Matthew 12

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But the Pharisees saw it and said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not permitted to do on a Sabbath.” 3 But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him — 4 how he entered the house of God and they ate the loaves of the setting-out, which was not permitted for him to eat, nor for those with him, but only for the priests? [a] 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple treat the Sabbath as common and are not guilty? [b] 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means — ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ — you would not have condemned the guiltless. [c] 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9 And moving on from there he came into their synagogue; 10 and look, a man with a withered hand. And they questioned him, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?” — so that they might bring a charge against him. 11 But he said to them, “What man will there be among you who will have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable, then, is a man than a sheep! So it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he says to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored, sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

15 But Jesus knew it and withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and he warned them not to make him known, 17 so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said:

22 Then a demon-possessed man, blind and mute, was brought to him; and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 But the Pharisees heard it and said, “This man does not drive out the demons except by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” [f]

25 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every town or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 And if Satan drives out Satan, he was divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can anyone enter the house of the strong man and seize his goods, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. † 30 The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

31 “Because of this I tell you, every sin and abusive speech will be forgiven people, but abusive speech against the Spirit will not be forgiven. [g] 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of the good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of the evil treasure. 36 And I tell you that for every idle word people speak they will give an account of it on the day of judgment; 37 for by your words you will be set right, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation looks for a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea creature three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. [h] † 41 Men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they had a change of mind at the proclamation of Jonah — and look, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south will be raised at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon — and look, something greater than Solomon is here.

43 “And when the unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house that I came out of.’ And when it comes it finds it standing empty, swept and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there; and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be also for this evil generation.”

46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, look, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with him. 47 And someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with you.” [i] 48 But he answered the one who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples he said, “Look, my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in the heavens, this one is my brother and sister and mother.”