The king's officer saith unto him, "Sir, come down ere my child die."
Jesus saith unto him, "Go thy way; thy son liveth." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, that his son lived. So he [{93}] inquired of them the hour when he began to recover. They said therefore unto him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, "Thy son liveth": and himself believed, and his whole house.
IX
THE CHOOSING OF THE TWELVE DISCIPLES.
How the Lord Jesus Gathered About Him the Men Who Were to Be His Closest Friends.
Passing along by the sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea: for they were fishers. And he said unto them, "Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
And straightway they left the nets, and followed him.
And going on a little further, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending the nets. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.
And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the place of toll, and he saith unto him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, that he was sitting at meat in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, "He eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners."