Chronological

The disciples pluck the ears of grain. He defends them, heals the withered hand, helps the possessed man who was blind and dumb, rebukes the unfaithful who insist on having signs, and shows who are his brother, sister, and mother.

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain on the Sabbath days. And his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of grain and to eat. ² When the Pharisees saw that, they said to him, Look, your disciples are doing that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day. ³ He said to them, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those also who were with him? ⁴ How he entered into the house of God and ate the hallowed loaves, which were not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the law how the priests in the temple break the Sabbath day, and yet are blameless? ⁶ But I say to you that there is one here greater than the temple. ⁷ So then if you had known what this means: I require mercy, and not sacrifice – you would never have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.

⁹ And he departed from there and went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ And behold, there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? in order that they might accuse him. ¹¹ And he said to them, Which of you would it be, if he had a sheep fallen into a pit on the Sabbath day, that would not take it and lift it out? ¹² And of how much more value is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do a good deed on the Sabbath days.

¹³ Then he said to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it forth. And it was made whole again like the other.

¹⁴ Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. ¹⁵ When Jesus knew that, he departed from there. And crowds of people followed him. And he healed them all, ¹⁶ and charged them not to make him known, ¹⁷ to fulfil that which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, who says: ¹⁸ Behold my child, whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul delights. I will put my Spirit on him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ He will not quarrel; he will not cry out; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰ A bruised reed he will not break, and a flax that begins to burn he will not quench, till he sends forth judgment unto victory. ²¹ And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

He helps the man with the withered hand, and chooses his apostles. He casts out the unclean spirit, which the Pharisees ascribe to the devil. The brother, sister, and mother of Christ.

3 And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. ² And they watched him to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath day, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man who had the withered hand, Arise, and stand in the midst. ⁴ And he said to them, Is it lawful to do a good deed on the Sabbath days, or an evil deed? To save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. ⁵ And he looked round about on them angrily, mourning the blindness of their hearts, and said to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored fully as whole as the other.

⁶ Then the Pharisees departed, and straightaway assembled a council with Herod’s men against him, so that they might destroy him.

⁷ And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and from Judea, ⁸ and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and from beyond the Jordan, and also those who dwelt about Tyre and Sidon: great crowds who, when they heard the things he did, came to him. ⁹ And he told his disciples that a boat should be kept at hand for him, because of the people, lest they should throng him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many, insomuch that they pressed in upon him to touch him, as many as had afflictions. ¹¹ And when the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, saying, You are the Son of God! ¹² And he charged them strictly not to make him known.

¹³ And he went up into a mountain and called to him whom he wished, and they came to him. ¹⁴ And he ordained the twelve to be with him, so that he might send them to preach, ¹⁵ and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. ¹⁶ And he gave Simon the name Peter. ¹⁷ And he called James, the son of Zebedee, and John, James’ brother, and gave them the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder. ¹⁸ And there were Andrew and Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon of Canaan, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, which same also betrayed him.

And they came to a house. ²⁰ And the people assembled together again, so greatly that they had no opportunity so much as to eat bread. ²¹ And when his family members heard of it, they set out to get him, because they thought he would be beside himself.

²² And the scribes who came from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and by the power of the chief devil he casts out devils. ²³ And Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in similitudes: How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ For if a realm is divided against itself, that realm cannot endure. ²⁵ Or if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot continue. ²⁶ So if Satan makes insurrection against himself and is divided, he cannot continue, but is at an end. ²⁷ No one can enter into a strong man’s house and take away his goods unless he first binds the strong man, and then he plunders his house. ²⁸ Truly I say to you, all sins may be forgiven the children of men, and blasphemies with which they blaspheme. ²⁹ But he who blasphemes the Holy Spirit may never have forgiveness, but is liable to eternal condemnation. ³⁰ (For they said he had an unclean spirit.)

³¹ Then his mother and his brethren arrived and stood outside, and sent to him and called for him. ³² The people were sitting around him, and they said to Jesus, Your mother and your brethren are asking for you outside. ³³ And he answered them, saying, Who are my mother and my brethren? ³⁴ And he looked round about on his disciples, who sat in a circle around him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren. ³⁵ For whosoever does the will of God, he is my brother, my sister, and mother.

He defends the disciples that pluck the ears of grain. He heals the man with the withered hand, chooses his twelve apostles, gives a sweet sermon, and teaches to do good for evil.

6 It happened on an after-Sabbath that Jesus went through the grain field, and his disciples plucked the ears of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands. ² And certain of the Pharisees said to them, Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath days? ³ And Jesus answered them and said, Have you not read what David did when he himself was hungry, and those who were with him? ⁴ How he went into the house of God, and took and ate the loaves of hallowed bread, and gave also to those who were with him – which bread it was not lawful to eat, but for the priests only? ⁵ And he said to them, The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath day.

⁶ And it came about in another Sabbath also that he entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was there a man whose right hand was withered. ⁷ And the scribes and Pharisees watched Jesus to see if he would heal on the Sabbath day, to find an accusation against him. ⁸ But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man that had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stepped forth. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, I will ask you a question: whether it is lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it? ¹⁰ And he looked around at them all and said to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored and made as whole as the other.

¹¹ And they were filled full of madness, and conferred with each other, what they might do to Jesus.

¹² And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And as soon as it was day, he called his disciples. And of them he chose twelve, whom he also called apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes; ¹⁶ Judas, James’ son; and Judas Iscariot, which same was the traitor.

¹⁷ And he came down with them, and stood in the open field with the company of his disciples and a great crowd of people out of all parts of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ and people also who were vexed with foul spirits, and they were healed. ¹⁹ And all the people pressed in to touch him, because power went out of him and healed them all.

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes upon the disciples and said, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you and thrust you out of their company, and rail, and abhor your name as an evil thing, for the Son of man’s sake. ²³ Rejoice then, and be glad, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. Likewise did their fathers treat the prophets.

²⁴ But woe is to you who are rich, for you have therein your consolation. ²⁵ Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who now laugh, for you will wail and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when all men praise you, for likewise did their fathers praise the false prophets.

²⁷ But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who wrongfully trouble you. ²⁹ And to him that strikes you on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that takes away your gown, forbid not to take your coat also. ³⁰ Give to every man that asks of you. And of him who takes away your goods, ask not for them back. ³¹ And as you would have others do unto you, so do unto them likewise.

³² If you love those who love you, what credit are you worthy of? For the very sinners love their friends. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit are you worthy of? For the very sinners do even the same. ³⁴ If you lend to people from whom you hope to receive, what credit should you have? For the very sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much in return. ³⁵ Therefore love your enemies, do good, and lend, looking for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be the children of the Highest. For he is kind to the unkind and to the evil.

³⁶ Be therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful. ³⁷ Judge not, and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give into your bosoms. For the measure that you use will be measured back to you.

³⁹ And he put forth a similitude to them: Can the blind lead the blind? Do they not both then fall into the ditch? ⁴⁰ The disciple is not above his master, but everyone will be formed even as his teacher is.

⁴¹ Why do you see a speck in your brother’s eye, and not consider the beam that is in your own eye? ⁴² Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the speck that is in your eye – when you do not perceive the beam that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to pull the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁴³ It is not a good tree that brings forth bad fruit, nor is that a bad tree that brings forth good fruit. ⁴⁴ For every tree is known by its fruit. Neither is it from thorns that men gather figs, nor from bushes that they gather grapes. ⁴⁵ A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is good. And an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶ Why do you call me Master, Master, and yet not do as I bid you? ⁴⁷ Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man who built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock. When the waters rose, the flood beat upon that house, and could not move it. For it was grounded upon a rock. ⁴⁹ But the person who hears and does not is like a man who built a house without a foundation upon the soil, against which the flood beat, and it fell immediately. And the fall of that house was great.