5
Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say, Arise, and walk?
6
But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.
7
And he arose, and went into his house.
8
And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.
9
And when Jesus passed on from thence, he saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he arose up and followed him.
10
And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
11
And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?
12
But Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill.
13
Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners.
14
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees, fast often, but thy disciples do not fast?
15
And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.