12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.
12:2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
12:3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
12:4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread–which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
12:5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
12:6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
12:7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
12:9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,
12:10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
12:11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
12:12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
12:13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
12:15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick,
12:16 warning them not to tell who he was.
12:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
12:18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
12:20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.
12:21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”
12:22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
12:23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
12:25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
12:26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
12:27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
12:28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
12:29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.
12:30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
12:31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
12:32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
12:35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
12:37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
12:38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”
12:39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
12:41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
12:42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
12:43 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
12:45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
12:46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
12:47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
12:48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
12:49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.
12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
12:1 At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields. And His disciples became hungry and began to pick ears of grain and eat.
12:2 But the Pharisees, seeing this, said to Him, Behold, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.
12:3 But He said to them, Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, and those who were with him;
12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, except for the priests only?
12:5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?
12:6 But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
12:7 But if you knew what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.
12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
12:9 And departing from there, He came into their synagogue.
12:10 And behold, a man who had a withered hand was there. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? so that they might accuse Him.
12:11 And He said to them, What man will there be among you who will have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath.
12:13 Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out and it was restored, as sound as the other.
12:14 But the Pharisees, going out, took counsel against Him as to how they might destroy Him.
12:15 But Jesus, knowing it, withdrew from there. And many followed Him, and He healed them all;
12:16 And He charged them not to make Him known,
12:17 In order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,
12:18 Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul has found delight. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the Gentiles.
12:19 He will not strive nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
12:20 A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench until He brings forth justice unto victory.
12:21 And in His name will the Gentiles hope.
12:22 Then there was brought to Him one possessed by a demon, blind and dumb, and He healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw.
12:23 And all the crowds were amazed and said, Is this not the Son of David?
12:24 But the Pharisees, hearing this, said, This man does not cast out the demons except by Beelzebul, ruler of the demons.
12:25 But knowing their thoughts, He said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself becomes desolate, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
12:26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
12:27 And if I, by Beelzebul, cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
12:28 But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
12:29 Or how can anyone enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will thoroughly plunder his house.
12:30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
12:31 Therefore I say to you, Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the one to come.
12:33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for by the fruit the tree is known.
12:34 Offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
12:35 The good man, out of his good treasure, brings forth good things, and the evil man, out of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things.
12:36 And I say to you that every idle word which men shall speak, they will render an account concerning it in the day of judgment.
12:37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.
12:39 But He answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
12:41 Ninevite men will stand up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something more than Jonah is here.
12:42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something more than Solomon is here.
12:43 When the unclean spirit goes out from the man, it roams through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it.
12:44 Then it says, I will return to my house from which I came out. And it comes and finds it unoccupied, swept, and decorated.
12:45 Then it goes and takes along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter in and settle down there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Thus shall it be also with this evil generation.
12:46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and His brothers stood outside seeking to speak to Him.
12:47 And someone said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.
12:48 But He answered and said to him who spoke to Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?
12:49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, Behold, My mother and My brothers!
12:50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in the heavens, he is My brother and sister and mother.