< Matthew 12 >
1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the sabbath, and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears, and to eat.
2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, Behold, thy disciples do what is not permitted to do upon the sabbath.
3 But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those with him,
4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate the loaves of the presentation, which was not permitted for him to eat, nor for those with him, except only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?
6 But I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here.
7 But if ye had known what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the innocent.
8 For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath.
9 And having departed from there, he went into their synagogue.
10 And behold, there was a man having a withered hand. And they interrogated him, asking if it is permitted to heal on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
11 And he said to them, What man of you will there be, who will have one sheep, and if this falls into a pit on the sabbath, will he not grasp it, and lift it out?
12 How much therefore a man is superior to a sheep. So then it is permitted to do good on the sabbath.
13 Then he says to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole, as the other.
14 But when they went out, the Pharisees held a consultation against him, how they might destroy him.
15 And having known it Jesus withdrew from there, and many multitudes followed him, and he healed them all.
16 And he chided them so that they would not make him known,
17 so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which says,
18 Behold, my Boy whom I chose, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will declare justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel, nor will he shout, nor will any man hear his voice in the thoroughfares.
20 A bruised reed he will not break, and smoldering flax he will not quench, until he sends forth justice for victory.
21 And in his name Gentiles will hope.
22 Then a blind and mute man being demon possessed, was brought to him. And he healed him, so as for the blind and mute man both to speak and to see.
23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Is this not the son of David?
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.
25 And having known their thoughts Jesus said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to ruin, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Because of this they will be your judges.
28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come near you.
29 Or how can any man enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
30 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
31 Because of this I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in the present age, nor in the one that is coming. (aiōn )
33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36 But I say to you, that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they will render account about it in the day of judgment.
37 For from thy words thou will be justified, and from thy words thou will be condemned.
38 Then some of the scholars and Pharisees answered, saying, Teacher, we want to see a sign from thee.
39 But having answered, he said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-creature three days and three nights, so the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
43 But when the unclean spirit goes forth out of the man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and finds it not.
44 Then it says, I will return into my house from where I came out. And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
45 Then it goes, and takes with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having enter in, they dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So it will also be to this evil generation.
46 While he was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers had stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
47 And some man said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to thee.
48 But having answered, he said to the man who told him, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?
49 And having stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, he said, Behold, my mother and my brothers.
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
