Matthew 12:1–12

Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. x His disciples y were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2 But when the * Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful z to do on the Sabbath!”

3 He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry— 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate a the * sacred bread, which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? b 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law c that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? d 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! e 7 If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, f g you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the * Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” h

The Man with the Paralyzed Hand

9 Moving on from there, He entered their * synagogue. i 10 There He saw a man who had a paralyzed hand. And in order to accuse Him they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” j

11 But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep k that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? l 12 A man is worth far more than a sheep, m so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”