< Matthew 12 >

1 About the same time Jesus walked through the cornfields one Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some ears of wheat and eat them.
About this time as Jesus passed through the cornfields on the sabbath-day, his disciples being hungry began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat them.
2 But, when the Pharisees saw this, they said, “Look! Your disciples are doing what it is not allowable to do on a Sabbath!”
And when the pharisees saw it they said to Him, See, thy disciples are doing what is not lawful for them to do on the sabbath.
3 “Haven’t you read,” replied Jesus, “what David did, when he and his companions were hungry –
But He replied, Have ye not read what David did, when he, and his attendants, were hungry? how he went into the house of God,
4 how he went into the house of God, and how they ate the consecrated bread, though it was not allowable for him or his companions to eat it, but only for the priests?
and did eat the shew-bread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor those that were with him; but for the priests only? or have ye not read in the law,
5 And haven’t you read in the law that, on the Sabbath, the priest in the Temple break the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?
what profane sort of work the priests do in the temple on the sabbath-days, and yet are blameless?
6 Here, however, I tell you, there is something greater than the Temple!
But I tell you, that a greater than the temple is here:
7 Had you learned the meaning of the words – ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned those who are not guilty.
and if ye had known what that scripture means, "I desire mercy rather than sacrifice," ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
For the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.
9 Passing on, Jesus went into their synagogue,
And he went away and came into their synagogue: and there being a man there who had a withered hand,
10 and there he saw a man with a withered hand. Some people asked Jesus whether it was allowable to work a cure on the Sabbath – so that they might have a charge to bring against him.
they asked Him, if it were lawful to heal on the sabbath-days? that they might accuse Him.
11 But Jesus said to them, “Which of you, if he had only one sheep, and that sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, would not lay hold of it and pull it out?
But He said unto them, What man of you shall have one of his sheep fall into a pit on the sabbath-day, and will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
12 How much more precious a person is than a sheep! Therefore it is allowable to do good on the Sabbath.”
And of how much more worth is a man than a sheep? Sure then it is lawful to do good on the sabbath-days.
13 Then he said to the man. “Stretch out your hand.” The man stretched it out; and it had become as sound as the other.
Then saith He to the man, Stretch out thine hand: and he stretched it out, and it was made sound like the other.
14 On coming out, the Pharisees plotted against Jesus, to put him to death.
But the pharisees went out of the synagogue and took counsel together against Him, how they might destroy Him:
15 Jesus, however, became aware of it, and went away from that place. A number of people followed him, and he cured them all;
but Jesus knew it, and withdrew from thence; and great multitudes followed Him with their sick,
16 but he warned them not to make him known,
and he healed them all, charging them not to make Him known:
17 in fulfillment of these words in the prophet Isaiah –
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen,
18 ‘Here is my chosen servant, who I love and who pleases me! I will breathe my spirit on him, and he will announce a time of judgment to the Gentiles.
my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon Him, and He shall declare judgement to the nations: He shall not contend,
19 He will not contend, nor cry aloud, Neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
nor cry aloud, nor shall any one hear his voice in the streets:
20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he has brought the judgment to a victorious issue,
a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax he will not extinguish, till He send forth judgement victorious.
21 and on his name will the Gentiles rest their hopes.’
And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.
22 Then some people brought to Jesus a possessed man, who was blind and dumb; and he cured him, so that the man who had been dumb both talked and saw.
Then was brought to Him a demoniac, who was blind and dumb; and he healed Him, so that the blind and dumb man both spake and saw:
23 At this all the people were astounded. “Is it possible that this is the son of David?” they exclaimed.
and all the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Is not this the Son of David?"
24 But the Pharisees heard of it and said, “He drives out demons only by the help of Beelzebul the chief of the demons.”
which the pharisees hearing, said, "He only casts out demons by the help of Beelzebub the prince of the devils."
25 Jesus, however, was aware of what was passing in their minds, and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself becomes a desolation, and any town or household divided against itself will not last.
But Jesus, who well knew their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself becomes desolate; and no city, or family, divided against itself can stand:
26 So, if Satan drives Satan out, he must be divided against himself; and how, then, can his kingdom last?
if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?
27 And, if it is by Beelzebul’s help that I drive out demons, by whose help is it that your own sons drive them out? Therefore they will themselves be your judges.
And if I cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, by whom do your own people cast them out? wherefore they shall be your judges:
28 But, if it is by the help of the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God must already be upon you.
but if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then certainly the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29 How, again, can anyone get into a strong man’s house and carry off his goods, without first securing him? Not until then will he plunder his house.
Or, how can any one enter into the house of a strong man, and take away his goods, unless he first overpower the strong man? and then indeed he may strip his house.
30 Anyone who is not with me is against me, and the person who does not help me to gather is scattering.
He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.
31 Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and slander; but slander against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Wherefore, I tell you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy against the holy Spirit shall not be forgiven them:
32 Whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in the present age, or in the age to come. (aiōn g165)
and if any one speak against the Son of man, it may be forgiven him: but if any one speak against the holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this life, nor in that to come. (aiōn g165)
33 “You must assume either that both tree and fruit are good, or that both tree and fruit are worthless; since it is by its fruits that a tree is known.
Either allow the tree to be good, and it's fruit good; or shew the tree to be corrupt, and it's fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by it's fruit.
34 You children of snakes! How can you, evil as you are, say anything good? For what fills the heart will rise to the lips.
O race of vipers, how can ye speak good things, who are yourselves so wicked? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good person, from his good stores, produces good things; while an evil person, from his evil stores, produces evil things.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart produceth good things; and a wicked man out of the wicked treasure uttereth wicked things:
36 I tell you that for every careless thing that people say, they must answer on the ‘day of judgment.’
but I tell you, that of every idle word, which men shall speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgement; for by thy words thou shalt be justified,
37 For it is by your words that you will be acquitted, and by your words that you will be condemned.”
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
38 At this point, some teachers of the Law and Pharisees spoke up. “Teacher,” they said, “we want to see some sign from you.”
Then some of the scribes and pharisees answered Him, saying, Master, we should be glad to see a sign from thee:
39 “It is a wicked and unfaithful generation,” answered Jesus, “that is asking for a sign, and no sign will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
but He replied and said unto them, This wicked and degenerate race demand a sign; but no sign shall be given them, except that of the prophet Jonah:
40 For, just as Jonah was inside the sea-monster three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will stand up with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and here is more than a Jonah!
So that the men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgement against this generation, and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold a greater than Jonas is here.
42 At the judgment the Queen of the South will rise up with the present generation, and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and here is more than a Solomon!
The queen of the South too, shall rise up in the day of judgement against this generation, and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon is here.
43 No sooner does a foul spirit leave a person, than it passes through places where there is no water, in search of rest, and does not find it.
Now when an impure spirit is gone out of a man, he wanders through dry desert places, seeking rest, and findeth none:
44 Then it says ‘I will go back to the home which I left’; but, on coming there, it finds it unoccupied, and swept, and put in order.
then saith he, I will return into my house, that I came out of; and when he cometh, he findeth it empty, swept, and set off to advantage:
45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in, and make their home there; and the last state of that man proves to be worse than the first. So, too, will it be with this wicked generation.”
then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and so the last state of that man is worse than the first. And thus shall it be to this wicked generation.
46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside, asking to speak to him.
Now as He was yet discoursing to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, and desired to speak to Him:
47 Someone told him this, and Jesus replied,
and somebody said to Him, "Here are thy mother and thy brethren standing without, desiring to speak to thee."
48 “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?”
But in answer to him that told Him, He said, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?"
49 Then, stretching out his hands towards his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
and stretching out his hand towards his disciples, He said, "Behold my mother and my brethren:"
50 For anyone who does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
for whosoever doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is to me as my brother and sister and mother.

< Matthew 12 >