Matthew 12
1At that time Jesus walked through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples grew hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and eat them. 2But the Pharisees, seeing this, said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath."
3He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and those with him were hungry— 4how he entered the house of God and they ate the bread of the Presence, which was not permitted for him to eat, nor for those with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and yet are guiltless? 6But I tell you: something greater than the temple is here. 7If you had understood what this means—'I desire mercy and not sacrifice'—you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
9Moving on from there, he went into their synagogue. 10And there was a man with a withered hand. They questioned him, asking, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?"—so that they might bring charges against him. 11He said to them, "What person among you who has one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable, then, is a human being than a sheep! So it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath." 13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored to full health like the other.
14But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might destroy him.
15Jesus, knowing this, withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all, 16and he warned them not to make him known— 17so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:
18"Look, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul delights. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish, until he brings justice to victory. 21And in his name the nations will hope."
22Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and he healed him so that the mute man both spoke and saw. 23All the crowds were astonished and kept saying, "This couldn't be the Son of David, could it?" 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the ruler of demons."
25Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to ruin, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself—how then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own sons cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. 28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has arrived upon you. 29Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and plunder his possessions unless he first binds the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30"The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. 31For this reason I tell you: every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Whoever 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 the age 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. 34Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good person brings forth good things from a good treasury, and the evil person brings forth evil things from an evil treasury. 36But I tell you that for every worthless word that people speak, they will render an account on the day of judgment. 37For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned."
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." 39But he answered them, "An evil and unfaithful generation demands a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great 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. 41The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah—and look, something greater than Jonah is here. 42The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and 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"When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places seeking rest and finds none. 44Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And arriving, it finds it unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle there. And the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be also with this evil generation."
46While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak with him. 47Someone said to him, "Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak with you." 48But he answered the one who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Look—my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father who is in the heavens—that person is my brother and sister and mother."