1 A t that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain 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, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the 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, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who 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 God’s house, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

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 you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?

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 tell you that one greater than the temple is here.

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

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 H e departed there, and went into their synagogue.

From there Jesus went into their place of worship.

10 A nd behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” 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 H e said to them, “What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it, and lift it out?

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 O f how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.”

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 told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like 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 went out, and conspired 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 J esus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes 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 commanded them that they should not make him known:

He told them to tell no one of Him.

17 t hat it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

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

18 “ Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice 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 will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone 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 H e won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.

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

21 I n his name, the nations will hope.”

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

22 T hen one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke 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 ll the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?”

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

24 B ut when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the 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 K nowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

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

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

27 I f I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will 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 the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has 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 one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? 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 “ He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.

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

31 T herefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven 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 W hoever 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 that which is to come.

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 “ Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

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

34 Y ou offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out 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 his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil 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 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

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 your words you will be justified, and by your words you will 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 certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

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 answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah 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 as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

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 T he men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is 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 T he queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is 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 W hen an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it.

“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 into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

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 more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”

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 W hile he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, 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 O ne said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.”

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

48 B ut he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

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

49 H e stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!

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

50 F or whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, 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.”