8. Jesus, immediately knowing in his spirit that they were thinking these things in themselves, said to them, "Why do you think these things in your hearts?"

9. Which is easier? shall I say to the paralytic, "Thy sins are forgiven?" Or shall I say, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk?

10. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, He says to the paralytic:

11. I say to you, "Get up, take up your bed, and go to your house."

12. Immediately he got up and took up his bed and went out before everyone, so that everyone was amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

13. And Jesus went out again to the sea; and all the people went to him, and he taught them.

14. As he passed, he saw Levi of Alpheus sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed Him.

15. And as Jesus reclined in his house, his disciples and many publicans and sinners also reclined with him: for there were many of them, and they followed him.

16. When the scribes and Pharisees saw that he was eating with tax collectors and sinners, they said to his disciples, "How is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

17. When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "It is not the healthy who have need of a physician, but the sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

18. The disciples of John and the Pharisees fasted. They come to Him and say, "Why do the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

19. And Jesus said to them, "Can the sons of the bridal chamber fast when the bridegroom is with them?" As long as the bridegroom is with them, they cannot fast;

20. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

21. No one puts patches of unbleached cloth to old clothes: otherwise, the newly sewn will be torn off the old, and the hole will be even worse.