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. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, 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 # Other mss read he ate the sacred bread, 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 # = The Torah (the Pentateuch) 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 6But I 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, # Hs 6:6; Mc 6:8; Mt 9:13 # Hs 6:6 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 Paralyzed 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 paralyzed 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
11But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep # Or had one 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 man 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 destroy Him. # Mt 26:4; 27:1; Mk 3:6; Lk 6:11; Jn 10:39; 11:53
The Servant of the Lord
15When Jesus became aware of this, He withdrew from there. Huge crowds # 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:
18Here 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. # Mt 3:17; 17:5; Lk 4:18; Jn 3:34
19He will not argue or shout,
and no one will hear His voice in the streets.
20He will not break a bruised reed,
and He will not put out a smoldering wick,
until He has led justice to victory. # Or until He has successfully put forth justice
21The nations will put their hope in His name. # Is 42:1-4; Jn 10:25 # Is 42:1-4
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 # Lit mute could both speak and see. # Mt 4:24; 9:32-34 23And all the crowds were astounded and said, “Perhaps this is the Son of David! ” # 2Ch 1:1; Mt 1:1; Rm 1:3
24When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “The 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, who is it your sons drive them out by? 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 to 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 rob 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. 31Because of this, # 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 # Or of the Spirit will not be forgiven. # 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 good, or make the tree bad # Or decayed ; lit rotten and its fruit 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 man produces good things from his storeroom of good, # Other mss read from the storehouse of his heart and an evil man 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 word they speak. # 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
39But He 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 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 proclamation; 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 man, 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.’ And returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. 45Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’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
46He # Mk 3:31-35; Lk 8:19-21 was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly 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.” # Other mss omit this v.
48But He replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers? ” 49And stretching 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, that person is My brother and sister and mother.” # Mt 6:1; 7:21; Jn 15:14; Heb 2:11
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Matthew 12: HCSB
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Matthew 12
12
The Question about the Sabbath
(Mk 2.23–28; Lk 6.1–5)
1 #
Deut 23.25
Not long afterwards Jesus was walking through some cornfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began to pick ears of corn and eat the grain. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do this on the Sabbath!”
3 #
1 Sam 21.1–6
Jesus answered, “Have you never read what David did that time when he and his men were hungry? 4#Lev 24.9He went into the house of God, and he and his men ate the bread offered to God, even though it was against the Law for them to eat it — only the priests were allowed to eat that bread. 5#Num 28.9–10Or have you not read in the Law of Moses that every Sabbath the priests in the Temple actually break the Sabbath law, yet they are not guilty? 6I tell you that there is something here greater than the Temple. 7#Mt 9.13; Hos 6.6The scripture says, ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ If you really knew what this means, you would not condemn people who are not guilty; 8for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
The Man with a Paralysed Hand
(Mk 3.1–6; Lk 6.6–11)
9Jesus left that place and went to a synagogue, 10where there was a man who had a paralysed hand. Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they asked him, “Is it against our Law to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 #
Lk 14.5
Jesus answered, “What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a deep hole on the Sabbath? Will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12And a human being is worth much more than a sheep! So then, our Law does allow us to help someone on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man with the paralysed hand, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out, and it became well again, just like the other one. 14Then the Pharisees left and made plans to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
15When Jesus heard about the plot against him, he went away from that place; and large crowds followed him. He healed all those who were ill 16and gave them orders not to tell others about him. 17He did this so as to make what God had said through the prophet Isaiah come true:
18 #
Is 42.1–4 (LXX) “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
the one I love, and with whom I am pleased.
I will send my Spirit upon him,
and he will announce my judgement to the nations.
19He will not argue or shout,
or make loud speeches in the streets.
20He will not break off a bent reed,
or put out a flickering lamp.
He will persist until he causes justice to triumph,
21and in him all peoples will put their hope.”
Jesus and Beelzebul
(Mk 3.20–30; Lk 11.14–23)
22Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man, so that he was able to talk and see. 23The crowds were all amazed at what Jesus had done. “Could he be the Son of David?” they asked.
24 #
Mt 9.34; 10.25 When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so.”
25Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, “Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart. 26So if one group is fighting another in Satan's kingdom, this means that it is already divided into groups and will soon fall apart! 27You say that I drive out demons because Beelzebul gives me the power to do so. Well, then, who gives your followers the power to drive them out? What your own followers do proves that you are wrong! 28No, it is not Beelzebul, but God's Spirit, who gives me the power to drive out demons, which proves that the Kingdom of God has already come upon you.
29 “No one can break into a strong man's house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house.
30 #
Mk 9.40
“Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering. 31And so I tell you that people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say;#12.31 evil thing they say; or evil thing they say against God. but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 32#Lk 12.10Anyone who says something against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven — now or ever.
A Tree and its Fruit
(Lk 6.43–45)
33 #
Mt 7.20; Lk 6.44 “To have good fruit you must have a healthy tree; if you have a poor tree, you will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it bears. 34#Mt 3.7; 23.33; 15.18; Lk 3.7; 6.45You snakes — how can you say good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35A good person brings good things out of a treasure of good things; a bad person brings bad things out of a treasure of bad things.
36 “You can be sure that on Judgement Day everyone will have to give account of every useless word he has ever spoken. 37Your words will be used to judge you — to declare you either innocent or guilty.”
The Demand for a Miracle
(Mk 8.11–12; Lk 11.29–32)
38 #
Mt 16.1; Mk 8.11; Lk 11.16 Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up. “Teacher,” they said, “we want to see you perform a miracle.”
39 #
Mt 16.4; Mk 8.12 “How evil and godless are the people of this day!” Jesus exclaimed. “You ask me for a miracle? No! The only miracle you will be given is the miracle of the prophet Jonah. 40#Jon 1.17In the same way that Jonah spent three days and nights in the big fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and nights in the depths of the earth. 41#Jon 3.5On Judgement Day the people of Nineveh will stand up and accuse you, because they turned from their sins when they heard Jonah preach; and I tell you that there is something here greater than Jonah! 42#1 Kgs 10.1–10; 2 Chr 9.1–12On Judgement Day the Queen of Sheba will stand up and accuse you, because she travelled all the way from her country to listen to King Solomon's wise teaching; and I assure you that there is something here greater than Solomon!
The Return of the Evil Spirit
(Lk 11.24–26)
43 “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, 44it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house.’ So it goes back and finds the house empty, clean, and all tidy. 45Then it goes out and brings along seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in a worse state than he was at the beginning. This is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Mk 3.31–35; Lk 8.19–21)
46Jesus was still talking to the people when his mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside, asking to speak with him. 47So one of the people there said to him, “Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak with you.”#12.47 Some manuscripts do not have verse 47.
48Jesus answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers! 50Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants him to do is my brother, my sister, and my mother.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.