‏ Matthew 12

1At that time Jesus walked through the wheatfields one Sabbath Day; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck some ears of wheat and to eat them. 2But the Pharisees, when they perceived it, said to him. "Look! Your disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3"Have you not read," answered Jesus, "what David did when he was hungry, and his men, too? 4"How he went into the House of God, and there they ate the loaves of the Presence, which neither he nor his men were permitted to eat, but the priests only? 5"Have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6"But I tell you that One is here who is greater than the temple. 7"And if you knew what this means, "It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice, 8"you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath." 9As he passed along he went into their synagogue, and there he saw a man with a withered hand. 10And in order to get a charge against him they asked him, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?" (So that they might have something to accuse him.) 11"Is there a man of you," he replied, "who has but a single sheep, who will not lay hold of it and lift it out, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath Day? 12"And how much more is a man worth than a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath." 13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."

14The man stretched it out, and it had become sound like the other. But when the Pharisees came out, they consulted together how they might destroy him. 15So when Jesus knew it, he withdrew from that place, and numbers of people followed him. 16He cured them all; but he strictly forbade them to blaze abroad his doings, 17that the word spoken through Isaiah, the prophet, might be fulfilled. 18Behold my servant whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom my soul delights; I will breathe my spirit upon him, and he shall announce justice to the Gentiles 19He will not strive nor cry aloud, Nor shall anyone hear is voice in the streets 20The bruised reed will not break; The dimly burning wick will not quench; Till he has led justice on to victory. 21And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.

22Then they brought to him a blind and deaf demoniac; and he healed him, so that the dumb both spoke and saw. 23And all the crowds were amazed, and he began to say, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24When the Pharisees heard it they said, "It is only by the aid of Beelzebub, the Prince of the demons, that this fellow is driving out demons." 25Because Jesus knew what was in their minds, he said to them. "Any kingdom divided against itself will become desolate; and any city or household divided against himself will not stand. 26"So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27"And if I am casting out demons in the power of Beelzebub, in whose power do your sons cast them out? So they themselves shall be your judges. 28"But if it is in the power of the Spirit of God is already upon you. 29"Or how can any one enter the strong man’s house and carry off his goods without first binding the strong man? Then he can rob his house. 30"He who is not with me is against me; and he who is not gathering with me, scatters. 31"Therefore I tell you that every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32"And if any man say a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in that which is to come. 33"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for by its fruit the tree is known. 34"You generation of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. "When the time of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the vine-dressers seized to get his fruit. 35"A good man out of his good treasure brings forth good; and from his evil treasure a bad man brings out evil. 36"I tell you that for every careless word that men speak they shall give account on the day of judgment. 37"For by your words you will each be justified, and by your words be condemned."

38Then some of the Scribes and Pharisees accosted him. "Teacher," they said, "we want to see some sign from you." 39In reply Jesus told them. "An evil and faithless generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40"For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the sea- monster’s belly, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41"The men of Nineveh will stand up in the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented under the preaching of Jonah, and lo! a greater than Jonah is here! 42"The Queen of the South will rise in the judgment with this generation, and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and lo! a greater than Solomon is here! 43"Whenever an unclean spirit leaves a man, it wanders through waterless places, seeking rest but finding none. 44"Then it says, "‘I will go back to my house which I left’;and on arrival finds it empty, swept, and garnished. 45"Then it goes and brings with it 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. So shall it be with this wicked generation."

46While he was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers were standing outside, desiring to speak to him. 47So some one told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, and wanting to speak to you." 48But he answered the man who told him, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" 49And stretching his hand toward his disciples, he said, 50"Behold my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, is my brother and sister and mother."