1 A t that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat.

At that time Jesus walked through the grain-fields on the Day of Rest. His followers were hungry and began to pick off grain to eat.

2 B ut the Pharisees, seeing, said to him, Behold, thy disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on sabbath.

The proud religious law-keepers saw this. They said to Jesus, “See! Your followers do what the Law says not to do on the Day of Rest.”

3 B ut he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him?

He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry?

4 H ow he entered into the house of God, and ate the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only?

He went into the house of God and ate the special bread used in worship which was against the Law for him or those with him to eat! Only the Jewish religious leaders were to eat that special bread.

5 O r have ye not read in the law that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Have you not read in the Law how the religious leaders do that which is not right to do on the Day of Rest, and yet they are not guilty?

6 B ut I say unto you, that there is here what is greater than the temple.

I tell you that Someone greater than the house of God is here.

7 B ut if ye had known what is: I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

If you had understood what the words mean, ‘I want loving-kindness and not a gift to be given,’ you would not say a person is guilty who has done no wrong.

8 F or the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath.

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Day of Rest.” Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest

9 A nd, going away from thence, he came into their synagogue.

From there Jesus went into their place of worship.

10 A nd behold, there was a man having his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him.

A man was there with a dried-up hand. The proud religious law-keepers asked Jesus, “Does the Law say it is right to heal on the Day of Rest?” They wanted something to say against Him.

11 B ut he said to them, What man shall there be of you who has one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and raise up?

He said to them, “If one of you has a sheep which falls into a hole on the Day of Rest, will you not take hold of it and pull it out?

12 H ow much better then is a man than a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well on the sabbath.

How much better is a man than a sheep! So it is right to do good on the Day of Rest.”

13 T hen he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched out, and it was restored sound as the other.

Then He said to the man, “Put out your hand.” He held it out and it was made as well as the other.

14 B ut the Pharisees, having gone out, took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

The proud religious law-keepers went out and made plans against Him. They planned how they might kill Him. Jesus Heals Many People

15 B ut Jesus knowing, withdrew thence, and great crowds followed him; and he healed them all:

Jesus knew this and went away from there. Many people followed Him and He healed all of them.

16 a nd charged them strictly that they should not make him publicly known:

He told them to tell no one of Him.

17 t hat that might be fulfilled which was spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying,

It happened as the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen, saying,

18 B ehold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul has found its delight. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall shew forth judgment to the nations.

“See! My Servant Whom I have chosen! My much Loved, in Whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit in Him. He will say to the nations what is right from wrong.

19 H e shall not strive or cry out, nor shall any one hear his voice in the streets;

He will not fight or speak with a loud voice. No man will hear His voice in the streets.

20 a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he bring forth judgment unto victory;

He will not break a broken branch. He will not put out a little fire until He makes things right.

21 a nd on his name shall nations hope.

In His name the nations will have hope.” A Nation That Cannot Stand

22 T hen was brought to him one possessed by a demon, blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the dumb spake and saw.

Then they brought to Him a man who had a demon. He was blind and could not speak. Jesus healed him and he could talk and see.

23 A nd all the crowds were amazed and said, Is this the Son of David?

All the people were surprised and said, “Can this Man be the Son of David?”

24 B ut the Pharisees, having heard, said, This does not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, prince of demons.

But when the proud religious law-keepers heard it, they said, “This Man puts out demons only by Satan, the leader of demons.”

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

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided into groups that fight each other is going to be destroyed. Every city or family divided into groups that fight each other will not stand.

26 A nd if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom subsist?

If the devil puts out the devil, he is divided against himself. How will his nation stand?

27 A nd if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, your sons, by whom do they cast out? For this reason they shall be your judges.

If I put out demons by Satan, by whom do your followers put them out? So your followers will say if you are guilty.

28 B ut if I by Spirit of God cast out demons, then indeed the kingdom of God is come upon you.

But if I put out demons by the Spirit of God, then the holy nation of God is come to you.

29 O r how can any one enter into the house of the strong and plunder his goods, unless first he bind the strong ? and then he will plunder his house.

How can anyone go into a strong man’s house and take away his things, unless he ties up the strong man first? Only then can he take things from his house. The Sin That Cannot Be Forgiven

30 H e that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters.

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me. Whoever is not gathering with Me is sending everywhere.

31 F or this reason I say unto you, Every sin and injurious speaking shall be forgiven to men, but speaking injuriously of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men.

I tell you, every sin and every bad word men speak against God will be forgiven, but bad words spoken against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

32 A nd whosoever shall have spoken a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming.

Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this life or in the life to come. The Sin of Saying Bad Things

33 E ither make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt. For from the fruit the tree is known.

“A good tree gives good fruit. A bad tree gives bad fruit. A tree is known by its fruit.

34 O ffspring of vipers! how can ye speak good things, being wicked? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

You family of snakes! How can you say good things when you are sinful? The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

35 T he good man out of the good treasure brings forth good things; and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure brings forth wicked things.

A good man will speak good things because of the good in him. A bad man will speak bad things because of the sin in him.

36 B ut I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall say, they shall render an account of it in judgment-day:

I say to you, on the day men stand before God, they will have to give an answer for every word they have spoken that was not important.

37 f or by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

For it is by your words that you will not be guilty and it is by your words that you will be guilty.” Jesus Tells about Jonah

38 T hen answered him some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, Teacher, we desire to see a sign from thee.

Then some of the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers said to Jesus, “Teacher, we would like to have you do something special for us to see.”

39 B ut he, answering, said to them, A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it save the sign of Jonas the prophet.

He said to them, “The sinful people of this day look for something special to see. There will be nothing special to see but the powerful works of the early preacher Jonah.

40 F or even as Jonas was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, thus shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

Jonah was three days and three nights in the stomach of a big fish. The Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the grave also.

41 N inevites shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, more than Jonas here.

The men of the city of Nineveh will stand up with the people of this day on the day men stand before God. Those men will say these people are guilty because the men of Nineveh were sorry for their sins and turned from them when Jonah preached. And see, Someone greater than Jonah is here!

42 A queen of south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, more than Solomon here.

“The queen of the south will stand up with the people of this day on the day men stand before God. She will say that these people are guilty because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wise sayings of Solomon. And see, Someone greater than Solomon is here! A Person Filled with Bad or Good

43 B ut when the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and does not find.

“When a demon is gone out of a man, it goes through dry places to find rest. It finds none.

44 T hen he says, I will return to my house whence I came out; and having come, he finds unoccupied, swept, and adorned.

Then it says, ‘I will go back into my house from which I came.’ When it goes back, it sees that it is empty. But it sees that the house has been cleaned and looks good.

45 T hen he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. Thus shall it be to this wicked generation also.

Then it goes out and comes back bringing with it seven demons more sinful than itself. They go in and live there. In the end that man is worse than at first. It will be like this with the sinful people of this day.” The New Kind of Family

46 B ut while he was yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

While Jesus was still talking to the people, His mother and His brothers came and stood outside. They wanted to talk to Him.

47 T hen one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing without, seeking to speak to thee.

Someone said to Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to talk to you.”

48 B ut he answering said to him that spoke to him, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?

Jesus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?”

49 A nd, stretching out his hand to his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren;

He put out His hand to His followers and said, “See, these are My mother and My brothers!

50 f or whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Whoever does what My father in heaven wants him to do is My brother and My sister and My mother.”