2} For with the judgment you use,^[cj] you will be judged, and with the measure you use,^[ck] it will be measured to you.^{(ES) 3} Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?^{(ET) 4} Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ⁶ Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs,^(EU) or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

⁷ “Keep asking,^[cl](EV) and it will be given to you.^(EW) Keep searching,^[cm] and you will find. Keep knocking,^[cn] and the door^[co] will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds,^(EX) and to the one who knocks, the door^[cp] will be opened. ⁹ What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil,^(EY) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.^[cq](EZ)

Entering the Kingdom

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate.^(FA) For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction,^(FB) and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets^(FC) who come to you in sheep’s^(FD) clothing^(FE) but inwardly are ravaging wolves.^{(FF) 16} You’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(FG) Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?^{(FH) 17} In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.^{(FI) 20} So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(FJ)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(FK) but only the one who does the will^(FL) of My Father in heaven.^{(FM) 22} On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons^(FN) in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’^{(FO) 23} Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’^[cr](FP)[cs]

The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore,^(FQ) everyone who hears these words^(FR) of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished this sermon,^[ct](FS) the crowds were astonished at His teaching,^{(FT) 29} because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

A Man Cleansed

8 When He came down from the mountain, large crowds^(FU) followed Him. ² Right away^(FV) a man with a serious skin disease came up and knelt before Him,^(FW) saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

³ Reaching out His hand He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his disease was healed.^{[cu] 4} Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone;^(FX) but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed, as a testimony to them.”^(FY)

A Centurion’s Faith

⁵ When He entered Capernaum,^(FZ) a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, ⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!”

⁷ “I will come and heal him,” He told him.

⁸ “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured.^{(GA) 9} For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command.^[cv] I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, “I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! ¹¹ I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^{(GB) 12} But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^{(GC) 13} Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed,^(GD) let it be done for you.” And his servant was cured that very moment.^[cw]

Healings at Capernaum

¹⁴ When Jesus went into Peter’s house,^(GE) He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve Him. ¹⁶ When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits^(GF) with a word and healed all who were sick,^{(GG) 17} so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

Following Jesus

¹⁸ When Jesus saw large crowds^[cy](GI) around Him, He gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.^{[cz] 19} A scribe approached Him and said,^(GJ) “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go!”

²⁰ Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man^(GK) has no place to lay His head.”

²¹ “Lord,” another of His disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”^[da]

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Wind and Wave Obey the Master

²³ As He got into the^[db] boat,^(GL) His disciples^(GM) followed Him. ²⁴ Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping. ²⁵ So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

²⁶ But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea.^(GN) And there was a great calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey^(GO) Him!”

Demons Driven Out by the Master

²⁸ When He had come to the other side,^(GP) to the region of the Gadarenes,^[dc] two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us,^[dd][de] Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”^(GQ)

³⁰ Now a long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ “If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² “Go!” He told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs. And suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. ³³ Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything—especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. ³⁴ At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.^(GR)

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.^{(GS) 2} Just then^(GT) some men^[df] brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.”^(GU)

³ At this, some of the scribes said among themselves, “He’s blaspheming!”^(GV)

⁴ But perceiving their thoughts,^(GW) Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?^{[dg] 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^[dh][di] and gave glory^(GX) to God who had given such authority to men.

The Call of Matthew

⁹ As Jesus went on from there,^(GY) 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.^(GZ)

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

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

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?”^(HE)

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests^[dm] be sad while the groom is with them? The time^[dn] 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^[do] 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,^(HF) suddenly one of the leaders^[dp] came and knelt down before Him, saying, “My daughter is near death,^[dq] but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”^{(HG) 19} So Jesus and His disciples got up and followed^(HH) him.

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

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

²³ When Jesus came to the leader’s house, He saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly.^{(HL) 24} “Leave,” He said, “because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.”^(HM) 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.^{(HN) 26} And this news spread throughout that whole area.^(HO)

Healing the Blind

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

²⁸ When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe^(HQ) 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!”^{[du](HR) 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.^{(HS) 33} When the demon had been driven out, the man^[dv] 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!”^(HT)

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,^(HU) and healing every^[dw] disease and every sickness.^{[dx] 36} When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out,^(HV) like sheep without a shepherd.^{(HW) 37} Then He said to His disciples,^(HX) “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.”