Matthew 12 New American Standard Bible

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New American Standard Bible

Sabbath Questions

1[a]At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” 3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions— 4how he entered the house of God, and they ate the [b]consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple [c]violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? 6But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7But if you had known what this [d]means: ‘I DESIRE [e]COMPASSION, [f]RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned [g]the innocent.

Lord of the Sabbath

8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned [h]Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might bring charges against Him. 11But He said to them, “What man [i]is there among you who [j]has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do [k]good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to [l]normal, like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and [m]conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

15But Jesus, [n]aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16and warned them not to [o]tell who He was. 17This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

18“BEHOLD, MY [p]SERVANT WHOM I [q]HAVE CHOSEN;

MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL [r]DELIGHTS;

I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM,

AND HE WILL PROCLAIM [s]JUSTICE TO THE [t]GENTILES.

19“HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT;

NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.

20“A BENT REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF,

AND A DIMLY BURNING WICK HE WILL NOT EXTINGUISH,

UNTIL HE [u]LEADS [v]JUSTICE TO VICTORY.

21“AND IN HIS NAME THE [w]GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

The Pharisees Rebuked

22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to [x]Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and [y]could see. 23And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by [z]Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

25And knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26And if Satan is casting out Satan, he [aa]has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27And if by [ab]Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 28But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

30The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.

31“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks 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 the age to come.

Words Reveal Character

33“Either [ac]assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or [ad]assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34You [ae]offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. 35The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. 36But I tell you that for every [af]careless word that people [ag]speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. 37For [ah]by your words you will be justified, and [ai]by your words you will be condemned.”

The Desire for Signs

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a [aj]sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a [ak]sign; and so no [al]sign will be given to it except the [am]sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for just as JONAH WAS IN THE STOMACH OF THE SEA MONSTER FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

43“Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Changed Relationships

46While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47[[an]Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”] 48But [ao]Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! 50For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

[a] 1 Or On that occasion
[b] 4 Lit loaves of presentation
[c] 5 Or profane
[d] 7 Lit is
[e] 7 Or mercy
[f] 7 Lit and not
[g] 7 Plural in the Gr
[h] 10 Lit Him
[i] 11 Lit will be from you
[j] 11 Lit will have
[k] 12 Lit well
[l] 13 Lit health
[m] 14 Lit took counsel
[n] 15 Lit knowing
[o] 16 Lit make Him known
[p] 18 Lit Child
[q] 18 Lit chose
[r] 18 Or took pleasure
[s] 18 Or judgment
[t] 18 Or nations
[u] 20 Or brings forth
[v] 20 Or judgment
[w] 21 Or nations
[x] 22 Lit Him
[y] 22 Lit saw
[z] 24 Or Beezebul; meaning uncertain, perhaps lord prince, referring to Satan
[aa] 26 Lit was
[ab] 27 See note v 24
[ac] 33 Lit make
[ad] 33 Lit make
[ae] 34 Or brood
[af] 36 Or useless
[ag] 36 Lit will speak
[ah] 37 Or in accordance with
[ai] 37 Or in accordance with
[aj] 38 I.e., confirming miracle
[ak] 39 I.e., confirming miracle
[al] 39 I.e., confirming miracle
[am] 39 I.e., confirming miracle
[an] 47 This verse is not found in early mss
[ao] 48 Lit He

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