New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town.
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And he got into a boat and went across and came to his town.
2 And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
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And they took to him a man stretched on a bed who had no power of moving; and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man who was ill, Son, take heart; you have forgiveness for your sins.
3 Then some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."
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And some of the scribes said among themselves, This man has no respect for God.
4 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?
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And Jesus, having knowledge of what was in their minds, said, Why are your thoughts evil?
5 For which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, "Stand up and walk'?
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For which is the simpler, to say, You have forgiveness for your sins; or to say, Get up and go?
6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he then said to the paralytic—"Stand up, take your bed and go to your home."
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But so that you may see that on earth the Son of man has authority for the forgiveness of sins, (then said he to the man who was ill,) Get up, and take up your bed, and go to your house.
7 And he stood up and went to his home.
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And he got up and went away to his house.
8 When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.
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But when the people saw it they were full of fear, and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men.
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
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And when Jesus was going from there, he saw a man whose name was Matthew, seated at the place where taxes were taken; and he said to him, Come after me. And he got up and went after him.
10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.
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And it came about, when he was in the house taking food, that a number of tax-farmers and sinners came and took their places with Jesus and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
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And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why does your Master take food with tax-farmers and sinners?
12 But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
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But on hearing this he said, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill.
13 Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."
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But go and take to heart the sense of these words, My desire is for mercy, not offerings: for I have come not to get the upright, but sinners.
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"
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Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees frequently go without food, but your disciples do not?
15 And Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
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And Jesus said to them, Will the friends of the newly-married man be sad as long as he is with them? But the days will come when he will be taken away from them, and then will they go without food.
16 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made.
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And no man puts a bit of new cloth on an old coat, for by pulling away from the old, it makes a worse hole.
17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, 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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And men do not put new wine into old wine-skins; or the skins will be burst and the wine will come out, and the skins are of no more use: but they put new wine into new wine-skins, and so the two will be safe.
18 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."
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While he was saying these things to them, there came a ruler and gave him worship, saying, My daughter is even now dead; but come and put your hand on her, and she will come back to life.
19 And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples.
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And Jesus got up and went after him, and so did his disciples.
20 Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak,
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And a woman, who for twelve years had had a flow of blood, came after him, and put her hand on the edge of his robe:
21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well."
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Because, she said to herself, if I may but put my hand on his robe, I will be made well.
22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.
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But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, Daughter, take heart; your faith has made you well. And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,
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And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the players with their instruments and the people making a noise,
24 he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.
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He said, Make room; for the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they were 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.
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But when the people were sent out, he went in and took her by the hand; and the girl got up.
26 And the report of this spread throughout that district.
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And the news of it went out into all that land.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
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And when Jesus went on from there, two blind men came after him, crying out, Have mercy on us, you Son of David.
28 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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And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, Have you faith that I am able to do this? They said to him, Yes, Lord.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you."
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Then he put his hand on their eyes, saying, As your faith is, let it be done to you.
30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, "See that no one knows of this."
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And their eyes were made open. And Jesus said to them sharply, Let no man have knowledge of it.
31 But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district.
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But they went out and gave news of him in all that land.
32 After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him.
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And while they were going away, there came to him a man without the power of talking, and with an evil spirit.
33 And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, "Never has anything like this been seen in Israel."
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And when the evil spirit had been sent out, the man had the power of talking: and they were all surprised, saying, Such a thing has never been seen in Israel.
34 But the Pharisees said, "By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons."
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But the Pharisees said, By the ruler of evil spirits, he sends evil spirits out of men.
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness.
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And Jesus went about all the towns and small places, teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom and making well all sorts of disease and pain.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
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But when he saw all the people he was moved with pity for them, because they were troubled and wandering like sheep without a keeper.
37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
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Then he said to his disciples, There is much grain but not enough men to get it in.
38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
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Make prayer, then, to the Lord of the grain-fields, that he may send out workers to get in his grain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.