Mat 12 | ISV | STEP | Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath At that time Jesus walked through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat.

Matthew 12

1 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5

At that time Jesus walked through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat.Deut 23:25; Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

3 But he said to them, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?1Sam 21:6 4 How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved ^{▼▼Lit. but only} for the priests?Exod 25:30; 29:32-33; Lev 8:31 5 Or haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?Num 28:9; John 7:22 6 But I tell you, something greater than the temple is here!2Chr 6:18; Mal 3:1 7 If you had known what ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’ ^{▼▼Hos 6:6} means, you would not have condemned the innocent.Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 9:13 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9 Jesus Heals a Man with a Paralyzed Hand Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11Moving on from there, Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} went into their synagogue.Mark 3:1; Luke 6:6 10 Suddenly a man with a paralyzed hand appeared. The people ^{▼▼Lit. They} asked Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. him} if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, intending to accuse him of doing something wrong.Luke 13:14; 14:3; John 9:16

11 But he said to them, “Is there a man among you who, if he had one sheep and it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't take hold of it and pull it out?Exod 23:4-5; Deut 22:4 12 How much more is a human being worth than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it became normal, as healthy as the other. 14 The Pharisees, however, went out and plotted against Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. him} to kill him.Matt 27:1; Mark 3:6; Luke 6:11; John 5:18; 10:39; 11:53

15 Jesus, God's Chosen ServantWhen Jesus became aware of this, he left that place. Many crowds ^{▼▼Other mss. lack crowds} followed him, and he healed all of them,Matt 10:23; 19:2; Mark 3:7 16 ordering them not to make him known.Matt 9:30 17 This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

18 “Here is my Servant whom I have chosen,Isa 42:1; Matt 3:17; 17:5

whom I love, and with whom my soul is pleased!

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will proclaim justice ^{▼▼Or judgment} to the Gentiles. ^{▼▼Or nations}

19 He will not quarrel or shout,

and no one will hear his voice in the streets.

20 He will not snap off a broken reed

or snuff out a smoldering wick

until he brings justice ^{▼▼Or judgment} to victory.

21 And in his name the Gentiles ^{▼▼Or nations} will hope.” ^{▼▼Isa 42:1-4}

22 Jesus Is Accused of Working with Beelzebul Mark 3:20-30; Luke 11:14-23; 12:10Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. He} healed him so that the man ^{▼▼Lit. the man who was unable to talk} could speak and see.Matt 9:32; Mark 3:11; Luke 11:14 23 All the crowds were amazed and kept saying, “This man isn't the Son of David, is he?”

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”Matt 9:34; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15

25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.Matt 9:4; John 2:25; Rev 2:23 26 So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom stand? 27 If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers ^{▼▼Lit. sons} drive them out? That is why they will be your judges! 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.Dan 2:44; 7:14; Luke 1:33; 11:20; 17:20-21 29 How can someone go into a strong man's house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then he can ransack his house.Isa 49:24; Luke 11:21-23

30 “The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who doesn't gather with me scatters. 31 So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, ^{▼▼Lit. will be forgiven to people} but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.Mark 3:28; Luke 12:10; Acts 7:51; Heb 6:4; 1John 5:16 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.”Matt 11:19; 13:55; John 7:12, 52; 1Tim 1:13

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit Luke 6:43-45

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. For a tree is known by its fruit.Matt 7:17; Luke 6:43-44 34 You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart.Matt 3:7; 23:33; Luke 6:45 35 A good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and an evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account for every thoughtless ^{▼▼Or worthless} word they utter. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38 The Sign of Jonah Mark 8:11-12; Luke 11:29-32Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, ^{▼▼Lit. him} “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”Matt 16:1; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16, 29; John 2:18; 1Cor 1:22

39 But he replied to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.Isa 57:3; Matt 16:4; Mark 8:38; John 4:48 40 For just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, ^{▼▼Jonah 1:17} so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.Jonah 1:17 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look—something greater than Jonah is here!Jer 3:11; Ezek 16:51-52; Jonah 3:5; Luke 11:32; Rom 2:27 42 The queen of the south will stand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look—something greater than Solomon is here!”1Kings 10:1; 2Chr 9:1; Luke 11:31

The Return of the Unclean Spirit Luke 11:24-26

43 “Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places looking for a place to rest but finds none.Job 1:7; Luke 11:24; 1Pet 5:8 44 Then it says, ‘I will go back to my home that I left.’ When it arrives, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That's just what will happen to this evil generation!”Heb 6:4; 10:26; 2Pet 2:20-22

46 The True Family of Jesus Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21While Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.Matt 13:55; Mark 3:31; 6:3; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:12; Acts 1:14; 1Cor 9:5; Gal 1:19 47 Someone told him, “Look! Your mother and your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to you.” ^{▼▼Other mss. lack this verse}

48 He asked the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Then pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”John 15:14; Gal 5:6; 6:15; Col 3:11; Heb 2:11