Matthew 12:1–13

¹At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat, ²and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, ‘Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.’ ³And he said to them, ‘Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him— ⁴how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone?

⁵‘Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless? ⁶and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here; ⁷and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice—ye had not condemned the blameless, ⁸for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.’ ⁹And having departed thence, he went to their synagogue, ¹⁰and lo, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned him, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?’ that they might accuse him. ¹¹And he said to them, ‘What man shall be of you, who shall have one sheep, and if this may fall on the sabbaths into a ditch, will not lay hold on it and raise it? ¹²How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep?—so that it is lawful on the sabbaths to do good.’ ¹³Then saith he to the man, ‘Stretch forth thy hand,’ and he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole as the other.