MKJV - Matthew - 12

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

12:2  But when the Pharisees saw, they said to Him, Behold, your disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day.

12:3  But He said to them, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him,

12:4  how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

12:5  Or have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless?

12:6  But I say to you that One greater than the temple is in this place.

12:7  But if you had known what this is, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice," you would not have condemned those who are not guilty.

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

12:9  And when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

12:10  And behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths? This so that they might accuse Him.

12:11  And He said to them, What man among you will be, who will have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the sabbaths, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out?

12:12  How much better is a man then than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

12:13  Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored whole like the other.

12:14  Then the Pharisees went out and held council against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

12:15  But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from there. And great crowds followed Him, and He healed them all.

12:16  And He warned them that they not make Him known,

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

12:18  "Behold My Child whom I have chosen; My Beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He shall declare judgment to the nations.

12:19  He shall not strive, nor cry, nor shall any one hear His voice in the streets.

12:20  He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not quench a smoking wick, until He sends out judgment to victory.

12:21  And in His name the nations shall trust."

12:22  Then one who had been demon-possessed was brought to Him, blind and dumb. And He healed him, so much so that the blind and dumb one 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, they said, This one does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.

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

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

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

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

12:29  Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods, unless first he binds the strong one, and then he will plunder his house.

12:30  The one who is not with Me is against Me, and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.

12:31  Therefore I say to you, All kinds of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven to men.

12:32  And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this world or in the world 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  Offspring of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

12:35  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings out good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings out evil things.

12:36  But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment.

12:37  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

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

12:39  But He answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. And there shall be no sign given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

12:40  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

12:41  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the proclaiming of Jonah, and behold, One 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, One greater than Solomon is here.

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

12:44  Then he said, I will return into my house from where I came out. And when he has come, he finds it empty, swept, and decorated.

12:45  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and live there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so it also shall be to this evil generation.

12:46  But while He yet talked with the people, behold, His mother and His brothers stood outside, desiring to speak with Him.

12:47  Then one said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers stand outside, desiring to speak with You.

12:48  And He answered and said to him who told Him, Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?

12:49  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Behold, My mother and My brothers!

12:50  For whoever shall do the will of My Father in Heaven, the same is My brother and sister and mother.