Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath.^(A) His disciples^(B) were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful^(C) to do on the Sabbath.”

³ He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: ⁴ how he entered the house of God, and they ate^[a] the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?^{(D) 5} Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?^{(E) 6} I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.^{(F) 7} If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice,^[b](G) you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”^(H)

The Man with the Shriveled Hand

⁹ Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue.^{(I) 10} There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” ^(J)

¹¹ He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?^{(K) 12} A person is worth far more than a sheep; ^(L) so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”

¹³ Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored,^(M) as good as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.^(N)

3 Jesus^(A) entered the synagogue^(B) again, and a man was there who had a shriveled^(C) hand. ² In order to accuse^(D) him, they were watching him closely^(E) to see whether he would heal^(F) him on the Sabbath.^{(G) 3} He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” ⁴ Then he said to them, “Is it lawful^(H) to do good^(I) on the Sabbath or to do evil,^(J) to save life^(K) or to kill?”^(L) But they were silent.^{(M) 5} After looking around at them with anger,^(N) he was grieved at the hardness^(O) of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.^{(P) 6} Immediately the Pharisees^(Q) went out and started plotting^(R) with the Herodians^(S) against him, how they might kill^(T) him.

⁶ On another Sabbath^(A) he entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was shriveled. ⁷ The scribes and Pharisees were watching him closely,^(B) to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against him.^{(C) 8} But he knew their thoughts^(D) and told the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand here.”^[a] So he got up and stood there. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”^{(E) 10} After looking around at them all,^(F) he told him, “Stretch out your hand.”^(G) He did, and his hand was restored.^{[b] 11} They, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.