Matthew 12:1–31

¹At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat. ²But the Pharisees, seeing it, said to him, Behold, thy disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on sabbath. ³But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him? ⁴How he entered into the house of God, and ate the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only? ⁵Or have ye not read in the law that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? ⁶But I say unto you, that there is here what is greater than the temple. ⁷But if ye had known what is: I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath. ⁹And, going away from thence, he came into their synagogue. ¹⁰And behold, there was a man having his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him. ¹¹But he said to them, What man shall there be of you who has one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and raise it up? ¹²How much better then is a man than a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well on the sabbath. ¹³Then he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored sound as the other.

¹⁴But the Pharisees, having gone out, took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. ¹⁵But Jesus knowing it, withdrew thence, and great crowds followed him; and he healed them all: ¹⁶and charged them strictly that they should not make him publicly known: ¹⁷that that might be fulfilled which was spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying, ¹⁸Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul has found its delight. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall shew forth judgment to the nations. ¹⁹He shall not strive or cry out, nor shall any one hear his voice in the streets; ²⁰a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he bring forth judgment unto victory; ²¹and on his name shall the nations hope.

²²Then was brought to him one possessed by a demon, blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the dumb man spake and saw. ²³And all the crowds were amazed and said, Is this man the Son of David? ²⁴But the Pharisees, having heard it, said, This man does not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, prince of demons. ²⁵But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not subsist. ²⁶And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom subsist? ²⁷And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, your sons, by whom do they cast them out? For this reason they shall be your judges. ²⁸But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then indeed the kingdom of God is come upon you. ²⁹Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his goods, unless first he bind the strong man? and then he will plunder his house. ³⁰He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters. ³¹For this reason I say unto you, Every sin and injurious speaking shall be forgiven to men, but speaking injuriously of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men.