CHAPTER 12
At
that
time
Jesus
went
through
the
grainfields
on the
Sabbath.
His
disciples
were hungry
and
began
to pick
the heads of grain
and
eat them.
When
the Pharisees
saw this,
they said
to Him,
“Look,
Your
disciples
are doing
what
is unlawful
on
the Sabbath.”
He entered
the
house
of God,
and
he and his companions ate
the
consecrated bread,
which
was
not
lawful
for them
to eat,
but
only
for the
priests.
Or
haven’t you read
in
the
Law
that
on the
Sabbath
the
priests
in
the
temple
break
the
Sabbath
and yet
are
innocent?
If
only
you had known
the meaning of
‘I desire
mercy,
not
sacrifice,’
you would not have condemned
the
innocent.
and
a man
with
a withered
hand
was there.
In order to
accuse
Jesus,
they asked
Him,
“Is it lawful
to heal
on the
Sabbath?”
He replied,
“If
one
of
you
has
a
sheep
and
it
falls
into
a pit
on the
Sabbath,
will he not take hold of
it
and
lift it out?
Then
Jesus said
to
the man,
“Stretch out
your
hand.”
So
he stretched it out,
and
it was restored
to full use,
just like
the
other.
Aware of this,
Jesus
withdrew
from that place.
Large
crowds
followed
Him,
and
He healed
them
all,
“Here is
My
servant,
whom
I have chosen,
My
beloved,
in
whom
My
soul
delights.
I will put
My
Spirit
on
Him,
and
He will proclaim
justice
to the
nations.
A bruised
reed
He will not break,
and
a smoldering
wick
He will not extinguish,
till
He leads
justice
to
victory.
Then
a demon-possessed man
who was blind
and
mute
was brought
to Jesus,
and
He healed
the man
so that
he
could speak
and
see.
But when
the Pharisees
heard this,
they said,
“Only
by
Beelzebul,
the prince
of the
demons,
does this man
drive out
demons.”
Knowing
their
thoughts,
Jesus said
to them,
“Every
kingdom
divided
against
itself
will be laid waste,
and
every
city
or
household
divided
against
itself
will not stand.
And
if
I
drive out
demons
by
Beelzebul,
by
whom
do your
sons
drive them out?
So then,
they
will be
your
judges.
How
can
anyone
enter
a strong man’s
house
and
steal
his
possessions,
unless
he first
ties up
the
strong man?
Then
he can plunder
his
house.
Therefore
I tell
you,
every
sin
and
blasphemy
will be forgiven
men,
but
the
blasphemy
against
the Spirit
will not
be forgiven.
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.
Make
a
tree
good
and
its
fruit
will be good,
or
make
a
tree
bad
and
its
fruit
will be bad;
for
a
tree
is known
by
its
fruit.
You brood
of vipers,
how
can you
who are
evil
say
anything good?
For
out of
the
overflow
of the
heart,
the
mouth
speaks.
The
good
man
brings
good things
out of
his
good
store of treasure,
and
the
evil
man
brings
evil things
out of
his
evil
store of treasure.
But
I tell
you
that
men
will give
an account
on
the day
of judgment
for
every
careless
word
they have spoken.
Jesus replied,
“A wicked
and
adulterous
generation
demands
a sign,
but
none
will be given
it
except
the
sign
of the
prophet
Jonah.
For
just as
Jonah
was
three
days
and
three
nights
in
the
belly
of the
great fish,
so
the
Son
of Man
will be
three
days
and
three
nights
in
the
heart
of the
earth.
The men
of Nineveh
will stand
at
the
judgment
with
this
generation
and
condemn
it;
for
they repented
at
the
preaching
of Jonah,
and
now
One greater than
Jonah
is here.
The queen
of the south
will rise
at
the
judgment
with
this
generation
and
condemn
it;
for
she came
from
the
ends
of the
earth
to hear
the
wisdom
of Solomon,
and
now
One greater than
Solomon
is here.
When
an
unclean
spirit
comes out
of
a
man,
it passes
through
arid
places
seeking
rest
and
does not find it.
Then
it says,
‘I will return
to
the
house
I left.’
On its arrival,
it finds the house
vacant,
swept clean
and
put in order.
Then
it goes
and
brings with it
seven
other
spirits
more evil
than itself,
and
they go in
and dwell
there;
and
the
final plight
of
that
man
is
worse
than the
first.
So
will it be
with this
wicked
generation."
While
Jesus
was still speaking
to the
crowds,
His
mother
and
brothers
stood
outside,
wanting
to speak
to Him.
Someone
told
Him,
“Look,
Your
mother
and
brothers
are standing
outside,
wanting
to speak
to You.”