Matthew 12 In that particular situation (or: On that occasion; or: Within that season = the ripening of the grain, just prior to harvest) Jesus went His way through the fields of sown grain, on one of the sabbaths. Now His disciples were hungry, and they began to repeatedly pluck (or: pick; strip) heads of grain and to continue eating them.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ In that particular situation (or: On that occasion; or: Within that season [= the ripening of the grain, just prior to harvest]) Jesus went His way through the fields of sown grain, on [one of] the sabbaths. Now His disciples were hungry, and they began to repeatedly pluck (or: pick; strip) heads of grain and to continue eating [them]. ² So, seeing [this happening], the Pharisees said to Him, "Look! Your disciples continue doing what is not allowed by [our] Law or custom to be doing during a sabbath!" ³ But He said to them, "Do (or: Did) you folks not read what David – as well as those with him – did when he got hungry: ⁴ "how he entered into God's house (home) and they ate the loaves (= the consecrated bread) of the presentation (the placing-before [God's presence]) – which was not normally being allowed by Law or custom for him to be eating, nor for those with him, except [by] the priests only? ⁵ "Or, do (or: did) you folks not read within the Law [= the Torah] that on the sabbaths the priest in the Temple courts (grounds) habitually profane (= violate the sacredness of) the sabbath, and continue being guiltless (blameless; faultless; innocent)? ⁶ "Now I am saying to you folks that there is now here (in this place) something greater (or: = more important) than the Temple courts and grounds! ⁷ "But, if you had come to personally (or: by intimate experience or insight) know what [this] is (or: = means), 'I am habitually wanting (desiring), repeatedly intending and continuously purposing mercy, and not sacrifice,' [Hos. 6:6] you folks would not ever oppose fairness, equity and justice, while you degrade the way pointed out in condemning the guiltless ones (the blameless and innocent folks) [cf vs. 5, above: = the priests of the new order]. ⁸ "You see, the Son of the Man (the son of the human; = the son of Adam; = a human being) continues being a lord (master; or: [the] Lord and Owner) of the sabbath." ⁹ And so, re-directing His steps from out of that place, He went into their synagogue, ¹⁰ and – Look, and consider! – a man having a withered (dried-up) hand [was there]. So they put a question to Him – to the end that they could accuse (bring charges against and discredit) Him – by asking if it is allowed by Law and custom to habitually serve, heal, cure or give medical treatment on the sabbaths. ¹¹ So He now said to them, "Who from you folks will proceed to be a person (or: What man of you people will there continue being) who will continue having one sheep, and if this one should fall into a pit (a hole in the ground; a well; a cistern) on [one] of the sabbaths, will not proceed to be firmly grabbing hold of it and raising [it] up? ¹² "Of how much more does a human habitually carry through to be of greater consequence or worth – than a sheep? It is always allowed by Law and custom to habitually do ideally (finely; beautifully) on the sabbaths." ¹³ At that time, He is then speaking to the man, "At once stretch out (or: forth) your hand!" So he at once stretched [it] out, and it was at once restored to be sound and healthy, just as the other one [or: hand]. ¹⁴ Now upon going out, the Pharisees took deliberation together and resolved a joint considered purpose down against Him, so that they could loose Him away (or: destroy Him; make Him to be lost-away from [them]; = to get rid of Him). ¹⁵ Yet Jesus, aware [of this], withdrew from that place, and many people followed Him, and He served, attentively cared for, treated, prescribed therapies for, instigated ongoing procedures for, cured and, or, healed them all. ¹⁶ Following this, He respectfully gave them admonition, apprising them of the situation and His wishes, to the end that they would not draw attention to Him, making Him a visible public figure, nor disclose His identity. ¹⁷ [This was] so that the [prophecy; oracle] declared through Isaiah the prophet would (or: could) be fulfilled, [that] continues saying, ¹⁸ "Look, and consider! My Boy (or: My Servant; My personal attendant; My servant-boy) Whom I select (or: chose) – My Beloved, [of] Whom My soul assumes ease and wellness (or: [in] Whom My soul takes pleasure; Whom My soul considers good and thinks well of)! I will proceed putting (placing) My Spirit (the effect of My breath; My Attitude) upon Him, and He will continue sending-off a message regarding separation and a decision for the ethnic multitudes (or: will repeatedly announce a judging and bring a report of justice in the nations; will continue plainly declaring what justice and discrimination is to non-Jews; will continuously announce judgment for the Gentiles [= foreigners]). ¹⁹ He will neither proceed to quarrel (strive; debate; be contentious) nor will He continue shouting (screaming or making outcry; causing clamoring; behaving loud-mouthed), nor yet will anyone continue hearing His voice [above the ambient noises] in the town squares or broad streets. ²⁰ He will not proceed to break down a reed that has been bruised (or: break in pieces a reed that has been crushed), and He will not proceed to extinguish a flax lamp-wick that is continuing in being wrapped in smoke and made to smolder – until He can thrust-forth [the] separation-derived decision into a victory (or: cast-out judging – unto victory)! ²¹ And then, the ethnic multitudes (nations; pagans; foreigners; Gentiles) will proceed to be continuously placing [their] expectations in His Name (= on His character, reputation and authority)!" [Isa. 42:1-4; comment: this passage describes a Person who is gentle and non-violent in character] ²² At that time people brought to Him a man continuously affected and controlled by a demon (a Hellenistic concept and term; = an animistic influence) – blind and mute (incapable of speaking). And so He treated and cured him, so that the mute man [began] to be repeatedly speaking and continuously seeing. ²³ Well, all the crowds began being set out of place (or: being made to stand out of themselves) in amazement, and began saying, "Is not this one perhaps the son of David?" ²⁴ Now upon hearing, the Pharisees said, "This person is not casting (or: throwing) out the demons except in union with Beelzebub [other MSS: Beelzebul; Beezeboul], the ruler (or: chief; originator) of the demons (Hellenistic concept and term: = animistic influences)." [comment: Beelzebub, is the NT spelling for Baal-zebub, a Philistine deity (2 King 1:2). So here we have the Pharisees validating the existence of a pagan god! And yet, we are told in Ps. 95:5 that “all the gods of the peoples (= people groups) are mere idols (nobodies; things of naught).” The LXX (Greek OT) renders this: “all the gods of the ethnic multitudes (nations; non-Israelites) {are} demons.” But Isaiah says in 65:3 (LXX), “This is a people that '85 offer{s} sacrifices in gardens, and burn{s} incense on bricks to the demons – which things DO NOT EXIST!”] ²⁵ So, having seen and now knowing (perceiving) their inner impulses, emotions, sentiments and reflections, He said to them, "Every reign of a king (kingdom; = government) being parted (divided and separated into parts) down against itself is being progressively turned into a desert (made desolate, waste and depopulated), and every city or household being parted down against itself will not continue standing (= be surviving). ²⁶ "So if 'Satan' continues casting (or: driving) out 'Satan,' he is parted (divided and separated into parts) upon himself. How, then, will his reign (kingdom; government) continue standing (= be surviving)? ²⁷ "And if I, Myself, 'in union with Beelzebub' continue casting (or: driving) out the demons, in union with whom are your sons habitually casting and driving [them] out? Through this (or: Therefore; For this reason), they, themselves, will continue being your judges (or: decision makers pertaining to you folks). ²⁸ "Yet if I, Myself, in union with God's Spirit ([being] within the midst of the effect of God's breath; in an attitude which is God) am constantly driving (or: casting) out the demons, God's reign (the kingdom from God, the sovereign rule which is God, and the government of God) has consequently preceded and come beforehand upon you people (or: has really overtaken you folks and is now arrived and settled upon you). ²⁹ "Or, how does anyone have power or ability to enter into the house belonging to a strong person and to seize (snatch up and plunder) his movable goods (equipment; utensils; gear; belongings; possessions), unless he can (or: should) first bind (tie up) the strong person? After that he will proceed in completely plundering (thoroughly looting) his house. ³⁰ "The person not continually being with Me (= on My side) continues being against Me, and the person not habitually gathering (or: leading together) with Me is constantly scattering. ³¹ "For this reason, I continue saying to you folks, Every failure (mistake; error; failure to attain the goal or hit the target; sin) and blasphemy (vilifying, abusive and slanderous speech; light-hindrance) will be caused to flow away from (will be divorced and sent off for; will be pardoned and forgiven) humanity (mankind). Yet, the blasphemy pertaining to (vilifying, abusive, slanderous speech about) the Spirit (the Breath-effect; the Attitude) will not be caused to flow away (not be divorced and sent off; not be pardoned or forgiven) in mankind. ³² "And further, whoever may say a word (should speak a thought or message) [directed] down against the Son of the Man (the son of humanity; = Adam's son), it will continue caused to flow away for him (will be progressively divorced and sent off in him; or: he will continue pardoned and forgiven by Him). Yet [for] whoever may speak down against the Set-apart Spirit (the Breath-effect of the Holy One; the Sacred Attitude), it will not proceed to be caused to flow away from him (or: he will not continue pardoned and forgiven by Him; it will not progress to be released and sent off in him) – neither within this age, nor within the one being about to be (the impending one). ³³ "You folks either make the tree ideal (fine and beautiful), and thus its fruit ideal (fine and beautiful), or make the tree rotten, and its fruit [will be] rotten (decayed). You see, the tree is habitually being known and experienced from out of the [or: its] fruit. ³⁴ "Offspring ([You] effects of the births) of poisonous snakes (vipers; serpents; [comment: perhaps equating them to satan])! How are you able to habitually say good and virtuous things, being inherently good-for-nothing and useless folks (being worthless and knavish; being folks in a sorry plight and oppressed by grievous toils; existing being base and wicked; continuously being ones characterized by evil)? You see, from out of the midst of the effect of the excess from the heart's surrounding abundance, the mouth is continually speaking. ³⁵ "The good and virtuous person is habitually extracting and spurting out good and virtuous things from out of the midst of the Good and Virtuous Treasure-house. And yet the good-for-nothing and useless person is continuously extracting and spurting out worthless, oppressive, knavish, base, wicked and evil things from out of the mist of the worthless treasure-house. ³⁶ "Now I continue saying to you folks that [for] every ineffective and unproductive (idle and unemployed; thus: unprofitable) effect of a gush or result of some flow (or: thing spoken; saying; declaration) which people will be speaking, they will continue giving back (rendering) an account (a word; a thought; an idea) concerning it, within a day of separating and deciding (or: judging). ³⁷ "For you see, from out of your words (or: verbal expressions; ideas and thoughts) you [individually] will be progressively brought into right relationship (rightwised and made fair) within the Way pointed out; and from out of your words (expressed thoughts and ideas) you [individually] will continue having actions brought down on you from out of the Way pointed out (or: be opposed by fairness, equity and right relationships; or: be convicted)." ³⁸ At that point some of the scribes (scholars; theologians; experts of the Law) and the Pharisees gave a calculated response to Him, one after another, saying, "Teacher, we continue wanting to see a sign from you!" ³⁹ So He, making a decided reply, said to them, "A good-for-nothing, worthless, base, knavish, grievously oppressive and wicked – even adulterous (unfaithful and immoral) – generation repeatedly seeks intently for a sign! And yet a sign will not proceed to be given to it – except the sign of Jonah the prophet. ⁴⁰ "You see, just as Jonah was within the midst of the belly of the huge fish (or: sea monster) [for] three days and three nights [Jonah. 1:17], thus in this way will the Son of the Man (humanity's son; = Adam's son) continue being within the heart of the earth [for] three days and three nights. ⁴¹ "Adult males – Ninevites – will stand back up again with this generation, in the separating and deciding (the judging), and they will progressively make a corresponding decision about (or: condemn) it, because they changed their way of thinking into the message publicly proclaimed by Jonah – and take note of this, something more than Jonah [is] here! ⁴² " [The] queen of [the] south will proceed to be aroused and raised up in the separating and deciding (the judging) with this generation, and she will progressively make a corresponding decision about (or: condemn) it, because she came from out of the extremities of the land to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and take note of this, something more than Solomon [is] here! ⁴³ "Now whenever the unclean spirit (or: unpruned attitude; unpurged breath-effect; foul wind) should come forth (or: go out) away from the person (or: human), it normally passes through waterless places, continuously seeking a resting place (or: rest; a ceasing from activity) – and it continues finding none. ⁴⁴ "At that point, it proceeds to say, 'I will proceed turning back into my house from where I came (or: moved) out.' And, upon coming, it is then finding [it] continuing being unoccupied (being unemployed, and thus, at leisure) and having been swept clean with a broom – even having been put in orderly arrangement and decorated! ⁴⁵ "At that time it continues journeying on its way, and then proceeds taking along with itself seven different spirits (attitudes; breath-effects; winds) more good-for-nothing and useless (base, wicked, knavish, grievously oppressive and evil) than itself, and upon entering, it settles down and continues dwelling there in the house. So the last [circumstances] of that person becomes progressively worse than the first ones. Thus in this way will it also proceed being with (or: for; in; to) this good-for-nothing and wicked generation." ⁴⁶ While He was yet speaking to the crowds – look, and take note! – His mother and brothers (= siblings) had taken a position and now stood outside, persistently seeking to speak to Him. ⁴⁷ Now someone said to Him, "Look – Your mother and Your brothers have taken a stand, and continue standing outside, persistently seeking to speak to You." ⁴⁸ Yet He, making a considered response, said to the person then speaking to Him, "Who is My mother, and which ones are My brothers?" ⁴⁹ Then, stretching out His hand upon [the assembly of] His disciples, He said, "Look at, and consider – My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ "You see, whoever may be doing the will, intent, purpose and desire of My Father – the One within and in union with [the] heavens (or: in the midst of [the] atmospheres) – that very person is My brother and sister and mother!"