Matthew 12:1-8

GOD’S WORD Translation

Jesus Has Authority over the Day of Rest—a Holy Day^(A)

12 Then on a day of rest—a holy day, Jesus walked through the grainfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain to eat.

² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing something that is not right to do on the day of rest—a holy day.”

³ Jesus asked them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men were hungry? ⁴ Haven’t you read how he went into the house of God and ate ^[a] the bread of the presence? He and his men had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right. ⁵ Or haven’t you read in Moses’ Teachings that on the day of rest—a holy day, the priests in the temple do things they shouldn’t on the day of rest yet remain innocent? ⁶ I can guarantee that something ^[b] greater than the temple is here. ⁷ If you had known what ‘I want mercy, not sacrifices’ means, you would not have condemned innocent people.

⁸ “The Son of Man has authority over the day of rest—a holy day.”