Jesus Chooses Matthew^(A)

⁹ When Jesus was ·leaving [walking along], he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth [^Cprobably a tariff booth for taxing goods in transit]. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he stood up and followed Jesus.

¹⁰ As Jesus was ·having dinner [^Lreclining; ^Caround a low table; the posture for a formal banquet or dinner party] at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ·ate [^Lreclined together] with Jesus and his ·followers [disciples]. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ ·followers [disciples], “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors [^Cdespised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion] and sinners?”