Matthew
Chapter 12
1 One Sabbath, Jesus walked through the grain fields, and his hungry disciples started to pick and eat some heads of grain.
2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath day.”
3 But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4 He went into God’s house and ate the bread that only priests should eat, which was against the law for him and his companions.
5 Have you not read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple break the Sabbath rules, yet are not guilty?
6 I tell you, someone greater than the temple is here.
7 If you knew what it means ‘I want kindness, not offerings,’ you wouldn’t have judged innocent people.
8 The Son of man is master even of the Sabbath day.
9 After he left that place, he went into their place of worship.
10 Look, there was a man with a crippled hand. They asked, “Is it okay to heal on the Sabbath?” so they could blame him.
11 He asked them, “Who among you, if you have one sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, wouldn’t grab it and pull it out?”
12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep? So, it is right to do good on the Sabbath.
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was healed and became as healthy as the other one.
14 Then the Pharisees left and planned together how to kill Jesus.
15 When Jesus realized this, he left that place. Many people followed him, and he healed everyone.
16 He ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
17 This happened to fulfill what the prophet Isaiah had said:
18 Look at my servant, whom I have picked; my loved one, who pleases me so much. I will give him my spirit, and he will bring fairness to all nations.
19 He will not argue or shout; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bent reed or put out a weak flame until he leads justice to victory.
21 People from other nations will trust in his name.
22 Someone controlled by a demon, who could not see or speak, was brought to Jesus, and he cured him so that he could both talk and see.
23 Everyone was amazed and asked, “Isn’t this David’s son?”
24 When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man doesn’t drive out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.”
25 Jesus knew what they were thinking and told them, “A kingdom that fights itself will be ruined; and a city or home that is split will not last.”
26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is fighting against himself; how can his kingdom last?
27 If I drive out demons using Beelzebub, who do your own people use to drive them out? They will be the ones to judge you.
28 If I drive out demons with God’s Spirit, then God’s kingdom has come to you.
29 How can someone get into a strong man’s house and take his stuff unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.
30 If you’re not with me, you’re against me; if you don’t gather with me, you spread things out.
31 So I tell you, people will be forgiven for all kinds of sins and insults, but insults against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either now or in the future.
33 Make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad, because a tree is recognized by its fruit.
34 You people are like snakes! How can you say good things when you are evil? What fills the heart will come out of the mouth.
35 A good person, from the good stored in their heart, produces good things; and a bad person, from the bad stored within, produces bad things.
36 I tell you, everyone must explain all the useless words they speak on judgment day.
37 What you say can save or condemn you.
38 Some teachers of the law and Pharisees spoke up, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a miracle from you.”
39 He replied, “A wicked and unfaithful generation wants a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
40 Just as Jonah was in the fish for three days and three nights, the Son of Man will be in the earth for three days and three nights.
41 The people of Nineveh will stand up at the time of judgment with the people of this time and condemn them: because they turned away from their sins when Jonah preached; and look, someone greater than Jonah is here.
42 The queen from the south will stand up on judgment day with the people of this time, and she will judge them. She traveled from the farthest part of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; but look, someone greater than Solomon is here.
43 When an evil spirit leaves a person, it wanders through waterless areas looking for rest but doesn’t find any.
44 Then he says, “I will go back to my house from where I left”; and when he arrives, he finds it empty, clean, and tidy.
45 Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they come in and live there. So the last condition of that person is worse than at the beginning. This will also happen to this evil generation.
46 While he was still talking to the people, look, his mother and brothers were standing outside, wanting to talk to him.
47 Someone told him, “Look, your mother and brothers are outside wanting to talk to you.”
48 He replied to the person who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?”
49 He reached out his hand to his followers and said, “Look, my mother and my brothers!”
50 Anyone who does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother, sister, and mother.