Matthew 12

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples became hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"

3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how they entered the house of God, and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, except only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? 6 Yet I say to you that One greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

9 And having departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"—that they might accuse Him.

11 Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who shall have one sheep, and if it should fall into a ditch on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored whole like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, how they might destroy Him.

15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great crowds followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 And He warned them that they should not make Him known, 17 so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

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 announce justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,

nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed He shall not break,

and a smoldering wick He shall not quench,

till He bring forth justice to victory;

21 And in His name the nations shall hope."

The Pharisees Rebuked

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and said, "This is not the Son of David, is it?" 24 But the Pharisees, having heard, said, "This Man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, ruler of the demons." 25 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolate, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how is one able to enter a strong man’s house to plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his household. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

The Unpardonable Sin

31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whoever says a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.

A Tree and Its Fruit

33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of his good treasure brings forth good things, and an evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you, that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. 37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned."

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and she shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

43 "When an unclean spirit goes out from a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and does not find any. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from where I came out.’ And when he comes, he finds it unoccupied, swept, and adorned. 45 Then he goes and takes along with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Thus it shall also be with this wicked generation."

Changed Relationships

46 And while He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." 48 But He answered and said to him that told Him, "Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?" 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold; My mother, and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."