"Even the tax-gatherers do that, do they not? And if you show courtesy to your brother only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do that, do they not?

And he rose and followed him. And while he was at table in Matthew's house, there came many tax-gatherers and sinners, and they dined with Jesus and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw it, they kept saying to his disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with the tax-gatherers and sinners?"

Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax-gatherer; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname is Thaddeus;

and the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Lo, a glutton and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Nevertheless, Wisdom is justified by her deeds."

"but if he will not heed the church, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax-gatherer.

"Which of these two did the will of his father?" "The last," they replied. "I tell you truly," said Jesus, "that the tax-gatherers and harlots are going into the kingdom of heaven before you!

"For John came to you in the road of righteousness, and you did not give credence to him; but the tax-gatherers and the harlots gave credence to him. But you, although you saw this, did not even then change your minds and give credence to him.

Later on Levi was sitting at table in his house, and together with Jesus and his disciples a number of tax-gatherers and sinners were guests, for there were many of them who used to follow him.

But when some scribes of the Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers, they said to his disciples, "Is he eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?"

After this he went forth and noticed a tax-gatherer, named Levi, sitting at the tax-office, and said to him, "Follow me."

Levi also made him a great reception at his house. There was a large party of tax-gatherers and others who were dining with them.

And the Pharisees and their scribes began complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why are you eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?"

On hearing this all the people and the tax-gatherers acknowledged the justice of God by being baptized with the baptism of John;

Now all the tax-gatherers and sinners continued to draw near him, and to listen to him.

"Two men are going up to the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, the other a tax-gatherer.

"The Pharisee stood apart and thus began to pray by himself. "'O God, I thank thee that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax gatherer;

"But the tax-gatherer, standing far back, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but kept beating his breast and saying, "'O God be merciful to me, the sinner!'

There was a man there, called Zaccheus, who was a chief of the tax-gatherers, and was wealthy.