1 A t 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.

At 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.

2 T he 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.”

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

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

But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

4 H e 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.

how 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?

5 H ave 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?

Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

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

Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

7 I f 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.

But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 F or the Son of Man is Lord of the Day of Rest.” Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest

For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Healing on the Sabbath

9 F rom there Jesus went into their place of worship.

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

10 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.

And 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.

11 H e 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?

Then 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?

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

Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

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

Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

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

Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. Behold, My Servant

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

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

16 H e told them to tell no one of Him.

Yet He warned them not to make Him known,

17 I t happened as the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen, saying,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

18 “ 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.

“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.

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

He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

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

A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;

21 I n His name the nations will have hope.” A Nation That Cannot Stand

And in His name Gentiles will trust.” A House Divided Cannot Stand

22 T hen 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.

Then 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.

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

And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

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

Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25 J esus 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.

But 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.

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

If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

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

And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

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

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 H ow 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

Or 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.

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

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. The Unpardonable Sin

31 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.

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

32 W hoever 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

Anyone 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

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

“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.

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

Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 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.

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.

36 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.

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37 F or 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

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

38 T hen 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.”

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

39 H e 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.

But 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.

40 J onah 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.

For 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.

41 T he 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!

The 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.

42 “ 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

The 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

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

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

44 T hen 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.

Then 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.

45 T hen 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

Then 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

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

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

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

Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 J esus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?”

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

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

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

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

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