1 AT that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grain-fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain to eat.

2 When the Pharisees saw it they said, "See, your disciples are doing what is not allowable on the Sabbath."

3 He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he and his men were hungry?

4 how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread which it was not allowable either for him to eat or for his men, but only for the priests?

5 Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath and yet are guiltless?

6 I tell you that something greater than the Temple is here.

7 If you had understood this, 'I desire kindness and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

9 Passing over from there, he came into their synagogue.

10 A man was there with a withered hand. They asked Jesus, "Is it allowable to heal on the Sabbath?" \'97 so that they might have something to accuse him of.

11 He said to them, "What man is there of you who, if he has one sheep, and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold on it and lift it out?

12 But how much more is a man worth than a sheep! So it is allowable to do good on the Sabbath."

13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and it was restored as sound as the other.

14 The Pharisees went out and plotted against him how they could destroy him.

15 But Jesus was aware of it and went away from that place. Many followed him and he healed them all;

16 but he gave strict orders to them not to make him known.

17 It was in fulfillment of these words of Isaiah the prophet,

18 "Behold my servant whom I have chosen, the Beloved in whom my soul delights. I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not strive nor cry, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a low-burning wick he will, not quench, until he has carried justice to victory.

21 In his name will Gentiles hope."

22 Then there was brought to Jesus a demoniac, blind and dumb. He healed him so that he spoke and saw.

23 All the crowds were astonished and said, "Is not this man the Son of David?"

24 The Pharisees when they heard it said, "This man casts out demons only through Beelzebul the Chief of the demons."

25 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desolation, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

27 If I by Beelzebul am casting out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is right upon you.

29 How can any one enter the house of a strong man and seize his goods unless he first binds the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

31 Therefore I say to you, every sin and profane word will be forgiven to men, but any profane word against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32 Whoever says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come.

33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree bad and its fruit bad. For from the fruit the tree is known.

34 Brood of vipers, how can you who are evil speak good things? For from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 The good man out of his good treasury pours out good things, and the bad man out of his bad treasury pours out bad things.

36 I tell you, for every idle word that men speak they will give full account in the day of judgment,

37 for from your words you will be justified and from your words you will be condemned."

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."

39 He answered them, "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign. But no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and more than Jonah is here.

42 The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and more than Solomon is here.

43 "When the impure spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest and finds none.

44 Then he says, 'I will return into my house that I left.' And he comes and finds it vacant, swept and in order.

45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits worse than himself, and they enter and live there. So the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Just so will it be with this wicked generation."

46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, trying to speak to him.

47 Some one told him,

48 but he replied, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?"

49 Then, stretching out his hand over his disciples, he said, "See my mother and my brothers!

50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."