Matthew 12
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick heads of grain and eat. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and those with him were hungry? 4How he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what this means, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
9He moved on from there and entered their synagogue. 10And look, there was a person with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they could accuse him. 11He said to them, “Who among you, having one sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable a person is than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the person, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as healthy as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him about how to destroy him.
15Jesus knew this and withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all 16and warned them not to make him known, 17so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
18“Look, 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 proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not quarrel or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish, until he brings justice to victory. 21And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
22Then a person possessed by a demon, blind and unable to speak, was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the one who could not speak both spoke and saw. 23All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This fellow casts out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”
25Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or how can someone enter the strong man's house and seize his belongings unless he first binds the strong man? Then he will plunder his house. 30The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.
31“For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.
33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the heart's abundance. 35The good person brings good things out of the good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of the evil treasure. 36But I tell you that people will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they speak. 37For by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40For just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea creature three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation, and look, something greater than Jonah is here. 42The queen of the South will be raised at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom, and look, something greater than Solomon is here.
43“When the unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there. The last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will also be with this evil generation.”
46While he was still speaking to the crowds, look, his mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with him. 47Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with you.” 48But he answered the one speaking to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Look, my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”