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And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to 1his own city.
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2And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus 3saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 4"Take heart, my son; 5your sins are forgiven."
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And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, 6"This man is blaspheming."
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But Jesus, 7knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?
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For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
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But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home."
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And he rose and went home.
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When the crowds saw it, 8they were afraid, and 9they glorified God, who had 10given such authority to men.
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11As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called 12Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
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And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many 13tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
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And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 14"Why does your teacher eat with 15tax collectors and sinners?"
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But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
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Go and learn 16what this means, 17'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For 18I came not to call the righteous, 19but sinners."
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Then 20the disciples of John came to him, saying, 21"Why do we and 22the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
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And Jesus said to them, 23"Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? 24The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and 25then they will fast.
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No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.
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Neither is new wine put into old 26wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
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27While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and 28knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."
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And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.
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And behold, a woman 29who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched 30the fringe of his garment,
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for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well."
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Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, 31"Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." 32And instantly the woman was made well.
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And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw 33the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,
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he said, "Go away, for 34the girl is not dead but 35sleeping." And they laughed at him.
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But 36when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and 37took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
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And the report of this went through all that district.
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38And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, 39Son of David."
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When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord."
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40Then he touched their eyes, saying, 41"According to your faith be it done to you."
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And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, 42"See that no one knows about it."
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43But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
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As they were going away, behold, a 44demon-oppressed man who was mute 45was brought to him.
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And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds 46marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel."
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But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."
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47And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
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48When he saw the crowds, 49he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, 50like sheep without a shepherd.
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51Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
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therefore 52pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to 53send out laborers into his harvest."