9:1  Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.

9:2  And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; I have forgiven your sins."

9:3  And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This fellow blasphemes."

9:4  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

9:5  "Which do we find easier, to say, 'I forgive Your sins,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'?

9:6  "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"; then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home."

9:7  And he got up and went home.

9:8  But when the crowds saw this, they felt awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9:9  As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.

9:10  Then it happened that as Jesus reclined at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and dined with Jesus and His disciples.

9:11  When the Pharisees saw this they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with the tax collectors and sinners?"

9:12  But when Jesus heard this, He said, "Those who have good health do not need a physician, but those who have sickness.

9:13  "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

9:14  Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

9:15  And Jesus said to them, "The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom accompanies them, do they? But the days will come when the bridegroom will go away from them, and then they will fast.

9:16  "But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

9:17  "Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins will deteriorate; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both stay preserved."

9:18  While He said these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live."

9:19  Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

9:20  And a woman, who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak;

9:21  for she said to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well."

9:22  But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman received healing.

9:23  When Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder,

9:24  He said, "Leave; for the girl has not died, but sleeps." And they began laughing at Him.

9:25  But when they sent the crowd out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

9:26  This news spread throughout all that land.

9:27  As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

9:28  When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I have the ability to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

9:29  Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall happen to you according to your faith."

9:30  And their eyes opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no one knows about this!"

9:31  But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

9:32  As they went out, someone brought a mute, demon-possessed man to Him.

9:33  After he cast out the demon, the mute man spoke; and the crowds showed amazement, and said, "Nothing like this has ever taken place in Israel."

9:34  But the Pharisees said, "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons."

9:35  Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

9:36  Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they looked distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

9:37  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest appears plentiful, but the workers seem few.

9:38  "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."