Matthew 8:5-13

Expanded Bible

Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant^(A)

⁵ When Jesus entered the city of Capernaum, an ·army officer [^Lcenturion] came to him, ·begging [pleading] for help. ⁶ The officer said, “Lord, my servant is at home in bed. He ·can’t move his body [is paralyzed] and ·is in much pain [suffering terribly].”

⁷ Jesus said to the officer, “·I will go and heal him. [or Shall I go and heal him?]”

⁸ The officer answered, “Lord [or Sir], I ·am not worthy [do not deserve] for you to come into my house. You only need to ·command it [^Lsay the word], and my servant will be healed. ⁹ [^LFor] I, too, am a man ·under the authority of others [^Lunder authority], and I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my ·servant [slave], ‘Do this,’ and my ·servant [slave] does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were following him, “I tell you the truth, ·this is the greatest faith I have found [^LI haven’t found such faith], ·even in Israel [or in all Israel]. ¹¹ Many people will come from the east and from the west and will ·sit and eat [^Lrecline; ^Cthe posture for a banquet or dinner party] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven [^Cthe messianic banquet, a metaphor for God’s restoration of creation; Is. 25:6–8]. ¹² But ·those people who should be in [the heirs of; or the subjects of; ^Lthe sons of] the kingdom will be thrown ·outside into the darkness [into the outer darkness], where ·people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [^Lthere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; ^Cmetaphors for agony and torment].”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the ·officer [^Lcenturion], “Go home. ·Your servant will be healed just as you believed he would [^LLet it be done for you just as you have believed].” And his servant was healed that ·same hour [exact time].