Matthew 12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
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 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, 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 sacred bread, 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[b] that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?(E) 6 But 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,(G)[c] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”(H)
The Man with the Paralyzed Hand
9 Moving on from there, He entered their synagogue.(I) 10 There He saw a man who had a paralyzed hand. And in order to accuse Him they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(J)
11 But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep[d] that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?(K) 12 A man 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 destroy Him.(N)
The Servant of the Lord
15 When Jesus became aware of this, He withdrew from there. Huge crowds[e] followed Him, and He healed them all.(O) 16 He warned them not to make Him known,(P) 17 so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
18 Here is My Servant whom I have chosen,
My beloved in whom My soul delights;
I will put My Spirit on Him,
and He will proclaim justice to the nations.(Q)
19 He will not argue or shout,
and no one will hear His voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bruised reed,
and He will not put out a smoldering wick,
until He has led justice to victory.[f]
21 The nations will put their hope in His name.(R)[g]
A House Divided
22 Then a demon-possessed man(S) who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Him. He healed him, so that the man[h] could both speak and see.(T) 23 And all the crowds were astounded and said, “Perhaps this is the Son of David!”(U)
24 When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “The man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”(V)
25 Knowing their thoughts,(W) He told them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan(X) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges.(Y) 28 If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.(Z) 29 How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up(AA) the strong man? Then he can rob his house. 30 Anyone who is not with Me is against Me,(AB) and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters. 31 Because of this,(AC) I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy,(AD) but the blasphemy against[i] the Spirit will not be forgiven.[j] 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man,(AE) 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 one to come.(AF)
A Tree and Its Fruit
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad[k] and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.(AG) 34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow(AH) of the heart. 35 A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good,[l] and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.(AI) 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment(AJ) people will have to account(AK) for every careless word they speak.[m] 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”(AL)
39 But He answered them,(AM) “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(AN) 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights,(AO) so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,(AP) because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!(AQ) 42 The queen of the south(AR) 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 look—something greater than Solomon is here!
An Unclean Spirit’s Return
43 “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any.(AS) 44 Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. 45 Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first.(AT) That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”
True Relationships
46 He(AU) was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly His mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to Him.(AV) 47 Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”[n]
48 But He replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples,(AW) He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.”(AX)
Footnotes
- Matthew 12:4 Other mss read he ate
- Matthew 12:5 = The Torah (the Pentateuch)
- Matthew 12:7 Hs 6:6
- Matthew 12:11 Or had one sheep
- Matthew 12:15 Other mss read Many
- Matthew 12:20 Or until He has successfully put forth justice
- Matthew 12:21 Is 42:1-4
- Matthew 12:22 Lit mute
- Matthew 12:31 Or of
- Matthew 12:31 Other mss add people
- Matthew 12:33 Or decayed; lit rotten
- Matthew 12:35 Other mss read from the storehouse of his heart
- Matthew 12:36 Lit will speak
- Matthew 12:47 Other mss omit this v.
Matthew 12
Jubilee Bible 2000
12 ¶ At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the planted fields, and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the ears of grain and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, and those that were with him, when he was hungry,
4 how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless?
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye knew what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not condemn the innocent.
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
9 And when he was departed from there, he went into their synagogue;
10 and, behold, there was a man who had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out?
12 Therefore, how much more is a man worth than a sheep? So that it is lawful to do good on the sabbath days.
13 Then he said to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like the other.
14 ¶ Then the Pharisees went out and took council against him that they might destroy him.
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from there; and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
16 and strictly charged them that they should not make him known;
17 so that it which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet might 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 upon him, and he shall declare judgment unto the Gentiles.
19 He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoking flax he shall not quench until he sends forth judgment unto victory.
21 And in his name shall the Gentiles wait.
22 ¶ Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind, and dumb, and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed and said, Is not this the son of David?
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out demons but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.
25 And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not remain;
26 and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom remain?
27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
28 But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then certainly the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29 Or else how can one enter into the strong man’s house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
30 He that is not with me is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters abroad.
31 Therefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, neither in the age to come.
33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 The good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
38 ¶ Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we desire to see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah;
40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of the man, it walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
44 Then it says, I will return into my house from which I came out; and when it is come, it finds it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then it goes and takes with itself seven other spirits worse than itself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it also be unto this wicked generation.
46 ¶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brothers stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brothers!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, the same is my brother and sister and mother.
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