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)

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.”

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) 2} But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful^[c] on the Sabbath?”^{(B) 3} Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?^{(C) 4} How he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?”^{(D) 5} Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”