Matthew 12
New Testament for Everyone
Lord of the sabbath
12 At that time Jesus went through the cornfields on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears of corn and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees observed this they said to him, “Look here! Your disciples are doing something that’s not permitted on the sabbath!”
3 “Did you never read what David did?” replied Jesus. “When he and his men were hungry, 4 they went into God’s house and ate the holy bread which neither he nor his men were allowed to eat—only the priests had that right. 5 Or didn’t you read in the law that the priests in the Temple do things on the sabbath which are against sabbath law—and they aren’t guilty? 6 Let me tell you this: something greater than the Temple is here. 7 If you’d known what this saying means:
Mercy, not sacrifice, is what I really want—
you wouldn’t have passed judgment on blameless people. 8 Yes, you see: the son of man is master of the sabbath, too.”
9 He left the place and went into their synagogue, 10 where there was a man with a withered hand.
They put the question to him: “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?”
(They asked this so that they could frame a charge against him.)
11 “Supposing one of you has just one sheep,” replied Jesus, “and it falls into a ditch on the sabbath. You’ll grab it and haul it out, won’t you? 12 Well then, think how much more important a human being is than a sheep! So, you see, it is permitted to do good on the sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch your hand out.” He stretched it out, and it was restored to health, just like the other one. 14 But the Pharisees went off and plotted against him, with the intention of doing away with him.
The servant
15 Jesus discovered the plots against him, and left the district. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all, 16 giving them strict instructions not to tell people about him. 17 This was so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might come true:
18 Look! Here’s my servant, whom I chose;
my beloved one, my heart’s delight.
My spirit I will place on him,
and he’ll announce true judgment
to the whole wide world.
19 He will not argue, nor will he
lift up his voice and shout aloud;
nobody in the streets will hear
his voice. 20 He will not break the damaged
reed, or snuff the guttering lamp,
until his judgment wins the day.
21 The world will hope upon his name.
Jesus and Beelzebul
22 They brought to Jesus a man who was possessed by a demon that made him unable to see or speak. Jesus healed him, so that the sick man was able to talk and see. 23 All the crowds were astonished.
“He can’t be David’s Son, can he?” they said.
24 The Pharisees heard this.
“The fellow can only cast out demons,” they said, “because he’s in league with Beelzebul, the prince of demons!”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts. “Suppose a kingdom is split down the middle,” he said to them. “It’ll go to rack and ruin! If a city or a household is split down the middle, it’s doomed! 26 And if the satan drives out the satan, he’s split down the middle—so how can his kingdom stay standing?
27 “What’s more, if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, whose power are your people channeling when they cast them out? Yes, they’ll tell you what’s what! 28 But if I’m casting out demons because I’m in league with God’s spirit—well, then, God’s kingdom has arrived on your doorstep!
29 “Look at it like this. Suppose you want to break into a strong man’s house and steal his belongings. How are you going to do that unless you first tie up the strong man? Then you can plunder his house to your heart’s content. 30 If you’re not with me, you’re against me. Unless you’re gathering the flock with me, you’re scattering it.
31 “So let me tell you this: people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy; but blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. 32 If anyone speaks a word against the son of man, it will be forgiven. But if anyone speaks a word against the holy spirit, it won’t be forgiven, either in the present age or in the age to come.”
The sign of Jonah
33 “You must make up your mind between two possibilities,” Jesus went on. “Either the tree is good, in which case its fruit is good; or the tree is bad, in which case its fruit is bad. You can tell the tree by its fruits, after all.
34 “You’re a family of snakes! How can you say good things when you’re bad inside? What the mouth speaks is what fills the heart. 35 A good person produces good things from a good storeroom; an evil person produces evil things from an evil storeroom. 36 Let me tell you this: on judgment day people will have to own up to every trivial word they say. 37 Yes: you will be vindicated by your own words—and you will be condemned by your own words.”
38 “Teacher,” responded some of the scribes and Pharisees. “We would like to see a sign from you.”
39 “This wicked and immoral generation is looking for a sign,” replied Jesus. “But no sign will be given to it—except the sign of Jonah. 40 Jonah, you see, was in the stomach of the sea-monster for three days and three nights—and in the same way the son of man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment along with this generation and will condemn it. They, after all, repented when they heard Jonah’s warnings! And, in case you hadn’t noticed, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will be raised at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it. She, after all, came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon! And, in case you hadn’t noticed, something greater than Solomon is here.”
Jesus’ true family
43 “When the unclean spirit goes out of a person,” Jesus continued, “it goes wandering through waterless places looking for somewhere to rest, and doesn’t find anywhere. 44 Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house, the one I left.’ When it gets there it finds it standing empty, clean and tidy. 45 Then it goes out and collects seven other spirits to join it, spirits worse than itself. They go in and take up residence there. The poor person ends up worse off than they were to start with! And that’s what will happen with this wicked generation.”
46 Suddenly, while he was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers came and stood outside, hoping for a chance to speak to him.
47 “Look,” someone said to him, “your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.”
48 “Who is my mother?” said Jesus to the person who had spoken to him. “Who are my brothers?”
49 Then he stretched out his hand towards his disciples.
“Look!” he said. “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 Yes; anyone who does what my heavenly father wants is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.”
Matthew 12
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
12 At that [a]particular time Jesus went through the fields of standing grain on the Sabbath; and His disciples were hungry, and they began to pick off the spikes of grain and to eat.(A)
2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, See there! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful and not permitted on the Sabbath.
3 He said to them, Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, and those who accompanied him—(B)
4 How he went into the house of God and ate the loaves of the showbread—which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for the men who accompanied him, but for the priests only?
5 Or have you never read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath [breaking it] and yet are guiltless?(C)
6 But I tell you, Something greater and [b]more exalted and more majestic than the temple is here!
7 And if you had only known what this saying means, I desire mercy [readiness to help, to spare, to forgive] rather than sacrifice and sacrificial victims, you would not have condemned the guiltless.(D)
8 For the Son of Man is Lord [even] of the Sabbath.
9 And going on from there, He went into their synagogue.
10 And behold, a man was there with one withered hand. And they said to Him, Is it lawful or allowable to cure people on the Sabbath days?—that they might accuse Him.
11 But He said to them, What man is there among you, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit or ditch on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
12 How much better and of more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and allowable to do good on the Sabbath days.
13 Then He said to the man, Reach out your hand. And the man reached it out and it was restored, as sound as the other one.
14 But the Pharisees went out and held a consultation against Him, how they might do away with Him.
15 But being aware of this, Jesus went away from there. And many people [c]joined and accompanied Him, and He cured all of them,
16 And strictly charged them and sharply warned them not to make Him [d]publicly known.
17 This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah,
18 Behold, My Servant Whom I have chosen, My Beloved in and with Whom My soul is well pleased and [e]has found its delight. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim and [f]show forth justice to the nations.
19 He will not strive or wrangle or cry out loudly; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets;
20 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings [g]justice and a just cause to victory.
21 And in and on His name will the Gentiles (the [h]peoples outside of Israel) set their hopes.(E)
22 Then a blind and dumb man under the power of a demon was brought to Jesus, and He cured him, so that the blind and dumb man both spoke and saw.
23 And all the [crowds of] people were stunned with bewildered wonder and said, This cannot be the Son of David, can it?
24 But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, This [i]Man drives out demons only by and with the help of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
25 And knowing their thoughts, He said to them, Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to stand.
26 And if Satan drives out Satan, he has become divided against himself and disunified; how then will his kingdom last or continue to stand?
27 And if I drive out the demons by [help of] Beelzebub, by whose [help] do your sons drive them out? [j]For this reason they shall be your judges.
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [[k]before you expected it].
29 Or how can a person go into a strong man’s house and carry off his goods (the entire equipment of his house) without first binding the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
30 He who is not with Me [definitely [l]on My side] is against Me, and he who does not [definitely] gather with Me and for [m]My side scatters.
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy (every evil, abusive, [n]injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things) can be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit shall not and [o]cannot be forgiven.
32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Spirit, the Holy One, will not be forgiven, either in this world and age or in the world and age to come.
33 Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad); for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit.
34 You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the [p]superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 The good man from his inner good treasure [q]flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse [r]flings forth evil things.
36 But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every [s]idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak.
37 For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, Teacher, we desire to see a sign or miracle from You [proving that You are what You claim to be].
39 But He replied to them, An evil and adulterous generation (a generation [t]morally unfaithful to God) seeks and demands a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.(F)
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 behold, Someone more and greater than Jonah is here!(G)
42 The queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, Someone more and greater than Solomon is here.(H)
43 But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any.
44 Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated.
45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation.
46 Jesus was still speaking to the people when behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him.
47 [u]Someone said to Him, Listen! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.
48 But He replied to the man who told Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?
49 And stretching out His hand toward [not only the twelve disciples but all] [v]His adherents, 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!
Footnotes
- Matthew 12:1 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 12:6 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 12:15 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 12:16 John Darby, The New Testament, a New Translation.
- Matthew 12:18 John Darby, The New Testament, a New Translation.
- Matthew 12:18 John Darby, The New Testament, a New Translation.
- Matthew 12:20 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 12:21 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 12:24 Capitalized because of what He is, the spotless Son of God, not what the speakers may have thought He was.
- Matthew 12:27 John Darby, The New Testament, a New Translation.
- Matthew 12:28 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 12:30 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 12:30 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 12:31 Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation.
- Matthew 12:31 Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation.
- Matthew 12:34 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Matthew 12:35 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 12:35 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 12:36 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 12:39 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 12:47 Some manuscripts omit verse 47.
- Matthew 12:49 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
