< Matthew 12 >

1 At that time Jesus, on the sabbath, walked in the tillage grounds: and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat.
About that time Jesus passed on the Sabbath through the wheatfields; and His disciples became hungry, and began to gather ears of wheat and eat them.
2 And when the Pharisees saw them, they said to him: See; thy disciples are doing that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath.
But the Pharisees saw it and said to Him, "Look! your disciples are doing what the Law forbids them to do on the Sabbath."
3 But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him?
"Have you never read," He replied, "what David did when he and his men were hungry?
4 How he went to the house of God, and ate the bread of the Lord's table; which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but solely for the priests?
how he entered the House of God and ate the Presented Loaves, which it was not lawful for him or his men to eat, nor for any except the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that in the temple the priests profane the sabbath, and are without fault?
And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath without incurring guilt?
6 But I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here.
But I tell you that there is here that which is greater than the Temple.
7 And if ye had known what that is, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; ye would not have criminated them who are without fault.
And if you knew what this means, 'It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are without guilt.
8 For the Son of man, is lord of the sabbath.
For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath."
9 And Jesus went from there, and came to their synagogue.
Departing thence He went to their synagogue,
10 And a man was there, whose hand was withered. And they questioned him and said, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might defame him.
where there was a man with a shrivelled arm. And they questioned Him, "Is it right to cure people on the Sabbath?" Their intention was to bring a charge against Him.
11 And he said to them, What man among you is there, who, if he have a sheep, and it fall into a pit on the day of the sabbath, doth not lay hold of it and lift it out?
"Which of you is there," He replied, "who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
12 Now, how much better is a human being than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do what is good, on the sabbath.
Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath."
13 Then said he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched out his hand; and it was restored, and like the other.
Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." And he stretched it out, and it was restored quite sound like the other.
14 And the Pharisees went out and held a consultation against him, that they might destroy him.
But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue consulted together against Him, how they might destroy Him.
15 But Jesus knew it; and he retired from there. And great multitudes followed him: and he cured them all.
Aware of this, Jesus departed elsewhere; and a great number of people followed Him, all of whom He cured.
16 And he charged them not to make him known:
But He gave them strict injunctions not to blaze abroad His doings,
17 that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying:
that those words of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled,
18 Behold my servant, in whom I have complacency; my beloved, in whom my soul delighteth. I will put my spirit upon him; and he shall proclaim judgment to the Gentiles.
"This is My servant whom I have chosen, My dearly loved One in whom My soul takes pleasure. I will put My spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the nations.
19 He shall not contend, nor be clamorous, nor shall any one hear his voice in the market-place.
He will not wrangle or raise His voice, nor will His voice be heard in the broadways.
20 The crushed reed he will not break; and the flickering lamp he will not extinguish; until he bring judgment to be victorious.
A crushed reed He will not utterly break, nor will He quench the still smouldering wick, until He has led on Justice to victory.
21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
And on His name shall the nations rest their hopes."
22 Then they brought to him a demoniac that was dumb and blind; and he healed him, so that the dumb and blind man both talked and saw.
At that time a demoniac was brought to Him, blind and dumb; and He cured him, so that the dumb man could speak and see.
23 And all the multitude were amazed, and said: Is not this the son of David?
And the crowds of people were all filled with amazement and said, "Can this be the Son of David?"
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said: This man doth not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub the prince of demons.
The Pharisees heard it and said, "This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons."
25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: Every kingdom that is divided against itself, will become desolate; and every house or city which is divided against itself, will not stand.
Knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Every kingdom in which civil war has raged suffers desolation; and every city or house in which there is internal strife will be brought low.
26 Now if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then doth his kingdom stand?
And if Satan is expelling Satan, he has begun to make war on himself: how therefore shall his kingdom last?
27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Wherefore they will be your judges.
And if it is by Baal-zebul's power that I expel the demons, by whose power do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.
28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, the kingdom of God hath come near to you.
But if it is by the power of the Spirit of God that I expel the demons, it is evident that the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or how can one enter the house of a strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? and then he may plunder his house.
Again, how can any one enter the house of a strong man and carry off his goods, unless first of all he masters and secures the strong man: then he will ransack his house.
30 He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me actually scattereth.
"The man who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me is scattering abroad.
31 Therefore I say to you, that all sins and contumelies shall be forgiven to men; but the contumely which is against the Spirit, shall not be forgiven to men.
This is why I tell you that men may find forgiveness for every other sin and impious word, but that for impious speaking against the Holy Spirit they shall find no forgiveness.
32 And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him: but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him; not in this world, and not in the world to come. (aiōn g165)
And whoever shall speak against the Son of Man may obtain forgiveness; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, neither in this nor in the coming age shall he obtain forgiveness." (aiōn g165)
33 Either make the tree good, and its fruits good; or make the tree bad, and its fruits bad: for a tree is known by its fruits.
"Either grant the tree to be wholesome and its fruit wholesome, or the tree poisonous and its fruit poisonous; for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 Offspring of vipers, how can ye who are evil, speak good things? For out of the fullnesses of the heart the mouth speaketh.
O vipers' brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.
35 A good man out of good treasures bringeth forth good things, and a bad man out of bad treasures bringeth forth bad things.
A good man from his good store produces good things, and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things.
36 For I say to you, That for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment.
But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be held accountable on the day of Judgement.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified; and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned."
38 Then answered some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees, and said to him: Teacher, we wish to see from thee a sign.
Then He was accosted by some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees who said, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign given by you."
39 But he replied and said to them: A wicked and adulterous generation demandeth a sign: but a sign will not be given to it, unless it be the sign of Jonah the prophet.
"Wicked and faithless generation!" He replied, "they clamour for a sign, but none shall be given to them except the sign of the Prophet Jonah.
40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights; so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
For just as Jonah was three days in the sea-monster's belly, so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the earth.
41 The people of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and lo, a greater than Jonah is here.
There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and mark! there is One greater than Jonah here.
42 The queen of the south will stand up in the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it: for she came from the extremities of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and lo, a superior to Solomon is here.
The Queen of the south will awake at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and mark! there is One greater than Solomon here.
43 And when an unclean spirit goeth out of a man, it wandereth in places where is no water, and seeketh comfort and findeth it not.
"No sooner however has the foul spirit gone out of the man, then he roams about in places where there is no water, seeking rest but finding none.
44 Then it saith: I will return to my house, from which I came out. And it cometh, and findeth it vacated, and swept clean, and set in order.
Then he says, 'I will return to my house that I left;' and he comes and finds it unoccupied, swept clean, and in good order.
45 So it goeth and taketh with it seven other spirits, worse than itself, and they enter and dwell in it; and the end of that man is worse than his beginning. So will it be to this evil generation.
Then he goes and brings back with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they come in and dwell there; and in the end that man's condition becomes worse than it was at first. So will it be also with the present wicked generation."
46 And while he was discoursing to the multitudes, his mother and his brothers came and stood with out, and sought to speak with him.
While He was still addressing the people His mother and His brothers were standing on the edge of the crowd desiring to speak to Him.
47 And a person said to him: Lo, thy mother and thy brothers stand without, and seek to speak with thee.
So some one told Him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and desire to speak to you."
48 But he replied, and said to him that informed him: Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?
"Who is my mother?" He said to the man; "and who are my brothers?"
49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said: Behold my mother, and behold my brothers!
And pointing to His disciples He added, "See here are my mother and my brothers.
50 For every one that doeth the good pleasure of my Father who is in heaven, that person is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.
To obey my Father who is in Heaven--that is to be my brother and my sister and my mother."

< Matthew 12 >