Matthew 12

¹ At^▫ that^▵ time Jesus went on the Sabbaths^* through the grain^◦; and^◦ His disciples were·​·hungry, and began to pluck the ears^◦ of grain, and to eat^◦.

² And^◦ the Pharisees seeing^◦, said^◦ to Him, Behold^◦, Thy disciples do that which is not permitted^▵ to do on^▵ a Sabbath.

³ But^◦ He said to them, Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they who were with him?

⁴ How he entered into the house of God, and ate the bread that was set·​·out, which it was not permitted^▵ for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, except for the priests alone?

⁵ Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbaths the priests in the temple profane and are guiltless?

⁶ And^◦ I say to you that a greater than the temple is here.

⁷ But^◦ if you had known what^◦ this is—I desire^◦ mercy and not sacrifice^*—you would not have condemned^◦ the blameless.

⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

⁹ And passing·​·on thence, He came into their synagogue.

¹⁰ And, behold^◦, there was a man having a dried·​·up hand, and they asked^◦ Him, saying, Is it permitted^▵ to cure on the Sabbaths?—that^◦ they might accuse Him.

¹¹ And^◦ He said to them, What man shall there be of you who shall have one sheep, and if it shall fall into a pit on the Sabbaths, will not take hold of it, and raise it out?

¹² Then of· how much more ·value·​·is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is permitted^▵ on the Sabbaths to do well.

¹³ Then He says to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored, well like the other.

¹⁴ And^◦ the Pharisees took counsel against Him, going out, that they might destroy Him.

¹⁵ But^◦ Jesus knowing it, withdrew from thence; and there followed Him many crowds, and He cured them all;

¹⁶ and admonished^◦ them that· they should ·not^◦ make Him manifest,

¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled what was declared by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁸ Behold^◦, My Servant^◦ whom I have laid hold of; My Beloved, in whom My soul is·​·well·​·pleased; I will put My spirit into Him, and He shall pronounce judgment to the gentiles.

¹⁹ He shall not contend, nor cry; neither shall anyone hear His voice in the streets.

²⁰ A bruised reed He shall not break^◦, and smoldering flax He shall not quench, until He put forth judgment to victory.

²¹ In His name the Gentiles shall hope.^*

²² Then one demon-possessed was brought·​·to Him, blind and mute; and He cured him, so·​·that^◦ the blind and mute both spoke and saw^▫.

²³ And all the crowds were·​·amazed, and said, Is not^◦ this the Son of David?

²⁴ But^◦ the Pharisees hearing said^◦, This Man does not cast·​·out demons except by^◦ Beelzebub^* the ruler of the demons.

²⁵ But^◦ Jesus, knowing^◦ their thoughts^▵, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand.

²⁶ And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall 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 in the spirit^* of God, certainly the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²⁹ Or, how can anyone enter into the house of the strong one and plunder his vessels, unless he first bind the strong one? And then he will plunder his house.

³⁰ He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who gathers not with Me, scatters.

³¹ Wherefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven^* men; but^◦ the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven men.

³² And whoever says a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but^◦ whoever shall say it against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that to come.

³³ Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for from the fruit the tree is known.

³⁴ Brood of vipers, how can you speak good things, being wicked? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

³⁵ The good man out·​·of the good treasure of the heart puts forth good things; and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure puts forth wicked things.

³⁶ But^◦ I say unto you, that every idle^* saying which men shall speak, they shall render a word^* concerning it in the day of judgment.

³⁷ For^◦ out·​·of thy words thou shalt be justified, and out·​·of thy words thou shalt be condemned^◦.

³⁸ Then answered some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, Teacher, we will to see^◦ a sign from Thee.

³⁹ But^◦ He answering said^◦ to them, A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

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

⁴¹ The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold^◦, more than Jonah is here.

⁴² The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because she came from the uttermost·​·parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold^◦, more than Solomon is here.

⁴³ And^◦ when the unclean spirit has come·​·out from the man, he passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it.

⁴⁴ Then he says, I will return into my house, whence I came out; and coming, he finds it empty^◦, swept, and adorned.

⁴⁵ Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last things of that man are worse than the first. So shall it also be to this wicked generation.

⁴⁶ And^◦ while He yet spoke to the crowds, behold^◦, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him.

⁴⁷ And^◦ someone said^◦ to Him, Behold^◦, Thy mother and Thy brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to Thee.

⁴⁸ But^◦ He answering said to those who told Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?

⁴⁹ And stretching forth His hand to His disciples, He said, Behold^◦, My mother and My brothers.

⁵⁰ For whoever shall do the will of My Father who is in the heavens, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.