Matthew 12
12
Working on the Sabbath
1At that time Jesus went through the wheat fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry so they were picking heads of wheat and eating them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are breaking the Sabbath law.”
3But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those with him were hungry? 4He went into God’s house and broke the law by eating the bread of the presence, which only the priests were allowed to eat. 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple treat the Sabbath as any other day and are still innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what this means, I want mercy and not sacrifice,#12.7 Hos 6:6 you wouldn’t have condemned the innocent. 8The Human One#12.8 Or Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Healing on the Sabbath
9Jesus left that place and went into their synagogue. 10A man with a withered hand was there. Wanting to bring charges against Jesus, they asked, “Does the Law allow a person to heal on the Sabbath?”
11Jesus replied, “Who among you has a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath and will not take hold of it and pull it out? 12How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So the Law allows a person to do what is good on the Sabbath.” 13Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he did and it was made healthy, just like the other one. 14The Pharisees went out and met in order to find a way to destroy Jesus.
Healing the crowd
15Jesus knew what they intended to do, so he went away from there. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all. 16But he ordered them not to spread the word about him, 17so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:
18 Look, my Servant whom I chose,
the one I love, in whom I find great pleasure.
I’ll put my Spirit upon him,
and he’ll announce judgment to the Gentiles.
19 He won’t argue or shout,
and nobody will hear his voice in the streets.
20 He won’t break a bent stalk,
and he won’t snuff out a smoldering wick,
until he makes justice win.
21 And the Gentiles will put their hope in his name. # 12.21 Isa 42:1-4
22They brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak. Jesus healed him so that he could both speak and see. 23All the crowds were amazed and said, “This man couldn’t be the Son of David, could he?”
24When the Pharisees heard, they said, “This man throws out demons only by the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”
25Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he replied, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland. Every city or house torn apart by divisions will collapse. 26If Satan throws out Satan, he is at war with himself. How then can his kingdom endure? 27And if I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 28But if I throw out demons by the power of God’s Spirit, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. 29Can people go into a house that belongs to a strong man and steal his possessions, unless they first tie up the strong man? Then they can rob his house. 30Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters.
Insulting the Holy Spirit
31 “Therefore, I tell you that people will be forgiven for every sin and insult to God. But insulting the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks a word against the Human One#12.32 Or Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven, not in this age or in the age that is coming.
Trees and fruits
33“Either consider the tree good and its fruit good, or consider the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. A tree is known by its fruit. 34Children of snakes! How can you speak good things while you are evil? What fills the heart comes out of the mouth. 35Good people bring out good things from their good treasure. But evil people bring out evil things from their evil treasure. 36I tell you that people will have to answer on Judgment Day for every useless word they speak. 37By your words you will be either judged innocent or condemned as guilty.”
Request for a sign
38At that time some of the legal experts and the Pharisees requested of Jesus, “Teacher, we would like to see a sign from you.”
39But he replied, “An evil and unfaithful generation searches for a sign, but it won’t receive any sign except Jonah’s sign. 40Just as Jonah was in the whale’s belly for three days and three nights,#12.40 Jonah 1:17 so the Human One#12.40 Or Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41The citizens of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it as guilty, because they changed their hearts and lives in response to Jonah’s preaching. And look, someone greater than Jonah is here. 42The queen of the South will be raised up by God at the judgment with this generation and condemn it because she came from a distant land to hear Solomon’s wisdom. And look, someone greater than Solomon is here.
Unclean spirit seeking a home
43“When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. 44Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the place vacant, cleaned up, and decorated. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and make their home there. That person is worse off at the end than at the beginning. This is the way it will be also for this evil generation.”
Jesus’ family
46While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside trying to speak with him. 47Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and brothers are outside wanting to speak with you.”
48Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49He stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. 50Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother.”
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Matthew 12: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Matthew 12
12
The Lord of the Sabbath
(1 Samuel 21:1–7; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the 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.”
3Jesus replied, “Have you not 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,#12:4 Or the Bread of the Presence which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.
5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
7If only you had known the meaning of ‘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.”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
(Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)
9Moving on from there, Jesus entered their synagogue, 10and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored to full use, just like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
God’s Chosen Servant
(Isaiah 42:1–9)
15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all, 16warning them not to make Him known. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18“Here is 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.
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 extinguish,
till He leads justice to victory.
21In His name the nations will put their hope.”#12:21 Isaiah 42:1–4 (see also LXX)
A House Divided
(Mark 3:20–27; Luke 11:14–23)
22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. 23The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul,#12:24 WH Beezeboul; Vulgate Beelzebub; also in verse 27 the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”
25Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, 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 sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
The Unpardonable Sin
(Mark 3:28–30)
31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.
Good and Bad Fruit
(Luke 6:43–45)
33Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. 36But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
(Jonah 3:1–10; Luke 11:29–32)
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
39Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands 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 the great 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 at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One 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 hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
(Luke 11:24–26)
43When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21)
46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. 47Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”#12:47 WH does not include verse 47.
48But Jesus replied, “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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