Mark 2:23-3:19

New International Version

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(A)(B)

²³ One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.^{(C) 24} The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”^(D)

²⁵ He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? ²⁶ In the days of Abiathar the high priest,^(E) he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.^(F) And he also gave some to his companions.”^(G)

²⁷ Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man,^(H) not man for the Sabbath.^{(I) 28} So the Son of Man^(J) is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue,^(K) and a man with a shriveled hand was there. ² Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely^(L) to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.^{(M) 3} Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

⁴ Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

⁵ He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶ Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians^(N) how they might kill Jesus.^(O)

Crowds Follow Jesus^(P)

⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.^{(Q) 8} When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.^{(R) 9} Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many,^(S) so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.^{(T) 11} Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”^{(U) 12} But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.^(V)

Jesus Appoints the Twelve^(W)

¹³ Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.^{(X) 14} He appointed twelve^[a](Y) that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach ¹⁵ and to have authority to drive out demons.^{(Z) 16} These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),^{(AA) 17} James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.