1 A t that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

At that particular time Jesus went through the fields of standing grain on the Sabbath; and His disciples were hungry, and they began to pick off the spikes of grain and to eat.

2 B ut when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, See there! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful and not permitted on the Sabbath.

3 B ut he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

He said to them, Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, and those who accompanied him—

4 H ow he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

How he went into the house of God and ate the loaves of the showbread—which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for the men who accompanied him, but for the priests only?

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

Or have you never read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and yet are guiltless?

6 B ut I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

But I tell you, Something greater and more exalted and more majestic than the temple is here!

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

And if you had only known what this saying means, I desire mercy rather than sacrifice and sacrificial victims, you would not have condemned the guiltless.

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

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

9 A nd when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

And going on from there, He went into their synagogue.

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

And behold, a man was there with one withered hand. And they said to Him, Is it lawful or allowable to cure people on the Sabbath days?—that they might accuse Him.

11 A nd he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

But He said to them, What man is there among you, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit or ditch on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

12 H ow much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

How much better and of more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and allowable to do good on the Sabbath days.

13 T hen saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Then He said to the man, Reach out your hand. And the man reached it out and it was restored, as sound as the other one.

14 T hen the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

But the Pharisees went out and held a consultation against Him, how they might do away with Him.

15 B ut when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

But being aware of this, Jesus went away from there. And many people joined and accompanied Him, and He cured all of them,

16 A nd charged them that they should not make him known:

And strictly charged them and sharply warned them not to make Him publicly known.

17 T hat it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah,

18 B ehold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Behold, My Servant Whom I have chosen, My Beloved in and with Whom My soul is well pleased and has found its delight. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim and show forth justice to the nations.

19 H e shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

He will not strive or wrangle or cry out loudly; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets;

20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings justice and a just cause to victory.

21 A nd in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

And in and on His name will the Gentiles (the peoples outside of Israel) set their hopes.

22 T hen was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

Then a blind and dumb man under the power of a demon was brought to Jesus, and He cured him, so that the blind and dumb man both spoke and saw.

23 A nd all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

And all the people were stunned with bewildered wonder and said, This cannot be the Son of David, can it?

24 B ut when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, This Man drives out demons only by and with the help of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.

25 A nd Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

And knowing their thoughts, He said to them, Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to stand.

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

And if Satan drives out Satan, he has become divided against himself and disunified; how then will his kingdom last or continue to stand?

27 A nd if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

And if I drive out the demons by Beelzebub, by whose do your sons drive them out? For this reason they shall be your judges.

28 B ut if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you '> before you expected it].

29 O r else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Or how can a person go into a strong man’s house and carry off his goods (the entire equipment of his house) without first binding the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.

30 H e that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

He who is not with Me '> on My side] is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me and for My side scatters.

31 W herefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy (every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things) can be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not and cannot be forgiven.

32 A nd whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Spirit, the Holy One, will not be forgiven, either in this world and age or in the world and age to come.

33 E ither make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad); for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.

36 B ut I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak.

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

For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.

38 T hen certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, Teacher, we desire to see a sign or miracle from You.

39 B ut he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

But He replied to them, An evil and adulterous generation (a generation morally unfaithful to God) seeks and demands a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 F or as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 T he men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, Someone more and greater than Jonah is here!

42 T he queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

The queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, Someone more and greater than Solomon is here.

43 W hen the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry places in search of rest, but it does not find any.

44 T hen he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated.

45 T hen goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation.

46 W hile he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

Jesus was still speaking to the people when behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him.

47 T hen one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

Someone said to Him, Listen! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.

48 B ut he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

But He replied to the man who told Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?

49 A nd he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

And stretching out His hand toward His adherents, He said, Here are My mother and My brothers.

50 F or whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother!