When He had come back to Capernaum several days
afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And
many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not
even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.
And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried
by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they
removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they
let down the pallet on which the *paralytic was lying.
And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic,
"Son, your sins are forgiven."
But some of the scribes were sitting there and
reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak that way?
He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they
were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why
are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?
"Which is easier, to
say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get
up, and pick up your pallet and walk'?
"But so that you may
know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"
-- He said to the paralytic, "I say to
you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home."
And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet
and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed
and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything
like this."
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the
morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming
to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught
in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they
said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery,
in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such
women; what then do You say?"
They were saying this, testing Him, so that they
might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and
with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in
asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He
who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone
at her."
Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
When they heard it, they began to go out one by
one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the
woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman,
where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
She said, "No one, Lord."
And Jesus said, "I do
not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."
