RKJNT - Matthew - 12

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

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

12:3  But he said to them, Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, he 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 in this place is one greater than the temple.

12:7  But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.

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

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

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

12:11  And he said to them, What man is there among you, if he has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the sabbath day, will not lay hold of it, and lift it out?

12:12  How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.

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

12:14  Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

12:15  But Jesus, knowing this, withdrew from there: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

12:16  And charged them that they should not make him known:

12:17  That what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled,

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 proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

12:19  He shall not quarrel, nor cry out; nor shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

12:20  A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoking wick he shall not quench, until he brings justice to victory.

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

12:22  Then was brought to him one possessed by a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb man both spoke and saw.

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

12:24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow casts out devils only by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.

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  And if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

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

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

12:30  He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.

12:31  Therefore I say to you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven 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, neither in this world, nor 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  You brood 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 his heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil things.

12:36  But I say to you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of on 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, Teacher, we wish see a sign from you.

12:39  But he answered them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and 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 belly of a huge fish; 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 judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching 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 remotest 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, it passes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

12:44  Then it says, I will return to my house from which I came; and when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

12:45  Then it goes, and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter in and live there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.

12:46  While he was still talking to 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  But he answered and said to him who 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 whoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.