Matthew 12
1 Around that time Jesus was walking through fields of grain on the Sabbath day. His disciples were hungry so they started to pick ears of grain and eat them.
At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
2 When the Pharisees saw this they said to Jesus, “Look at your disciples—they're doing what isn't allowed on the Sabbath!”
But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, "Look, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."
3 But Jesus told them, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his men were hungry?
But he said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he and his companions were hungry;
4 He went into the house of God, and he and his men ate the sacred bread that they weren't allowed to eat since it's only for the priests.
how he entered into the house of God, and they ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath but are not considered guilty?
Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless?
6 However, I tell you that someone is here who is greater than the Temple!
But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
7 If you'd known the meaning of this Scripture, ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you wouldn't have condemned an innocent man.
But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
8 For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
9 Then Jesus left and went into their synagogue.
And he departed from there and went into their synagogue.
10 A man was there with a crippled hand. “Does the law allow healing on the Sabbath?” they asked him, looking for a reason to accuse him.
And look, there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" that they might accuse him.
11 “Suppose you have a sheep and it falls into a hole in the ground on the Sabbath. Don't you grab hold of it and pull it out?” Jesus asked them.
And he said to them, "Which one of you who has one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
12 “Don't you think a human being is worth much more than a sheep? So yes, you are allowed to do good on the Sabbath.”
Of how much more value then is a person than a sheep. Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13 Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held out his hand, and it was healed, just as healthy as the other hand.
Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored whole, just like the other.
14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how to kill Jesus.
But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.
15 Knowing this, Jesus left, with large crowds following him. He healed all of them,
But Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all,
16 but instructed them not to tell people who he was.
and commanded them that they should not make him known.
17 This fulfilled what Isaiah the prophet said:
This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18 “This is my servant whom I've chosen, The one I love, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit on him, And he will tell the foreigners what's right.
"Look, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul delights. I will put my Spirit on him; and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He won't argue, he won't shout out, And nobody will hear his voice in the streets.
He will not quarrel, nor shout; nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 He won't break a damaged reed, And he won't extinguish a smoking wick, Until he has proved that his judgment is right,
He won't break a bruised reed. And he won't put out a smoldering wick, until he leads justice to victory.
21 And foreigners will put their hope in him.”
And in his name the coastlands will hope."
22 Then a man was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed and blind and dumb. Jesus healed him, so that the dumb man could speak and see.
Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.
23 All the crowds were amazed, and asked, “Could this really be the son of David?”
And all the crowds were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?"
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “This man can only throw out demons through the power of Beelzebub, the chief of demons!”
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."
25 Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus told them, “Any kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. No town or household that is divided against itself can stand.
And knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26 If Satan drives out Satan, then he's divided against himself—so how could his kingdom stand?
And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27 If I'm throwing out demons in the name of Beelzebub, in whose name are your people throwing out demons? Your own people prove you're wrong!
If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
28 But if I'm throwing out demons through the power of the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you!
But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Can you enter a strong man's house and take his belongings unless you tie him up first? If you do that then you can take everything in his house.
Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and carry off his possessions, unless he first bind the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
30 Those who are not with me are against me, and those who do not gather together with me do the opposite: they are scattering.
"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
31 That's why I'm telling you that every sin and blasphemy you commit will be forgiven, except blasphemy against the Spirit which won't be forgiven.
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Those who say something against the Son of man will be forgiven, but those who say something against the Holy Spirit won't be forgiven, neither in this life nor the next. (aiōn g165)
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 this age, nor in that which is to come. (aiōn g165)
33 Either decide that the tree is good, and its fruit is good, or decide that the tree is bad and its fruit is bad—for the tree is known by its fruit.
"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 You viper's brood, how can you who are evil say anything good? For your mouth simply says what your mind is busy thinking about.
You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
35 A good person brings out good from their store of good things, and an evil person brings out evil from their store of evil things.
The good person out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.
36 I tell you, people will have to account for every careless thing they say on the Day of Judgment.
But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 For what you say will either vindicate you or condemn you.”
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
38 Then some of the religious teachers and Pharisees came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign.”
Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."
39 “Evil people who don't trust in God are the ones who look for a miraculous sign. The only sign they will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah,” Jesus told them.
But he answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
40 “In the same way Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, the Son of man will lie in the earth for three days and three nights.
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The people of Nineveh will rise in the judgment together with this generation and they will condemn it because they repented in response to Jonah's message—and as you see, there's someone greater than Jonah here!
The people of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and look, something greater than Jonah is here.
42 The Queen of the South will be raised in the judgment together with this generation and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon—and as you see, there's someone greater than Solomon here!
The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, someone greater than Solomon is here.
43 When an evil spirit leaves someone, it wanders through deserted places looking for rest, and finds nowhere to stay.
But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the person, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it.
44 So it says, ‘I'll go back to the place I left,’ and when it returns it finds the place empty, all clean and tidy.
Then he says, 'I will return into my house from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
45 Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits even more evil than it is, and it enters and lives there. So the person ends up worse than they were at the beginning. That's the way it will be with this evil generation.”
Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that person becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."
46 While he was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers arrived and stood outside, wanting to talk to him.
While he was yet speaking to the crowds, look, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
47 Someone came and told him, “Look, your mother and brothers are outside, wanting to talk to you.”
Then one said to him, "Look, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you."
48 “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Jesus asked.
But he answered him who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
49 He pointed at his disciples, and said, “Look, they are my mother and my brothers!
And he stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Look, my mother and my brothers.
50 For those who do the will of my heavenly Father, they are my brother, sister, and mother!”
For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."
