Healing the Paralytic

Free Bible Version (FBV)

Mat 9:1–8

1 So Jesus took a boat back across the lake to the town where he lived.
2 There they brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw how they trusted him, he told the paralyzed man, “My friend, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven.”
3 In response some of the religious teachers said to themselves, “He's speaking blasphemy!”
4 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked them, “Why are you thinking evil thoughts in your minds?
5 What is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up and walk’?
6 But to convince you that the Son of man does have the authority to forgive sins…” he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
7 The man got up and went home.
8 When the crowds saw what had happened, they were scared. Then they praised God that he had given human beings such power.

1 A few days later Jesus returned home to Capernaum, and news spread that he was there.
2 So many people crowded inside the house that it was packed, even outside the door, as Jesus told them the message.
3 Four men had brought a man who was paralyzed,
4 but they could not get near Jesus because of the crowds. So they went up on the roof and took it apart. After they had made an opening above Jesus, they lowered down the mat with the paralyzed man lying on it.
5 When Jesus saw the trust these men had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some of the religious teachers sitting there thought to themselves,
7 “Why is he talking like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins? Only God can do that!”
8 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking. He said to them, “Why are you thinking like this?
9 What's easier: to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
10 But to convince you that the Son of man has the right to forgive sins,
11 I say to you (the paralyzed man), ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.’”
12 He stood up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of everyone there. They were all amazed, and praised God, saying “We've never ever seen anything like this!”

17 One day when Jesus was teaching, the Pharisees and religious teachers who had come from all over Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem were sitting there. The power of the Lord to heal was with him so he could heal.
18 Some men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They tried to take him in and lay him in front of Jesus.
19 But they couldn't find any way through the crowd, so they went up on the roof and made a hole in the roof tiles. Then they lowered the man down on the mat, right into the crowd in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw the trust they had in him, he said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven.”
21 The religious teachers and the Pharisees began to argue with that. “Who is this who's speaking blasphemies?” they asked. “Who can forgive sins? Only God can do that!”
22 Jesus knew what they were arguing about, so he asked them, “Why are you thinking to question this?
23 What is easier? To say your sins are forgiven, or to say get up and walk?
24 However, I will prove to you that the Son of man has the authority here on earth to forgive sins.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
25 Immediately the man stood up in front of them. He picked up the mat he'd been lying on, and went home, praising God as he went.
26 Everyone was completely astonished at what had happened, and in great awe they praised God, saying, “What we saw today was amazing!”