Matthew

9Jesus walked on from there. He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Matthew got up and followed him.

And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

NoteA tax booth was where people paid money to the rulers. Tax collectors worked for Rome, the country in charge. Many of them kept extra money for themselves. So most people did not like them.

10Later Jesus was eating a meal in the house. Many tax collectors and sinners came too. They sat and ate with Jesus and his followers.

And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

NoteSharing a meal meant you were friends with someone. "Sinners" meant people everyone knew broke God's rules.

11The Pharisees saw this. They asked his followers, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

NoteThe Pharisees were teachers who loved God's rules. They tried to keep every small rule exactly right. They thought good people should stay away from bad people.

12Jesus heard them and said, "Healthy people do not need a doctor. Sick people do.

But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

13Go and learn what these words mean: 'I want mercy, not gifts on an altar.' I did not come to call people who are already good. I came to call sinners to turn back to God."

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

NoteJesus is quoting an old line from the Bible: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." A sacrifice was an animal given to God at the temple. Mercy means being kind to someone who needs help.

1Jesus called his twelve disciples, his close followers, to come to him. He gave them power over evil spirits, so they could send them out of people. He gave them power to heal every kind of sickness.

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

NoteThe King James says "unclean spirits." Unclean meant not fit to be near God. People believed such spirits could live inside a person and hurt him.

2Here are the names of the twelve apostles, the men Jesus sent out with a job to do. First, Simon, who is also called Peter, and his brother Andrew. Then James, the son of Zebedee, and James's brother John.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

NoteAn apostle is someone sent out to carry a message. Jesus chose twelve men for this job. Peter's name means "rock." Jesus gave him that name.

3Then Philip and Bartholomew. Then Thomas, and Matthew, who used to collect taxes. Then James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus.

Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

NoteThe King James calls Matthew a "publican." A publican collected tax money for the Romans, who ruled the land. Most people did not like them. Many took extra money and kept it.

4Then Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who later handed Jesus over to his enemies.

Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

NoteThe King James says "Simon the Canaanite." The word really means Zealot. Zealots wanted to fight and push the Romans out of their country. Iscariot may be the name of the town Judas came from.

13Jesus went out again beside the lake. A big crowd came to him, and he taught them there.

And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

NoteThe lake was called the Sea of Galilee. Many people fished in it.

14As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi sat at a booth where he collected taxes. Jesus said, "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him.

And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

NoteThe tax money went to the Romans, who ruled the land. Tax collectors sat at booths on the road and took the money. They often kept extra for themselves, so people did not like them. This same Levi is called Matthew in another book.

15Later Jesus was eating at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and sinners ate with Jesus and his followers. Many of these people followed him.

And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

NoteEating a meal with someone showed you were friends with them. That is why sharing a table mattered so much.

16Some scribes and Pharisees saw this. Pharisees kept very strict rules about God's law. They asked his followers, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

NoteThe Pharisees were a group who followed God's law very carefully. They added extra rules so they would never break it.

17Jesus heard and said, "Well people do not need a doctor. Sick people do. I did not come to call good people. I came to call sinners to turn away from their sins."

When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Note"Sinners" here means people that others thought were bad. Good people were people who kept all the rules. To call someone to repentance means to call them to turn away from doing wrong.

27After that, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi. Levi was sitting at his tax table. Jesus said to him, "Follow me."

And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

NoteA tax collector gathered money for the Romans, the rulers of the land. Many took extra money and kept it. So people did not like them or trust them. Levi sat at a booth by the road where people paid.

28Levi got up, left everything behind, and followed Jesus.

And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

29Levi made a big dinner for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people sat and ate with them.

And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

30The Pharisees and their Bible teachers grumbled to Jesus' followers. They asked, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and people who do wrong?"

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

NoteEating a meal with someone meant you were friends. That is why the Pharisees grumbled about this dinner.

31Jesus answered, "Healthy people do not need a doctor. Sick people do.

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

32I did not come to call people who are already good. I came to call people who do wrong, so they will turn back to God."

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

12Then they walked back to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives. It was close to the city, only a short walk away.

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

NoteThe Mount of Olives is a hill next to Jerusalem. Olive trees grew all over it. The King James calls the walk "a sabbath day's journey." The Sabbath was the day for resting. People were allowed to walk only a short way that day, about half a mile.

13They came into the city and went up to the room upstairs where they were staying. These men were there: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, and Thomas. Also Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

NoteThe room upstairs was on the top floor of a house. People used such rooms for guests and for meals. Simon was called a Zealot. Zealots were people who wanted the Roman soldiers out of their land.

14They all kept praying together, with one heart. The women were with them, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

NoteThe King James says "his brethren." Brethren is an old word for brothers.