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12 At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered into God’s house and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?1 Samuel 21:3-6 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’Hosea 6:6 you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

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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. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful(C) to do on the Sabbath.”

He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: 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) Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?(E) I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(F) If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice,[b](G) you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 12:4 Other mss read he ate
  2. 12:7 Hs 6:6