Worsley - Matthew - 12

12:1  About this time as Jesus passed through the cornfields on the sabbath-day, his disciples being hungry began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat them.

12:2  And when the pharisees saw it they said to Him, See, thy disciples are doing what is not lawful for them to do on the sabbath.

12:3  But He replied, Have ye not read what David did, when he, and his attendants, were hungry? how he went into the house of God,

12:4  and did eat the shew-bread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor those that were with him; but for the priests only? or have ye not read in the law,

12:5  what profane sort of work the priests do in the temple on the sabbath-days, and yet are blameless?

12:6  But I tell you, that a greater than the temple is here:

12:7  and if ye had known what that scripture means, "I desire mercy rather than sacrifice," ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

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

12:9  And he went away and came into their synagogue: and there being a man there who had a withered hand,

12:10  they asked Him, if it were lawful to heal on the sabbath-days? that they might accuse Him.

12:11  But He said unto them, What man of you shall have one of his sheep fall into a pit on the sabbath-day, and will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

12:12  And of how much more worth is a man than a sheep? Sure then it is lawful to do good on the sabbath-days.

12:13  Then saith He to the man, Stretch out thine hand: and he stretched it out, and it was made sound like the other.

12:14  But the pharisees went out of the synagogue and took counsel together against Him, how they might destroy Him:

12:15  but Jesus knew it, and withdrew from thence; and great multitudes followed Him with their sick,

12:16  and he healed them all, charging them not to make Him known:

12:17  that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen,

12:18  my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon Him, and He shall declare judgement to the nations: He shall not contend,

12:19  nor cry aloud, nor shall any one hear his voice in the streets:

12:20  a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax he will not extinguish, till He send forth judgement victorious.

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

12:22  Then was brought to Him a demoniac, who was blind and dumb; and he healed Him, so that the blind and dumb man both spake and saw:

12:23  and all the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Is not this the Son of David?"

12:24  which the pharisees hearing, said, "He only casts out demons by the help of Beelzebub the prince of the devils."

12:25  But Jesus, who well knew their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself becomes desolate; and no city, or family, divided against itself can stand:

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

12:27  And if I cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, by whom do your own people cast them out? wherefore they shall be your judges:

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

12:29  Or, how can any one enter into the house of a strong man, and take away his goods, unless he first overpower the strong man? and then indeed he may strip his house.

12:30  He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.

12:31  Wherefore, I tell you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy against the holy Spirit shall not be forgiven them:

12:32  and if any one speak against the Son of man, it may be forgiven him: but if any one speak against the holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this life, nor in that to come.

12:33  Either allow the tree to be good, and it's fruit good; or shew the tree to be corrupt, and it's fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by it's fruit.

12:34  O race of vipers, how can ye speak good things, who are yourselves so wicked? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

12:35  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart produceth good things; and a wicked man out of the wicked treasure uttereth wicked things:

12:36  but I tell you, that of every idle word, which men shall speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgement; for by thy words thou shalt be justified,

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

12:38  Then some of the scribes and pharisees answered Him, saying, Master, we should be glad to see a sign from thee:

12:39  but He replied and said unto them, This wicked and degenerate race demand a sign; but no sign shall be given them, except that of the prophet Jonah:

12:40  for as Jonas 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  So that the men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgement against this generation, and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold a greater than Jonas is here.

12:42  The queen of the South too, shall rise up in the day of judgement against this generation, and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon is here.

12:43  Now when an impure spirit is gone out of a man, he wanders through dry desert places, seeking rest, and findeth none:

12:44  then saith he, I will return into my house, that I came out of; and when he cometh, he findeth it empty, swept, and set off to advantage:

12:45  then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and so the last state of that man is worse than the first. And thus shall it be to this wicked generation.

12:46  Now as He was yet discoursing to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, and desired to speak to Him:

12:47  and somebody said to Him, "Here are thy mother and thy brethren standing without, desiring to speak to thee."

12:48  But in answer to him that told Him, He said, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?"

12:49  and stretching out his hand towards his disciples, He said, "Behold my mother and my brethren:"

12:50  for whosoever doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is to me as my brother and sister and mother.