1 A t that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain 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 A nd when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

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 to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who 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 the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who 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 you not read in the law that on the Sabbath 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 Y et I say to you that in this place there 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 you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you 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.” Healing on the Sabbath

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

9 N ow when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

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

10 A nd behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—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 T hen He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of 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 O f how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

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 He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole 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 plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. Behold, My Servant

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 from there. 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 Y et He warned them not to 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 Isaiah the prophet, saying:

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

18 “ Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice 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 will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone 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 He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to 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 Gentiles will trust.” A House Divided Cannot Stand

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

22 T hen one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke 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 multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be 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 N ow when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

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

25 B ut Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will 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 I f Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will 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 cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons 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 demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon 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 how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder 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 who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. The Unpardonable Sin

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 “ Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven 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 nyone who 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 the age to come. A Tree Known by Its Fruit

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 “ Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its 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 B rood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

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 his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings 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 to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it 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 your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

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

38 T hen some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

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 to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

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 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.

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 will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah 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 will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. An Unclean Spirit Returns

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 “ When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds 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 says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

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 he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

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 was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking 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 to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

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 to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

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

49 A nd He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

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

50 F or whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

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