Matthew 12

Lord of the Sabbath

1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began picking heads of grain and eating them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and those with him were hungry? 4He entered the house of God and they ate the bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him or those with him to eat, but only for the priests. 5Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6But I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man's Hand Restored

9Jesus left there and entered their synagogue. 10And look—a man there had a withered hand. They asked Jesus, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them, “Which one of you, if you have a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted against Jesus, how they might destroy him.

God's Chosen Servant

15Knowing this, Jesus withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all. 16He warned them not to make him known, 17so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: 18“Look, my servant whom I chose,
my beloved, in whom my soul delights.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will announce justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not quarrel or cry out,
and no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20A crushed reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish,
until he brings justice to victory. 21And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Jesus and Beelzebul

22Then a demonized man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. Jesus healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 25Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to ruin, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his possessions unless he first binds the strong man? Then he will plunder his house. 30Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Blasphemy Against the Spirit

31“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Trees and Words

33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, because a tree is known by its fruit. 34Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart. 35A good person brings good things out of a good treasury, and an evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasury. 36I tell you that on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak. 37For by your words you will be set right, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41The people of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation—and look, something greater than Jonah is here. 42The queen of the south will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom—and look, something greater than Solomon is here.

The Returning Unclean Spirit

43“When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house that I left.’ When it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there. The final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will also be with this evil generation.”

Jesus' True Family

46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, look—his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak with him. 47Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak with you.” 48But Jesus answered the person who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Look—my mother and my brothers! 50Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”