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
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.