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Matthew 11-13
New American Standard Bible
Matthew 11-13
New American Standard Bible
John’s Questions
11 (A)When Jesus had finished [a]giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there (B)to teach and [b]preach in their cities.
2 (C)Now while in prison, (D)John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples, 3 and said to Him, “Are You (E)the Coming One, or are we to [c]look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 (F)those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the (G)poor have the [d]gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is [e]any person who (H)does not [f]take offense at Me.”
Jesus’ Tribute to John
7 As these disciples of John were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into (I)the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 [g]But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ [h]palaces! 9 [i]But what did you go out to see? (J)A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it [j]is written:
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And (L)from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is (M)Elijah who [l]was to come. 15 (N)The one who has ears to hear, [m]let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the other children, 17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not [n]mourn.’ 18 For John came neither (O)eating nor (P)drinking, and they say, ‘(Q)He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a [o]heavy drinker, (R)a friend of tax collectors and [p]sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
The Unrepenting Cities
20 Then He began to reprimand the cities in which most of His [q](S)miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “(T)Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, (U)Bethsaida! For if the [r]miracles that occurred in you had occurred in (V)Tyre and (W)Sidon, they would have repented long ago in [s](X)sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, (Y)it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on (Z)the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, (AA)Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be (AB)brought down to (AC)Hades! For if the [t]miracles that occurred in you had occurred in (AD)Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 Nevertheless I say to you that (AE)it will be more tolerable for the land of (AF)Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”
Come to Me
25 [u](AG)At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, (AH)Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that (AI)You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants. 26 Yes, (AJ)Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight. 27 (AK)All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father (AL)except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him.
28 “(AM)Come to Me, all [v]who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and (AN)learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and (AO)you will find [w]rest for your souls. 30 For (AP)My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”
Sabbath Questions
12 [x](AQ)At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to (AR)pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what (AS)is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions— 4 how he entered the house of God, and (AT)they ate the [y]consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple [z]violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? 6 But I say to you that something (AU)greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this [aa]means: ‘(AV)I desire [ab]compassion, [ac]rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned [ad]the innocent.
Lord of the Sabbath
8 For (AW)the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 (AX)Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned [ae]Jesus, asking, “(AY)Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might bring charges against Him. 11 But He said to them, “(AZ)What man [af]is there among you who [ag]has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 (BA)How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do [ah]good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” (BB)He stretched it out, and it was restored to [ai]normal, like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and [aj](BC)conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
15 But Jesus, [ak]aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and (BD)He healed them all, 16 and (BE)warned them not to [al]tell who He was. 17 This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
18 “(BF)Behold, My [am]Servant whom I [an]have chosen;
(BG)My Beloved in whom My soul [ao]delights;
(BH)I will put My Spirit upon Him,
(BI)And He will proclaim [ap]justice to the [aq]Gentiles.
19 (BJ)He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 (BK)A bent reed He will not break off,
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish,
Until He [ar]leads [as]justice to victory.
21 (BL)And in His name the [at]Gentiles will hope.”
The Pharisees Rebuked
22 (BM)Then a (BN)demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to [au]Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and [av]could see. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the (BO)Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man (BP)casts out demons only by [aw]Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
25 (BQ)And (BR)knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if (BS)Satan is casting out Satan, he [ax]has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if (BT)by [ay]Beelzebul I cast out the demons, (BU)by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 28 But (BV)if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
The Unpardonable Sin
30 (BW)The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.
31 “(BX)Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 (BY)And whoever speaks 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 (BZ)this age or in the age to come.
Words Reveal Character
33 “Either [az]assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or [ba]assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for (CA)the tree is known by its fruit. 34 (CB)You [bb]offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? (CC)For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. 35 (CD)The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. 36 But I tell you that for every [bc]careless word that people [bd]speak, they will give an account of it on the (CE)day of judgment. 37 For [be]by your words you will be justified, and [bf]by your words you will be condemned.”
The Desire for Signs
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, (CF)we want to see a [bg]sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “(CG)An evil and adulterous generation craves a [bh]sign; and so no [bi]sign will be given to it except the [bj]sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as (CH)Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will (CI)the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for (CJ)three days and three nights. 41 (CK)The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because (CL)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something (CM)greater than Jonah is here. 42 (CN)The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something (CO)greater than Solomon is here.
43 “(CP)Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and (CQ)the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
Changed Relationships
46 (CR)While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His (CS)mother and (CT)brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 [[bk]Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”] 48 But [bl]Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49 And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Jesus Teaches in Parables
13 On that day Jesus had gone out of (CU)the house and was sitting (CV)by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so (CW)He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
3 And He told them many things in (CX)parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell [bm]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a (CY)hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. 9 (CZ)The one who has ears, [bn]let him hear.”
An Explanation for Parables
10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And [bo]Jesus answered them, “(DA)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 (DB)For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while (DC)seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And [bp]in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘[bq](DD)You shall keep on listening, [br]but shall not understand;
And [bs]you shall keep on looking, [bt]but shall not perceive;
15 (DE)For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’
16 (DF)But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that (DG)many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18 “(DH)Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears (DI)the [bu]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, (DJ)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [bv]word, immediately he [bw](DK)falls away. 22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of (DL)the [bx]world and the (DM)deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it [by]becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some (DN)a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”
Weeds among Wheat
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “(DO)The kingdom of heaven [bz]is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [ca]weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the [cb]wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. 27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [cc]How then does it have weeds?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘[cd]An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he *said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but (DP)gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Mustard Seed
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “(DQ)The kingdom of heaven is like (DR)a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that (DS)the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”
The Leaven
33 He spoke another parable to them: “(DT)The kingdom of heaven is like [ce]leaven, which a woman took and hid in (DU)three [cf]sata of flour until it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them (DV)without a parable. 35 This was so that what was spoken through the prophet would be [cg]fulfilled:
“(DW)I will open My mouth in parables;
I will proclaim things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Weeds Explained
36 Then He left the crowds and went into (DX)the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “(DY)Explain to us the parable of the [ch]weeds of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is (DZ)the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are (EA)the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are (EB)the sons of (EC)the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is (ED)the [ci]end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at (EE)the [cj]end of the age. 41 (EF)The Son of Man (EG)will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom [ck]all (EH)stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and they (EI)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place (EJ)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 (EK)Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (EL)The one who has ears, [cl]let him hear.
Hidden Treasure
44 “(EM)The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from [cm]joy over it he goes and (EN)sells everything that he has, and buys that field.
A Costly Pearl
45 “Again, (EO)the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.
A Dragnet
47 “Again, (EP)the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they pulled it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at (EQ)the [cn]end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and they (ER)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place (ES)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And [co]Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure new things and old.”
Jesus Revisits Nazareth
53 (ET)When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 And (EU)He came to [cp]His hometown and (EV)began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that (EW)they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these [cq]miraculous powers? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is (EX)His mother not called Mary, and His (EY)brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And (EZ)His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?” 57 And they took (FA)offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “(FB)A prophet is not dishonored except in his [cr]hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many [cs]miracles there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 11:1 Or commanding
- Matthew 11:1 Or proclaim
- Matthew 11:3 Or wait for
- Matthew 11:5 Or good news
- Matthew 11:6 Lit whoever
- Matthew 11:6 Or stumble over Me
- Matthew 11:8 Or Well then,
- Matthew 11:8 Lit houses
- Matthew 11:9 Or Well then,
- Matthew 11:10 Lit has been written
- Matthew 11:10 Lit before Your face
- Matthew 11:14 Or is going to come
- Matthew 11:15 Or hear! Or listen!
- Matthew 11:17 Lit beat the breast
- Matthew 11:19 Or wine drinker
- Matthew 11:19 I.e., irreligious Jews
- Matthew 11:20 Or works of power
- Matthew 11:21 Or works of power
- Matthew 11:21 I.e., symbols of mourning
- Matthew 11:23 Or works of power
- Matthew 11:25 Or On that occasion
- Matthew 11:28 Or who work to exhaustion
- Matthew 11:29 Or a resting place
- Matthew 12:1 Or On that occasion
- Matthew 12:4 Lit loaves of presentation
- Matthew 12:5 Or profane
- Matthew 12:7 Lit is
- Matthew 12:7 Or mercy
- Matthew 12:7 Lit and not
- Matthew 12:7 Plural in the Gr
- Matthew 12:10 Lit Him
- Matthew 12:11 Lit will be from you
- Matthew 12:11 Lit will have
- Matthew 12:12 Lit well
- Matthew 12:13 Lit health
- Matthew 12:14 Lit took counsel
- Matthew 12:15 Lit knowing
- Matthew 12:16 Lit make Him known
- Matthew 12:18 Lit Child
- Matthew 12:18 Lit chose
- Matthew 12:18 Or took pleasure
- Matthew 12:18 Or judgment
- Matthew 12:18 Or nations
- Matthew 12:20 Or brings forth
- Matthew 12:20 Or judgment
- Matthew 12:21 Or nations
- Matthew 12:22 Lit Him
- Matthew 12:22 Lit saw
- Matthew 12:24 Or Beezebul; meaning uncertain, perhaps lord prince, referring to Satan
- Matthew 12:26 Lit was
- Matthew 12:27 See note v 24
- Matthew 12:33 Lit make
- Matthew 12:33 Lit make
- Matthew 12:34 Or brood
- Matthew 12:36 Or useless
- Matthew 12:36 Lit will speak
- Matthew 12:37 Or in accordance with
- Matthew 12:37 Or in accordance with
- Matthew 12:38 I.e., confirming miracle
- Matthew 12:39 I.e., confirming miracle
- Matthew 12:39 I.e., confirming miracle
- Matthew 12:39 I.e., confirming miracle
- Matthew 12:47 This verse is not found in early mss
- Matthew 12:48 Lit He
- Matthew 13:7 Lit upon
- Matthew 13:9 Or hear! Or listen!
- Matthew 13:11 Lit He
- Matthew 13:14 Lit for them
- Matthew 13:14 Lit With a hearing you shall hear; a Heb idiom
- Matthew 13:14 Lit and
- Matthew 13:14 Lit Seeing you shall see
- Matthew 13:14 Lit and
- Matthew 13:19 I.e., message
- Matthew 13:21 I.e., message
- Matthew 13:21 I.e., from the faith
- Matthew 13:22 Or age
- Matthew 13:22 Or proves to be unfruitful
- Matthew 13:24 Lit has been compared to
- Matthew 13:25 Prob. darnel, a weed resembling wheat
- Matthew 13:26 Lit grass
- Matthew 13:27 Lit From where
- Matthew 13:28 Lit A hostile person
- Matthew 13:33 I.e., fermented dough
- Matthew 13:33 A Gr term for a Heb measure, totaling about 48 lb. or 22 kg of flour
- Matthew 13:35 Lit fulfilled, saying
- Matthew 13:36 Prob. darnel, a weed resembling wheat
- Matthew 13:39 Or consummation
- Matthew 13:40 Or consummation
- Matthew 13:41 Or everything that is offensive
- Matthew 13:43 Or hear! Or listen!
- Matthew 13:44 Or his joy, he goes
- Matthew 13:49 Or consummation
- Matthew 13:52 Lit He
- Matthew 13:54 Or His own part of the country
- Matthew 13:54 Or miracles
- Matthew 13:57 Or own part of the country
- Matthew 13:58 Or works of power
Matthew 11-13
New International Version
Matthew 11-13
New International Version
Jesus and John the Baptist(A)
11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,(B) he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.[a]
2 When John,(C) who was in prison,(D) heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,(E) or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.(F) 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”(G)
7 As John’s(H) disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness(I) to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?(J) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,[d] and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.(M) 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.(N) 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.(O)
16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17 “‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating(P) nor drinking,(Q) and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’(R) But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Woe on Unrepentant Towns(S)
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!(T) For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon,(U) they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.(V) 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.(W) 23 And you, Capernaum,(X) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[e](Y) For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”(Z)
The Father Revealed in the Son(AA)
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father,(AB) Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.(AC) 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me(AD) by my Father.(AE) No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.(AF)
28 “Come to me,(AG) all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(AH) 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,(AI) for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.(AJ) 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”(AK)
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(AL)(AM)
12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain(AN) and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(AO)
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(AP) 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.(AQ) 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath(AR) and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(AS) 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[f](AT) you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man(AU) is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,(AV) they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(AW)
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?(AX) 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!(AY) Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
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. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.(AZ)
God’s Chosen Servant
15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.(BA) 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.(BB) 17 This was to fulfill(BC) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;(BD)
I will put my Spirit on him,(BE)
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”[g](BF)
Jesus and Beelzebul(BG)
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.(BH) 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”(BI)
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,(BJ) the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”(BK)
25 Jesus knew their thoughts(BL) and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan(BM) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,(BN) by whom do your people(BO) drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God(BP) has come upon you.
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 plunder his house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(BQ) 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.(BR) 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(BS) or in the age to come.(BT)
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.(BU) 34 You brood of vipers,(BV) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks(BW) what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”(BX)
The Sign of Jonah(BY)(BZ)
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign(CA) from you.”(CB)
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(CC) 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,(CD) so the Son of Man(CE) will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.(CF) 41 The men of Nineveh(CG) will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,(CH) and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came(CI) from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 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. 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 person is worse than the first.(CJ) That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(CK)
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother(CL) and brothers(CM) stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven(CN) is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Parable of the Sower(CO)(CP)(CQ)
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house(CR) and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat(CS) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(CT) sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”(CU)
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(CV) has been given to you,(CW) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(CX) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(CY)
14 In them is fulfilled(CZ) the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[h](DA)
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(DB) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(DC) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(DD) and does not understand it, the evil one(DE) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.(DF) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(DG) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(DH)
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(DI) a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”(DJ)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(DK)(DL)
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(DM) a mustard seed,(DN) which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”(DO)
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(DP) yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[i] of flour(DQ) until it worked all through the dough.”(DR)
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.(DS) 35 So was fulfilled(DT) what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[j](DU)
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable(DV) of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.(DW) 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,(DX) 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest(DY) is the end of the age,(DZ) and the harvesters are angels.(EA)
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man(EB) will send out his angels,(EC) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(ED) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun(EE) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.(EF)
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like(EG) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.(EH)
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like(EI) a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like(EJ) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds(EK) of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous(EL) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(EM)
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
A Prophet Without Honor(EN)
53 When Jesus had finished these parables,(EO) he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,(EP) and they were amazed.(EQ) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?(ER) Isn’t his mother’s(ES) name Mary, and aren’t his brothers(ET) James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense(EU) at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”(EV)
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Footnotes
- Matthew 11:1 Greek in their towns
- Matthew 11:5 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
- Matthew 11:10 Mal. 3:1
- Matthew 11:12 Or been forcefully advancing
- Matthew 11:23 That is, the realm of the dead
- Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
- Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4
- Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
- Matthew 13:33 Or about 27 kilograms
- Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2
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