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, “Behold, your disciples do
what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
3 But he said to them, “Haven’t you read
what David did when he was hungry, and
those who were with him:
4 how he entered into God’s house and
ate the show bread, which was not lawful
for him to eat, nor 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 guiltless?
6 But I tell you that one greater than the
temple is here.
7 But if you had known what this means,
‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’* you
wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 He departed from there and went into
their synagogue.
10 And behold, there was a man with
a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it
lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” so that
they might accuse him.
11 He said to them, “What man is there
among you who has one sheep, and if this
one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day,
won’t he grab on to it and lift it out?
12 Of how much more value then is a man
than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do
good on the Sabbath day.”
13 Then he told the man, “Stretch out
your hand.” 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 Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from
there. Great multitudes followed him; and
he healed them all,
16 and commanded them that they
should not make him known,
17 that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom my soul is well
pleased.
I will put my Spirit on him.
He will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not strive, nor shout,
neither will anyone hear his voice in
the streets.
20 He won’t break a bruised reed.
He won’t quench a smoking flax,
until he leads justice to victory.
21 In his name, the nations will hope.”*
22 Then one possessed by a demon, blind
and mute, was brought to him; and he
healed him, so that the blind and mute
man both spoke and saw.
23 All the multitudes 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 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said
to them, “Every kingdom divided against
itself is brought to desolation, and every
city or house divided against itself will not
stand.
26 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 God’s Kingdom has come
upon you.
29 Or how can one enter into the house
of the strong man and plunder his goods,
unless he first bind the strong man? Then
he will plunder his house.
30 “He who is not with me is against
me, and he who doesn’t gather with me,
scatters.
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and
blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the
blasphemy against the Spirit will not be
forgiven men.
32 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 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 man out of his good treasure†
brings out good things, and the evil
man out of his evil treasure brings out evil
things.
36 I tell you that every idle word that men
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
answered, “Teacher, we want to see a
sign from you.”
39 But he answered them, “An evil and
adulterous generation seeks after a sign,
but no sign will be given to it but the sign
of Jonah the prophet.
40 For as Jonah was three days and three
nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will
the Son of Man be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nineveh will stand up
in the judgment with this generation and
will condemn it, for they repented at the
preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone
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 the
ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon; and behold, someone greater
than Solomon is here.
43 “When an unclean spirit has gone out
of a man, he passes through waterless
places seeking rest, and doesn’t find it.
44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my
house from which I came;’ 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 man becomes worse than
the first. Even so will it be also to this evil
generation.”
46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes,
behold, his mother and his brothers
stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
47 One said to him, “Behold, 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 He stretched out his hand toward his
disciples, and said, “Behold, 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.”
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