Matthew 12
12
Sabbath Questions
1At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on the #The seventh day of the week, the day of worship.Sabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what #Picking grain to eat was not forbidden on the Sabbath. It was ridiculous for the Pharisees to try to equate gleaning for food with reaping a harvest (which was forbidden on the Sabbath).is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, “Have you not read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him— 4how he went into the house of God, and they ate the #The bread of the Presence, the twelve fresh loaves presented each Sabbath to the Lord in the Holy Place.consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only? 5Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7And if you had only known what this statement means, ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], #I.e. more than.and not [animal] sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Lord of the Sabbath
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9Leaving there, He went into their synagogue. 10A man was there whose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful and permissible to heal on the Sabbath?”—they asked this so that they might accuse Him and bring charges into court. 11But He said to them, “What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He said to the man, “Reach out your hand!” The man reached out and it was restored, as normal and healthy as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, discussing how they could destroy Him.
15Being aware of this, Jesus left there. Many followed Him, and He healed all of them [who were sick], 16and warned them not to tell [publicly] who He was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18“Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will proclaim justice to the nations.
19He will not quarrel, nor cry out loudly;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20A battered reed He will not break,
And a smoldering wick He will not extinguish,
Until He leads justice to victory.
21And in His name the Gentiles (all the nations of the world) will hope [with confidence].”
The Pharisees Rebuked
22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw. 23All the people wondered in amazement, and said, “Could this be the Son of David (the Messiah)?” 24But the Pharisees heard it and said, “This man #A statement of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. See vv 31, 32.casts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons.”
25Knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will [continue to] stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan [that is, his demons], he has become divided against himself and disunited; how then will his kingdom stand? 27If I cast out the demons by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan), by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [before you expected it]. 29Or how can anyone go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man? Then he will ransack and rob his house.
The Unpardonable Sin
30 He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters.
31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but #Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is denying all the work of the Holy Spirit. This leads ultimately to rejecting the deity of Christ.blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Words Reveal Character
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. 36But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. 37For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”
The Desire for Signs
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be].” 39But He replied and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation [that is morally unfaithful to God] craves and demands a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah; 40for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up [as witnesses] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up [as a witness] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45Then 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 condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation.”
Changed Relationships
46While He was still talking to the crowds, it happened that His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. 47Someone said to Him, “Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You.” 48But Jesus replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49And stretching out His hand toward His disciples [and all His other followers], He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50For #A universal offer without restriction.whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven [by believing in Me, and following Me] is My brother and sister and mother.”
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Matthew 12: AMP
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Amplified® Bible
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Matthew 12
12
1At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat. 2But the Pharisees, seeing it, said to him, Behold, thy disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on sabbath. 3But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him? 4How he entered into the house of God, and ate the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only? 5Or have ye not read in the law that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6But I say unto you, that there is here what is greater than the temple. 7But if ye had known what is: I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath. 9And, going away from thence, he came into their synagogue. 10And behold, there was a man having his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him. 11But he said to them, What man shall there be of you who has one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and raise it up? 12How much better then is a man than a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well on the sabbath. 13Then he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored sound as the other.
14But the Pharisees, having gone out, took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. 15But Jesus knowing it, withdrew thence, and great crowds followed him; and he healed them all: 16and charged them strictly that they should not make him publicly known: 17that that might be fulfilled which was spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying, 18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul has found its delight. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall shew forth judgment to the nations. 19He shall not strive or cry out, nor shall any one hear his voice in the streets; 20a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he bring forth judgment unto victory; 21and on his name shall the nations hope.
22Then was brought to him one possessed by a demon, blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the dumb man spake and saw. 23And all the crowds were amazed and said, Is this man the Son of David? 24But the Pharisees, having heard it, said, This man does not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, prince of demons. 25But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not subsist. 26And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom subsist? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, your sons, by whom do they cast them out? For this reason they shall be your judges. 28But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then indeed the kingdom of God is come upon you. 29Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his goods, unless first he bind the strong man? and then he will plunder his house. 30He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters. 31For this reason I say unto you, Every sin and injurious speaking shall be forgiven to men, but speaking injuriously of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. 32And whosoever shall have spoken a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming one. 33Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt. For from the fruit the tree is known. 34Offspring of vipers! how can ye speak good things, being wicked? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man out of the good treasure brings forth good things; and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure brings forth wicked things. 36But I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall say, they shall render an account of it in judgment-day: 37for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
38Then answered him some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, Teacher, we desire to see a sign from thee. 39But he, answering, said to them, A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it save the sign of Jonas the prophet. 40For even as Jonas was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, thus shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41Ninevites shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, more than Jonas is here. 42A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, more than Solomon is here. 43But when the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44Then he says, I will return to my house whence I came out; and having come, he finds it unoccupied, swept, and adorned. 45Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. Thus shall it be to this wicked generation also.
46But while he was yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. 47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing without, seeking to speak to thee. 48But he answering said to him that spoke to him, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? 49And, stretching out his hand to his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren; 50for whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.