Matthäus 12 | New International Reader’s Version

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath day

1 One Sabbath day Jesus walked through the cornfields. His disciples were hungry. So they began to break off some ears of corn and eat them. 2 The Pharisees saw this. They said to Jesus, ‘Look! It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath day. But your disciples are doing it anyway!’ 3 Jesus answered, ‘Haven’t you read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. 4 So he entered the house of God. He and his men ate the holy bread. Only priests were allowed to eat it. 5 Haven’t you read the Law? It tells how every Sabbath day the priests in the temple have to do their work on that day. But they are not considered guilty. 6 I tell you that something more important than the temple is here. 7 Scripture says, “I want mercy and not sacrifice.” You don’t know what those words mean. If you did, you would not bring charges against those who are not guilty. 8 The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.’ 9 Going on from that place, Jesus went into their synagogue. 10 A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. The Pharisees were trying to accuse Jesus of a crime. So they asked him, ‘Does the Law allow us to heal on the Sabbath day?’ 11 He said to them, ‘What if one of your sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath day? Won’t you take hold of it and lift it out? 12 A person is worth more than sheep! So the Law allows us to do good on the Sabbath day.’ 13 Then Jesus said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out. It had been made as good as new. It was just as good as the other hand. 14 But the Pharisees went out and planned how to kill Jesus.

God’s chosen servant

15 Jesus knew all about the Pharisees’ plans. So he left that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 But he warned them not to tell other people about him. 17 This was to make what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah come true. It says, 18 ‘Here is my servant. I have chosen him. He is the one I love. I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit on him. He will announce to the nations that everything will be made right. 19 He will not argue or cry out. No one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 He will not break a bent twig. He will not put out a dimly burning flame. He will make right win over wrong. 21 The nations will put their hope in him.’

Jesus and Beelzebul

22 A man controlled by demons was brought to Jesus. The man was blind and could not speak. Jesus healed him. Then the man could speak and see. 23 All the people were amazed. They said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ 24 The Pharisees heard this. So they said, ‘This fellow drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.’ 25 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, ‘Every kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. Every city or family that is divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he fights against himself. Then how can his kingdom stand? 27 You say I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebul. Then by whose power do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But suppose I drive out demons by the Spirit of God. Then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 ‘Or think about this. How can you enter a strong man’s house and just take what the man owns? You must first tie him up. Then you can rob his house. 30 ‘Anyone who is not with me is against me. Anyone who does not gather sheep with me scatters them. 31 So here is what I tell you. Every kind of sin and every evil word spoken against God will be forgiven. But speaking evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. A person like that won’t be forgiven either now or in days to come. 33 ‘If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good. If you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad. You can tell a tree by its fruit. 34 You nest of poisonous snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? Your mouths say everything that is in your hearts. 35 A good man says good things. These come from the good that is stored up inside him. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is stored up inside him. 36 But here is what I tell you. On judgment day, everyone will have to account for every empty word they have spoken. 37 By your words you will be found guilty or not guilty.’

The sign of Jonah

38 Some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law came to Jesus. They said, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.’ 39 He answered, ‘Evil and unfaithful people ask for a sign! But none will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights. Something like that will happen to the Son of Man. He will spend three days and three nights in the grave. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that these people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now something more important than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And she will prove that they are guilty. She came from very far away to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. And now something more important than Solomon is here. 43 ‘What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a person? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find it. 44 Then it says, “I will return to the house I left.” When it arrives there, it finds the house empty. The house has been swept clean and put in order. 45 Then the evil spirit goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That person is worse off than before. That is how it will be with the evil people of today.’

Jesus’ mother and brothers

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside. They wanted to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to speak to you.’ 48 Jesus replied to him, ‘Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?’ 49 Jesus pointed to his disciples. He said, ‘Here is my mother! Here are my brothers! 50 Anyone who does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother or sister or mother.’

English Standard Version

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever 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 age to come.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just 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 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers* stood outside, asking to speak to him.* 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthäus 12 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version