New Heart English Bible

Matthew 12

1 At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, "Look, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."

3 But he said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he and his companions were hungry;

4 how he entered into the house of God, and they ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless?

6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.

7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

9 And he departed from there and went into their synagogue.

10 And look, there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" that they might accuse him.

11 And he said to them, "Which one of you who has one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

12 Of how much more value then is a person than a sheep. Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

13 Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored whole, just like the other.

14 But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.

15 But Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all,

16 and commanded them that they should not make him known.

17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

18 "Look, 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.

19 He will not quarrel, nor shout; nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

20 He won't break a bruised reed. And he won't put out a smoldering wick, until he leads justice to victory.

21 And in his name the coastlands will hope."

22 Then one possessed by a demon, 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, "Can this be the son of David?"

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

25 And knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and carry off his possessions, unless he first bind the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.

31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

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, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.

33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

35 The good person out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.

36 But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

39 But he answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The people of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and look, something greater than Jonah is here.

42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, someone greater than Solomon is here.

43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the person, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it.

44 Then he says, 'I will return into my house from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that person becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."

46 While he was yet speaking to the crowds, look, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

47 Then one said to him, "Look, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you."

48 But he answered him who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"

49 And he stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Look, my mother and my brothers.

50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."