Matthew 12
New Century Version
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
12 At that time Jesus was walking through some fields of grain on a Sabbath day. His followers were hungry, so they began to pick the grain and eat it. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look! Your followers are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath day.”
3 Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and the people with him were hungry? 4 He went into God’s house, and he and those with him ate the holy bread, which was lawful only for priests to eat. 5 And have you not read in the law of Moses that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break this law about the Sabbath day? But the priests are not wrong for doing that. 6 I tell you that there is something here that is greater than the Temple. 7 The Scripture says, ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.’[a] You don’t really know what those words mean. If you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing wrong.
8 “So the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.”
Jesus Heals a Man’s Hand
9 Jesus left there and went into their synagogue, 10 where there was a man with a crippled hand. They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they asked him, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath day?”[b]
11 Jesus answered, “If any of you has a sheep, and it falls into a ditch on the Sabbath day, you will help it out of the ditch. 12 Surely a human being is more important than a sheep. So it is lawful to do good things on the Sabbath day.”
13 Then Jesus said to the man with the crippled hand, “Hold out your hand.” The man held out his hand, and it became well again, like the other hand. 14 But the Pharisees left and made plans to kill Jesus.
Jesus Is God’s Chosen Servant
15 Jesus knew what the Pharisees were doing, so he left that place. Many people followed him, and he healed all who were sick. 16 But Jesus warned the people not to tell who he was. 17 He did these things to bring about what Isaiah the prophet had said:
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen.
I love him, and I am pleased with him.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will tell of my justice to all people.
19 He will not argue or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a crushed blade of grass
or put out even a weak flame
until he makes justice win the victory.
21 In him will the non-Jewish people find hope.” Isaiah 42:1–4
Jesus’ Power Is from God
22 Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk, because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man so that he could talk and see. 23 All the people were amazed and said, “Perhaps this man is the Son of David!”
24 When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, to force demons out of people.”
25 Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking, so he said to them, “Every kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. And any city or family that is divided against itself will not continue. 26 And if Satan forces out himself, then Satan is divided against himself, and his kingdom will not continue. 27 You say that I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons. If that is true, then what power do your people use to force out demons? So they will be your judges. 28 But if I use the power of God’s Spirit to force out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
29 “If anyone wants to enter a strong person’s house and steal his things, he must first tie up the strong person. Then he can steal the things from the house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not work with me is working against me. 31 So I tell you, people can be forgiven for every sin and everything they say against God. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, now or in the future.
People Know You by Your Words
33 “If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. 34 You snakes! You are evil people, so how can you say anything good? The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart. 35 Good people have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things. But evil people have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things. 36 And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said. 37 The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty.”
The People Ask for a Miracle
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law answered Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want to see you work a miracle as a sign.”
39 Jesus answered, “Evil and sinful people are the ones who want to see a miracle for a sign. But no sign will be given to them, except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 Jonah was in the stomach of the big fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the grave three days and three nights. 41 On the Judgment Day the people from Nineveh[c] will stand up with you people who live now, and they will show that you are guilty. When Jonah preached to them, they were sorry and changed their lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here. 42 On the Judgment Day, the Queen of the South[d] will stand up with you people who live today. She will show that you are guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here.
People Today Are Full of Evil
43 “When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest, but it doesn’t find it. 44 So the spirit says, ‘I will go back to the house I left.’ When the spirit comes back, it finds the house still empty, swept clean, and made neat. 45 Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits even more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So the person has even more trouble than before. It is the same way with the evil people who live today.”
Jesus’ True Family
46 While Jesus was talking to the people, his mother and brothers stood outside, trying to find a way to talk to him. 47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, and they want to talk to you.”[e]
48 He answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his followers and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what my Father in heaven wants.”
Footnotes
- 12:7 ‘I . . . sacrifices.’ Quotation from Hosea 6:6.
- 12:10 Is it right . . . day? It was against Jewish Law to work on the Sabbath day.
- 12:41 Nineveh The city where Jonah preached to warn the people. Read Jonah 3.
- 12:42 Queen of the South The Queen of Sheba. She traveled a thousand miles to learn God’s wisdom from Solomon. Read 1 Kings 10:1–13.
- 12:47 Someone . . . you.” Some Greek copies do not have verse 47.
Matthew 12
English Standard Version
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
12 At that time (A)Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and (B)they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, (C)“Look, your disciples are doing (D)what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, (E)“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate (F)the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read (G)in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, (H)something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known (I)what this means, (J)‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For (K)the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand
9 He went on from there and (L)entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, (M)“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—(N)so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, (O)if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 (P)Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So (Q)it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And (R)the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
God's Chosen Servant
15 Jesus, aware of this, (S)withdrew from there. And (T)many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and (U)ordered them not to make him known. 17 (V)This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18 (W)“Behold, my (X)servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
(Y)I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 (Z)and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 (AA)Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 (AB)And all the people were amazed, and said, (AC)“Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, (AD)“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 (AE)Knowing their thoughts, (AF)he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, (AG)by whom do (AH)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is (AI)by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then (AJ)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or (AK)how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed (AL)he may plunder his house. 30 (AM)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 (AN)Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but (AO)the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word (AP)against the Son of Man (AQ)will be forgiven, but (AR)whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in (AS)this age or in the age to come.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
33 (AT)“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, (AU)for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 (AV)You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, (AW)when you are evil? (AX)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 (AY)The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, (AZ)on the day of judgment (BA)people will give account for (BB)every careless word they speak, 37 for (BC)by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, (BD)we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, (BE)“An evil and (BF)adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For (BG)just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, (BH)so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 (BI)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and (BJ)condemn it, for (BK)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, (BL)something greater than Jonah is here. 42 (BM)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, (BN)something greater than Solomon is here.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
43 “When (BO)the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through (BP)waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and (BQ)the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this (BR)evil generation.”
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, (BS)his mother and his (BT)brothers[a] stood outside, asking to speak to him.[b] 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For (BU)whoever (BV)does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 12:46 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 48, 49
- Matthew 12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you”
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
