Matthew 12:1–21

Lord of the Sabbath

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

³He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry— ⁴how he entered the house of God, and they ate ^athe ^•sacred bread, which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? ^b5Or haven’t you read in the Law ^cthat on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? ^d6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! ^e7If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, ^fgyou would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸For the ^•Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” ^h

The Man with the Paralyzed Hand

⁹Moving on from there, He entered their synagogue. ⁱ¹⁰There 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

¹¹But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep ^kthat fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? ^l12A man is worth far more than a sheep, ^mso it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”

¹³Then He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored, ⁿas good as the other. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. ^o

The Servant of the Lord

¹⁵When Jesus became aware of this, He withdrew from there. Huge crowds ^pfollowed Him, and He healed them all. ^q16He warned them not to make Him known, ^r17so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

¹⁸Here is My Servant whom I have chosen,

My beloved in whom My soul delights;

I will put My Spirit on Him,

and He will proclaim justice to the nations. ^s

¹⁹He will not argue or shout,

and no one will hear His voice in the streets.

²⁰He will not break a bruised reed,

and He will not put out a smoldering wick,

until He has led justice to victory. ^t

²¹The nations will put their hope in His name. ^uv