Matthew 12-13

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.^{(A) 2} When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”^{(B) 3} He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?^{(C) 4} How he entered the house of God, and they^[a] ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?^{(D) 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?^{(E) 6} I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.^{(F) 7} But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.^{(G) 8} For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

The Man with a Withered Hand

⁹ He left that place and entered their synagogue; ¹⁰ a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him.^{(H) 11} He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?^{(I) 12} How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”^{(J) 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 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.^(K)

God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵ When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many^[b] followed him, and he cured all of them,^{(L) 16} and he ordered them not to make him known.^{(M) 17} This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

Jesus and Beelzebul

²² Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see.^{(O) 23} All the crowds were amazed and were saying, “Can this be the Son of David?”^{(P) 24} But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this man casts out the demons.”^{(Q) 25} He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.^{(R) 26} If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists^[c] cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.^{(S) 28} But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.^{(T) 29} Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. ³⁰ Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^{(U) 31} Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.^{(V) 32} Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.^(W)

A Tree and Its Fruit

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.^{(X) 34} You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.^{(Y) 35} The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. ³⁶ I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter, ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”^{(Z) 39} But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.^{(AA) 40} For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.^{(AB) 41} The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and indeed something greater than Jonah is here!^{(AC) 42} The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed something greater than Solomon is here!^(AD)

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

⁴³ “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it returns, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.”^(AE)

The True Kindred of Jesus

⁴⁶ While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him.^{(AF) 47} Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”^{[d] 48} But to the one who had told him this, Jesus^[e] replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”^(AG)

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ² Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach.^{(AH) 3} And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.^{(AI) 9} If you have ears,^[f] hear!”^(AJ)

The Purpose of the Parables

¹⁰ Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets^[g] of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.^{(AK) 12} For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.^{(AL) 13} The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’^{(AM) 14} With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:

¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.^{(AP) 17} Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.^(AQ)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸ “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.^{(AR) 20} As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹ yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.^{[h](AS) 22} As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this^[i] age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.^{(AT) 23} But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”^(AU)

The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat

²⁴ He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field,^{(AV) 25} but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷ And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ²⁸ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he replied, ‘No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both of them grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”^(AW)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;^{(AX) 32} it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”^(AY)

The Parable of the Yeast

³³ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with^[j] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”^(AZ)

The Use of Parables

³⁴ Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.^{(BA) 35} This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:^[k]

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸ the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one,^{(BC) 39} and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.^{(BD) 40} Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.^{(BE) 41} The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin^[m] and all evildoers,^{(BF) 42} and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^{(BG) 43} Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears^[n] listen!^(BH)

Three Parables

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.^(BI)

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ⁴⁶ on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;^{(BJ) 48} when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous^{(BK) 50} and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(BL)

Treasures New and Old

⁵¹ “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” ⁵² And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” ⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.^(BM)

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

⁵⁴ He came to his hometown and began to teach the people^[o] in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power?^{(BN) 55} Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?^{(BO) 56} And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own hometown and in their own house.”^{(BP) 58} And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.