Matthew 12
12
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
3He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’#12:7 Hosea 6:6 you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
God’s Chosen Servant
15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16He warned them not to tell others about him. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21In his name the nations will put their hope.”#12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4
Jesus and Beelzebul
22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Matthew 12
12
Lord of the Sabbath
1At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath.#Mk 2:23–28; Lk 6:1–5 His disciples#Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful#Mt 12:10; Lk 13:14; 14:3; Jn 5:10; 7:23; 9:16 to do on the Sabbath.”
3He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: 4how he entered the house of God, and they ate#12:4 Other mss read he ate the bread of the Presence — which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?#Ex 25:30; Lv 24:5–9; 1Sm 21:6 5Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?#Nm 28:9–10; 1Ch 9:32; Jn 7:22–23 6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.#2Ch 6:18; Mal 3:1; Mt 12:41–42 7If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice,#12:7 Hs 6:6#Hs 6:6; Mc 6:8; Mt 9:13 you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”#Mt 8:20; 9:6; 12:32,40
The Man with the Shriveled Hand
9Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue.#Mk 3:1–6; Lk 6:6–11 10There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” #Mt 12:2; Lk 13:14; 14:3; Jn 9:16
11He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?#Ex 23:4–5; Dt 22:4; Lk 14:5 12A person is worth far more than a sheep; #Mt 6:26; 10:31 so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”
13Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored,#1Kg 13:4; Mt 8:3; Ac 28:8 as good as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.#Mt 26:4; 27:1; Mk 3:6; Lk 6:11; Jn 10:39; 11:53
The Servant of the Lord
15Jesus was aware of this and withdrew. Large crowds#12:15 Other mss read Many followed him, and he healed them all.#Mt 4:23; 10:23; 19:2; Mk 3:7 16He warned them not to make him known,#Mt 8:4; 9:30 17so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
18 Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations. #
Mt 3:17; 17:5; Lk 4:18; Jn 3:34
19 He will not argue or shout,
and no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bruised reed,
and he will not put out a smoldering wick,
until he has led justice to victory. # 12:20 Or until he has successfully put forth justice
21 The nations will put their hope in his name. # 12:18–21 Is 42:1–4 #
Is 42:1–4; Jn 10:25
A House Divided
22Then a demon-possessed man#Lk 11:14–15 who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man#12:22 Lit mute could both speak and see.#Mt 4:24; 9:32–34 23All the crowds were astounded and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” #2Ch 1:1; Mt 1:1; Rm 1:3
24When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”#Mt 9:34; 10:25; Mk 3:22
25Knowing their thoughts,#Mk 3:23–27; Lk 11:17–22 he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26If Satan#Mt 4:1,10; 13:19; Ac 13:10 drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.#2Kg 2:7; Ac 19:13 28If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.#Lk 17:21; 1Jn 3:8 29How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up#Is 49:24; 53:12 the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. 30Anyone who is not with me is against me,#Mk 9:40; Lk 9:50; 11:23 and anyone who does not gather with me scatters. 31Therefore,#Mk 3:28–30; Lk 12:10 I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy,#Heb 6:4–6; 10:26; 1Jn 5:16 but the blasphemy against#12:31 Or of the Spirit will not be forgiven.#12:31 Other mss add people 32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man,#Mt 11:19; Mk 2:10; Jn 7:12; 9:24 it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.#Mk 10:30; Lk 12:10; 20:34–35; Eph 1:21; Ti 2:12; Heb 6:5
A Tree and Its Fruit
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad # 12:33 Or decayed; lit rotten and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.#Mt 7:18–19,23; Lk 6:43–44; Jn 15:4–7 34Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow#1Sm 24:13; Mt 3:7; 23:33; Lk 6:45; Eph 4:29 of the heart. 35A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.#Mt 13:52; Col 4:6 36I tell you that on the day of judgment#Mt 12:41; Jn 5:29; 1Jn 4:17 people will have to account#Lk 16:2; Ac 19:40; Rm 14:12; Heb 13:17; 1Pt 4:5 for every careless#12:36 Lit worthless word they speak.#12:36 Lit will speak 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”#Mt 16:1; Mk 8:11–12; Lk 11:16; Jn 2:18; 6:30; 1Co 1:22
39He answered them,#Mk 8:11–12; Lk 11:29–32 “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.#Is 57:3; Mt 16:4; Mk 8:38 40For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish#12:40 Or sea creature; Jnh 1:17#Jnh 1:17 three days and three nights,#Jnh 1:17 so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,#Jr 3:11; Ezk 16:51; Rm 2:27 because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look — something greater than Jonah is here.#Jnh 1:2; 3:5 42The queen of the south#1Kg 10:1; 2Ch 9:1 will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look — something greater than Solomon is here.
An Unclean Spirit’s Return
43 “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. #
Lk 11:24–26
44Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first.#Heb 6:4; 2Pt 2:20 That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”
True Relationships
46While he#Mk 3:31–35; Lk 8:19–21 was still speaking with the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to him.#Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3; Jn 2:12; Ac 1:14; 1Co 9:5; Gl 1:19 47Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”#12:47 Other mss omit this v.
48He replied to the one who was speaking to him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 49Stretching out his hand toward his disciples,#Mt 10:42; 28:19; Lk 14:26; Jn 8:31; 13:35; 15:8; Ac 6:1 he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”#Mt 6:1; 7:21; Jn 15:14; Heb 2:11
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