< Matthew 12 >
1 At that time Jesus was going, on the Sabbath, through the fields of grain; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pull the ears of grain, and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him: Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.
3 But he said to them: Have you not read what David did, when he and those who were with him were hungry?
4 how he entered the house of God, and ate the loaves of the presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but for the priests only?
5 Or, have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath-days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?
6 But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here.
7 But if you had known what this means―I desire mercy, and not sacrifice―you would not have condemned the blameless.
8 For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.
9 And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue.
10 And behold, a man was there that had a withered hand. And they asked him, saying: Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath-days? that they might accuse him.
11 And he said to them: What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out?
12 How much better, then, is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days.
13 Then he said to the man: Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored to soundness, like the other.
14 But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, that they might destroy him.
15 But Jesus perceived it, and withdrew from that place. And many multitudes followed him, and he cured them all.
16 And he charged them not to make him known;
17 that the word might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
18 Be hold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul delights. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall declare law to the Gentiles.
19 He shall not contend, nor cry out; nor shall any one hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoking wick he shall not extinguish, till he shall send forth his law for conquest.
21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
22 Then was brought to him a demoniac, blind and dumb: and he cured him, so that the blind and dumb man both spoke and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed, and said: Is not this the son of David?
24 But the Pharisees, when they heard it, said: This man does not cast out the demons, unless by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.
25 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. And no city or house divided against itself shall stand.
26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?
27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason, they shall be your judges.
28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has already come upon you.
29 Or, how can any one enter the house of the strong man and spoil his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? and then he will plunder his house.
30 He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathers not with me, scatters.
31 Therefore I say to you, That every sin and impious speech shad be forgiven men: but the impious speech against the Spirit shall not be forgiven men.
32 And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in the present age, or in that which is to come. (aiōn )
33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree unsound, and its fruit unsound. For by the fruit the tree is known.
34 Generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
35 The good man, out of his good treasury, brings forth good things; and the evil man, out of his evil treasury, brings forth evil things.
36 But I say to you, That for every idle word which men speak, they shall give account in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered and said: Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.
39 But he answered and said to them: A wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; and no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 Tho men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and condemn it; for they repented in accordance with the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
42 The queen of the south shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the most distant parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
43 When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he goes through dry places seeking rest, and finds none.
44 Then he says: I will return to my house, out of which I came. And he comes and finds it empty, swept, and set in order.
45 Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be with this wicked generation.
46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood without, desiring to speak to him.
47 And some one said to him: Behold, your mother and your brothers stand without, desiring to speak to you.
48 But he answered and said to him that told him: Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?
49 And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said: Behold my mother and my brothers.
50 For whoever will do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
