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Matthew 12
New Life Version

Jesus Teaches about the Day of Rest (A)

12 At that time Jesus walked through the grain-fields on the Day of Rest. His followers were hungry and began to pick off grain to eat. 2 The proud religious law-keepers saw this. They said to Jesus, “See! Your followers do what the Law says not to do on the Day of Rest.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God and ate the special bread used in worship which was against the Law for him or those with him to eat! Only the Jewish religious leaders were to eat that special bread. 5 Have you not read in the Law how the religious leaders do that which is not right to do on the Day of Rest, and yet they are not guilty? 6 I tell you that Someone greater than the house of God is here. 7 If you had understood what the words mean, ‘I want loving-kindness and not a gift to be given,’ (B) you would not say a person is guilty who has done no wrong. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Day of Rest.”

Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest (C)

9 From there Jesus went into their place of worship. 10 A man was there with a dried-up hand. The proud religious law-keepers asked Jesus, “Does the Law say it is right to heal on the Day of Rest?” They wanted something to say against Him. 11 He said to them, “If one of you has a sheep which falls into a hole on the Day of Rest, will you not take hold of it and pull it out? 12 How much better is a man than a sheep! So it is right to do good on the Day of Rest.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Put out your hand.” He held it out and it was made as well as the other. 14 The proud religious law-keepers went out and made plans against Him. They planned how they might kill Him.

Jesus Heals Many People (D)

15 Jesus knew this and went away from there. Many people followed Him and He healed all of them. 16 He told them to tell no one of Him. 17 It happened as the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen, saying, 18 “See! My Servant Whom I have chosen! My much Loved, in Whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit in Him. He will say to the nations what is right from wrong. 19 He will not fight or speak with a loud voice. No man will hear His voice in the streets. 20 He will not break a broken branch. He will not put out a little fire until He makes things right. 21 In His name the nations will have hope.” (E)

A Nation That Cannot Stand (F)

22 Then they brought to Him a man who had a demon. He was blind and could not speak. Jesus healed him and he could talk and see. 23 All the people were surprised and said, “Can this Man be the Son of David?” 24 But when the proud religious law-keepers heard it, they said, “This Man puts out demons only by Satan, the leader of demons.”

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided into groups that fight each other is going to be destroyed. Every city or family divided into groups that fight each other will not stand. 26 If the devil puts out the devil, he is divided against himself. How will his nation stand? 27 If I put out demons by Satan, by whom do your followers put them out? So your followers will say if you are guilty. 28 But if I put out demons by the Spirit of God, then the holy nation of God is come to you. 29 How can anyone go into a strong man’s house and take away his things, unless he ties up the strong man first? Only then can he take things from his house.

The Sin That Cannot Be Forgiven

30 “Whoever is not with Me is against Me. Whoever is not gathering with Me is sending everywhere. 31 I tell you, every sin and every bad word men speak against God will be forgiven, but bad words spoken against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this life or in the life to come.

The Sin of Saying Bad Things

33 “A good tree gives good fruit. A bad tree gives bad fruit. A tree is known by its fruit. 34 You family of snakes! How can you say good things when you are sinful? The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man will speak good things because of the good in him. A bad man will speak bad things because of the sin in him. 36 I say to you, on the day men stand before God, they will have to give an answer for every word they have spoken that was not important. 37 For it is by your words that you will not be guilty and it is by your words that you will be guilty.”

Jesus Tells about Jonah (G)

38 Then some of the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers said to Jesus, “Teacher, we would like to have you do something special for us to see.” 39 He said to them, “The sinful people of this day look for something special to see. There will be nothing special to see but the powerful works of the early preacher Jonah. 40 Jonah was three days and three nights in the stomach of a big fish. The Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the grave also. 41 The men of the city of Nineveh will stand up with the people of this day on the day men stand before God. Those men will say these people are guilty because the men of Nineveh were sorry for their sins and turned from them when Jonah preached. And see, Someone greater than Jonah is here!

42 “The queen of the south will stand up with the people of this day on the day men stand before God. She will say that these people are guilty because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wise sayings of Solomon. And see, Someone greater than Solomon is here!

A Person Filled with Bad or Good (H)

43 “When a demon is gone out of a man, it goes through dry places to find rest. It finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will go back into my house from which I came.’ When it goes back, it sees that it is empty. But it sees that the house has been cleaned and looks good. 45 Then it goes out and comes back bringing with it seven demons more sinful than itself. They go in and live there. In the end that man is worse than at first. It will be like this with the sinful people of this day.”

The New Kind of Family (I)

46 While Jesus was still talking to the people, His mother and His brothers came and stood outside. They wanted to talk to Him. 47 Someone said to Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to talk to you.” 48 Jesus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?” 49 He put out His hand to His followers and said, “See, these are My mother and My brothers! 50 Whoever does what My father in heaven wants him to do is My brother and My sister and My mother.”

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Matthew 12
Lexham English Bible

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat them.[a] 2 But when[b] the Pharisees saw it,[c] they said to him, “Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not permitted to do on the Sabbath!” 3 So he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, 4 how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! 7 And if you had known what it means,[d] ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand Healed

9 And going on from there he came into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?” in order that they could accuse him. 11 But he said to them, “What man will there be among you who will have one sheep and if this one fell into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it[e] out? 12 Then to what degree is a man worth more than a sheep? So then, it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand,” and he stretched it[f] out, and it was restored as healthy as the other one. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted[g] against him in order that they could destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

15 Now Jesus, when he[h] learned of it,[i] withdrew from there, and many[j] followed him, and he healed them all. 16 And he warned them that they should not reveal his identity,[k] 17 in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

18 “Behold my servant whom I have chosen,
    my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 A crushed reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish,
until he brings justice to victory.
21     And in his name the Gentiles[l] will hope.[m]

A House Divided Cannot Stand

22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, “Perhaps this one is the Son of David!” 24 But the Pharisees, when they[n] heard it,[o] said, “This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!” 25 But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?[p] For this reason they will be your judges! 28 But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! 29 Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. 30 The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. 31 For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one!

Good Trees and Good Fruit or Bad Trees and Bad Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit is good, or make the tree bad and its fruit is bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you[q] are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person from his[r] good treasury brings out good things, and the evil person from his[s] evil treasury brings out evil things. 36 But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment! 37 For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!” 39 But he answered and[t] said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah! 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something[u] greater than Jonah is here! 42 The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something[v] greater than Solomon is here!

An Unclean Spirit Returns

43 “Now whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it.[w] 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ And when it[x] arrives it finds the house[y] unoccupied and swept and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and[z] live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be for this evil generation also!”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

46 And[aa] while[ab] he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing there outside, desiring to speak to him. 47 And someone told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing there outside desiring to speak to you.” 48 But he answered and[ac] said to the one who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Behold my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:1 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  2. Matthew 12:2 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
  3. Matthew 12:2 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  4. Matthew 12:7 Literally “it is”
  5. Matthew 12:11 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. Matthew 12:13 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  7. Matthew 12:14 Literally “taking counsel”
  8. Matthew 12:15 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“learned”) which is understood as temporal
  9. Matthew 12:15 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  10. Matthew 12:15 Some manuscripts have “many crowds”
  11. Matthew 12:16 Literally “make him known”
  12. Matthew 12:21 Or “the nations”; the same Greek word (in the plural) can be translated as “nations,” “Gentiles,” or “pagans”
  13. Matthew 12:21 Verses 18–21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1–4
  14. Matthew 12:24 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  15. Matthew 12:24 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  16. Matthew 12:27 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  17. Matthew 12:34 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as temporal
  18. Matthew 12:35 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  19. Matthew 12:35 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  20. Matthew 12:39 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  21. Matthew 12:41 Here “something” is supplied in the translation because the adjective is neuter gender
  22. Matthew 12:42 Here “something” is supplied in the translation because the adjective is neuter gender
  23. Matthew 12:43 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  24. Matthew 12:44 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“arrives”) which is understood as temporal
  25. Matthew 12:44 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  26. Matthew 12:45 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go in”) has been translated as a finite verb
  27. Matthew 12:46 Some manuscripts omit “And”
  28. Matthew 12:46 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“speaking”)
  29. Matthew 12:48 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
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Matthew 12
New International Version

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(A)(B)

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain(C) and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(D)

3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(E) 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.(F) 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath(G) and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(H) 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a](I) you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man(J) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,(K) they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(L)

11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?(M) 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!(N) Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.(O)

God’s Chosen Servant

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.(P) 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.(Q) 17 This was to fulfill(R) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
    the one I love, in whom I delight;(S)
I will put my Spirit on him,(T)
    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
    no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21     In his name the nations will put their hope.”[b](U)

Jesus and Beelzebul(V)

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.(W) 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”(X)

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,(Y) the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”(Z)

25 Jesus knew their thoughts(AA) and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan(AB) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,(AC) by whom do your people(AD) drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God(AE) has come upon you.

29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(AF) 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.(AG) 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age(AH) or in the age to come.(AI)

33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.(AJ) 34 You brood of vipers,(AK) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks(AL) what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”(AM)

The Sign of Jonah(AN)(AO)

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign(AP) from you.”(AQ)

39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(AR) 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,(AS) so the Son of Man(AT) will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.(AU) 41 The men of Nineveh(AV) will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,(AW) and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came(AX) from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.(AY) That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(AZ)

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother(BA) and brothers(BB) stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven(BC) is my brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
  2. Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4
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