The Question about the Sabbath

6 One Sabbath^[a] while Jesus^[b] was going through some grain fields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them.^(A)

²⁵ “If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.^(A)

Pronouncement about the Sabbath

²³ One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.^{(A) 24} The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” ²⁵ And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food, ²⁶ how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions?”^{(B) 27} Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath,^{(C) 28} so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

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.”

⁷ On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations.^(A)

¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.^{(A) 11} He shall raise the sheaf before the Lord, that you may find acceptance; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall raise it.

¹⁵ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day shall be cut off from Israel.^(A)

The Festival of Weeks Reviewed

⁹ “You shall count seven weeks; begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.^(A)

The Festival of Weeks

¹⁵ “And from the day after the Sabbath, from the day on which you bring the sheaf of the elevation offering, you shall count seven full weeks.^(A)