Matthew 12:1–31

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

12At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat them.^{* 2}But when^* the Pharisees saw it,^* they said to him, “Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not permitted to do on the Sabbath!” ³So he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, ⁴how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? ⁵Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! ⁷And if you had known what it means,^a ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand Healed

⁹And going on from there he came into their synagogue. ¹⁰And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?” in order that they could accuse him. ¹¹But he said to them, “What man will there be among you who will have one sheep and if this one fell into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it^* out? ¹²Then to what degree is a man worth more than a sheep? So then, it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand,” and he stretched it^* out, and it was restored as healthy as the other one. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and plotted^b against him in order that they could destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵Now Jesus, when he^* learned of it,^* withdrew from there, and many^c followed him, and he healed them all. ¹⁶And he warned them that they should not reveal his identity,^{d 17}in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

¹⁸“Behold my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

¹⁹He will not quarrel or cry out,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

²⁰A crushed reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish,

until he brings justice to victory.

²¹And in his name the Gentiles^e will hope.^f

A House Divided Cannot Stand

²²Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. ²³And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, “Perhaps this one is the Son of David!” ²⁴But the Pharisees, when they^* heard it,^* said, “This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!” ²⁵But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?^* For this reason they will be your judges! ²⁸But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! ²⁹Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. ³⁰The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven!