Matthew 12

MLV(i) 1 Jesus traveled on the Sabbath day through the grain-fields at that time, and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the tops and to eat them. 2 But the Pharisees, having seen it, said to him, Behold, your disciples are doing what is not legal to practice upon the Sabbath.
3 But he said to them, Have you not read what David did, when he himself was hungry and those with him; 4 how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, which was not legal for him to eat, nor those with him, unlawful except for the priests only? 5 Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and yet are crimeless? 6 But I saying to you, that a greater thing than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what is meant by this, ‘I will to have mercy and not sacrifice,’ You would not have sentenced the crimeless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.


9 And having proceeded from there, he went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a dried up hand. And they asked him, in order that they might accuse him, saying, Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath day?
11 But he said to them, What man shall there be out of you, who shall have one sheep and if this one falls into a ditch on the Sabbath day, shall he not take-hold of it and lift it up? 12 Therefore how much more-value does a man carry than a sheep? So-then is it legal to do good on the Sabbath day?
13 Then he says to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored as healthy as the other. 14 But the Pharisees having gone out, took counsel against him, that they should destroy him.


15 But Jesus having known it, departed from there and large crowds followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and rebuked them, in order that they should not make him apparent; 17 that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 18 ‘Behold, my young-servant whom I selected. My beloved in whom my soul is delighted. I will be placing my Spirit upon him and he will be proclaiming judgment to the Gentiles.’ 19 ‘He will not have selfish ambition, nor will he cry-out; nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 He will not fracture a bruised reed and he will not quench a smoking wick, until he should cast out the judgment to victory. 21 And the Gentiles will hope in his name.’
22 Then a demon-possessed man was brought to him, blind and mute and he healed him, so-that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the crowds were astonished and were saying, This is not the son of David, is it?
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This one is not casting out demons, except in Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.
25 But Jesus knowing their contemplations said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolate, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 And if the Adversary casts out the Adversary, he is divided against himself. Therefore how will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, in whom do your sons cast them out? They will be your judges because of this. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God; consequently, the kingdom of God has arrive-unexpectedly upon you. 29 Or how is anyone able to enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, if he does not first bind the strong man? And then he will be plundering his house. 30 He who is not with me is against me and he who is not gathering with me scatters. 31 Because of this, I am saying to you, Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit will not be forgiven to men. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, not in the age which is now, nor in the future one. 33 Either make*\'b0 the tree good and its fruit good; or make*\'b0 the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for the tree is known from its fruit. 34 Offspring of vipers! How are you, being evil, able to speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking. 35 The good man out of his good treasure is casting out good things and the evil man out of his evil treasure is casting out evil things. 36 But I am saying to you, that every idle declaration, whatever men speak, they will be giving an account in the day of judgment concerning it. 37 For you will be made righteous from your words and you will be sentenced from your words.


38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.
39 But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation is seeking after a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just-as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea-creature; so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of the Ninevites will be standing up with this generation in the judgment and will be condemning it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, more-than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south will be arisen with this generation in the judgment and will be condemning it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, more-than Solomon is here.
43 But the unclean spirit, whenever it has gone out of the man, goes through waterless places, seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, I will return into my house from where I came out, and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, having been swept and adorned. 45 Then it travels and takes with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself and they enter and dwell there and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So it will also be to this evil generation.

46 But while he is still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brethren stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 47 Now someone said to him, Behold, your mother and your brethren are standing outside, seeking to speak to you.
48 But he answered and said to the one who spoke to him, Who is my mother? And who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 50 For whoever practices the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother and sister and mother.