Jubilee2000 - Matthew - 12

12:1  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the planted fields, and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the ears of grain and to eat.

12:2  But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

12:3  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, and those that were with him, when he was hungry,

12:4  how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless?

12:6  But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple.

12:7  But if ye knew what [this] means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not condemn the innocent.

12:8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

12:9  And when he was departed from there, he went into their synagogue;

12:10  and, behold, there was a man who had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

12:11  And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift [it] out?

12:12  Therefore, how much more is a man worth than a sheep? So that it is lawful to do good on the sabbath days.

12:13  Then he said to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored whole, like the other.

12:14  Then the Pharisees went out and took council against him that they might destroy him.

12:15  But when Jesus knew [it], he withdrew himself from there; and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

12:16  and [strictly] charged them that they should not make him known;

12:17  so that it which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said,

12:18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall declare judgment unto the Gentiles.

12:19  He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall anyone hear his voice in the streets.

12:20  A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoking flax he shall not quench until he sends forth judgment unto victory.

12:21  And in his name shall the Gentiles wait.

12:22  Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind, and dumb, and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw.

12:23  And all the people were amazed and said, Is not this the son of David?

12:24  But when the Pharisees heard [it], they said, This [fellow] does not cast out demons but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.

12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not remain;

12:26  and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom remain?

12:27  And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast [them] out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

12:28  But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then certainly the kingdom of God is come unto you.

12:29  Or else how can one enter into the strong man's house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

12:30  He that is not with me is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters abroad.

12:31  Therefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy [against] the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men.

12:32  And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, neither in the [age] to come.

12:33  Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by [its] fruit.

12:34  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

12:35  The good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

12:36  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

12:37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

12:38  Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we desire to see a sign from thee.

12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah;

12:40  for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

12:41  The men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah [is] here.

12:42  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

12:43  When the unclean spirit is gone out of the man, it walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

12:44  Then it says, I will return into my house from which I came out; and when it is come, it finds [it] empty, swept, and garnished.

12:45  Then it goes and takes with itself seven other spirits worse than itself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it also be unto this wicked generation.

12:46  While he yet talked to the people, behold, [his] mother and his brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him.

12:47  Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brothers stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

12:48  But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?

12:49  And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brothers!

12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, the same is my brother and sister and mother.: