1 He stepped into a boat, crossed over, and came into his own town.
2 And look, they were bringing to him a paralyzed man laid on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Have courage, child; your sins have been forgiven you."
3 At this some of the scribes said among themselves, "This fellow blasphemes."
4 Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said, "Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?
5 For which is easier: to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—at this he said to the paralytic—"Get up, take up your bed, and go off to your house."
7 And the man got up and went off to his house.
8 When the crowds saw this, they were filled with wonder and gave glory to God, who had given authority of this kind to men.
9 Moving on from there, Jesus saw a man named Matthew seated at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." So he got up and followed him.
10 It happened that, as he sat at table in the house, look, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting at table with Jesus and his disciples.
11 Seeing this, the Pharisees said to his disciples, "Why is your teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?"
12 Jesus heard it and said to them, "The strong have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill.
13 Go and learn what this means: 'Mercy is what I want, and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance."
14 Then John's disciples came to him and asked, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"
15 Jesus answered them, "The sons of the bridechamber cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
16 No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse.
17 Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins split, the wine pours out, and the skins are destroyed. Instead they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are kept safe."
18 While he was telling them these things, a certain ruler came and bowed down before him, saying, "My daughter has just now died; but come and place your hand on her, and she will live."
19 So Jesus rose and went after him, along with his disciples.
20 And a woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years approached from behind and touched the edge of his cloak.
21 For she kept saying to herself, "If I can just touch his cloak, I will be restored."
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, "Have courage, daughter; your faith has restored you." And the woman was restored from that hour.
23 When Jesus arrived at the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd,
24 he said to them, "Leave, for the girl has not died; she is asleep." And they ridiculed him.
25 Once the crowd had been sent out, he went in and took hold of her hand, and the girl got up.
26 And news of this spread throughout that whole region.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
28 After he had entered the house, the blind men came up to him, and Jesus asked them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" They answered him, "Yes, Lord."
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it happen to you according to your faith."
30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus gave them a stern warning: "Make sure no one finds out about this."
31 But they went out and made him known throughout that whole region.
32 Just as they were leaving, people brought to him a man who could not speak and was demon-possessed.
33 Once the demon had been driven out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
34 But the Pharisees kept saying, "It is by the ruler of the demons that he drives out the demons."
35 Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people.
36 Seeing the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep that have no shepherd.
37 Then he told his disciples, "The harvest is truly abundant, but the workers are few.
38 So ask the Lord of the harvest to thrust out workers into his harvest."