1 Lord of the Sabbath At that 12:1Or occasion time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.
2 But when the Pharisees sawthis, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”
3 But He said to them,“Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions,
4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the 12:4Or showbread; lit loaves of presentation consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?
5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple 12:5Or profane break the Sabbath and are innocent?
6 But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
7 But if you had known what this 12:7 Lit is means, ‘I desire 12:7 Or mercy compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath
9 And departing from there, He went into their synagogue.
10 And behold, a manwas therewhose hand was withered. And they questioned 12:10Lit Him Jesus, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him.
11 And He said to them,“What man 12:11Lit will be from you is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do 12:12Lit well good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then He *said to the man,“Stretch out your hand!”He stretched it out, and it was restored to 12:13Lit health normal, like the other.
14 But going out, the Pharisees took counsel together against Him,as tohow they might destroy Him.
15 But Jesus, 12:15Lit knowing awareof this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,
16 and warned them not to make Him known,
17 in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
18 “Behold, My 12:18Lit Child Servant whomI 12:18Lit chose have chosen;MyBeloved in whomMy soul 12:18Or took pleasure is well-pleased;Iwill putMySpirit uponHim,AndHe shall proclaim 12:18Or judgment justice to the 12:18Or nations Gentiles.
19 “He will not quarrel,nor cry out;Nor will anyone hearHis voice in the streets.
20 “Abattered reedHe will not break off,And a smoldering wickHe will not put out,UntilHe 12:20Or puts forth leads 12:20Or judgment justice to victory.
21 “And inHis name the 12:21Or nations Gentiles will hope.”A Kingdom Divided
22 Then a demon-possessed manwho wasblind and mute was brought to 12:22Lit Him Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.
23 And all the crowds were astounded, and were saying, “Can this manreallybe the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heardthis, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by 12:24 Or Beezebul Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
25 And knowing their thoughts He said to them,“ 12:25 Lit Every Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and 12:25 Lit every any city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he 12:26 Lit was is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I by 12:27v24,note 1 Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.
28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
30 He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
31 “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
32 And whoever 12:32Lit will speak speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever 12:32Lit will speak speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.The Heart Is Revealed by Words
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak 12:34Lit good things what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
35 The good man brings out of his good treasure 12:35Lit good things what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure 12:35Lit evil things what is evil.
36 But I tell you that every 12:36Or useless careless word that people 12:36Lit will speak speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
37 For 12:37Or in accordance with by your words you will be justified, and 12:37Or in accordance with by your words you will be condemned.”The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered and said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see 12:38Or an attesting miracle a sign from You.”
39 But He answered and said to them,“An evil and adulterous generation eagerly seeks for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
42 The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
45 Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
47 12:47This verse is not found in early mss Now someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.”
48 But 12:48Lit He Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said,“Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said,“Behold My mother and My brothers!
50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”