Matthew, 12

1. At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

1. It happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on a sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain.

2. But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

2. When the Pharisees noticed this, they said to Jesus, "Look at your disciples; they are doing what is prohibited on the Sabbath!"

3. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

3. Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry?

4. How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

4. He went into the house of God, and they ate the bread offered to God, although neither he nor his men had the right to eat it, but only the priests.

5. Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

5. And have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath rest, yet they are not guilty?

6. But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple.

6. I tell you, there is greater than the Temple here.

7. But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

7. If you really knew the meaning of the words: It is mercy I want, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.

8. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

8. Besides the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

9. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

9. Jesus then left that place and went into one of their synagogues.

10. And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

10. A man was there with a paralyzed hand, and people who wanted to bring a charge against Jesus asked him, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?"

11. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift [it] out?

11. But he said to them, "What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath? Will you not take hold of your sheep and lift it out?

12. How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

12. But a human person is much more valuable than a sheep! It is therefore permitted to do good on the Sabbath."

13. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

13. Then Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." He stretched it out and it was completely restored, as sound as the other one.

14. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

14. Then the Pharisees went out and made plans to get rid of him.

15. But when Jesus knew [it], he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

15. As Jesus was aware of the plot, he went away from that place. Many people followed him and he cured all who were sick.

16. And charged them that they should not make him known:

16. Then he gave them strict orders not to make him known.

17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

17. In this way Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled:

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 shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

18. Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him and he will announce my judgment to the nations.

19. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

19. He will not argue or shout, nor will his voice be heard in the streets.

20. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

20. The bruised reed he will not crush, nor snuff out the smoldering wick. He will persist until justice is made victorious

21. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

21. and in him all the nations will put their hope."

22. Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

22. Then some people brought to him a possessed man who was blind and who could not talk. Jesus healed the man, who was then able to speak and see.

23. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

23. All in the crowd were amazed and wondered, "Could he be the Son of David?"

24. But when the Pharisees heard [it], they said, This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

24. When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is by Beelzebul, prince of the devils, that this man drives out devils."

25. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

25. Jesus knew their thinking, so he said to them, "Every kingdom that is divided by civil war will fall apart, and every dynasty that is divided cannot last.

26. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

26. So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided: how then can his reign stand?

27. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast [them] out? therefore they shall be your judges.

27. And if it is by Beelzebul that I drive out devils, by whom do your own people drive them out? They themselves will give you the answer.

28. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

28. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out devils, then the kingdom of God has already come upon you.

29. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

29. How can anyone break into the strong man's house and make off with his belongings, unless he first ties him up? Only then can he plunder his house.

30. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

30. The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

31. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

31. And so I tell you this: people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say against God, but whoever says evil words against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.

32. The one who speaks against the Son of Man, will be forgiven; but the one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

33. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit.

33. If you have a sound tree, its fruit will be sound; if you have a rotten tree, its fruit will be rotten. For you can know a tree by its fruit.

34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

34. You brood of vipers, how can you say anything good, when you are so evil? For the mouth speaks of what fills the heart.

35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

35. A good person produces good things from his good store, and an evil person produces evil from his evil store.

36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

36. I tell you this; on the judgment day people will have to give an account of any unjustified word they have spoken.

37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

37. Your own words will declare you either innocent or guilty."

38. Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

38. Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

39. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

39. Jesus answered them, "An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

40. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the monster fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth.

41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here.

41. At the judgment, the people of Niniveh will rise with this generation and condemn it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here there is greater than Jonah.

42. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.

42. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here there is greater than Solomon.

43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

43. When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders over arid wastelands looking for a place to rest but it cannot find one.

44. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished.

44. Then it says to itself: 'I will go back to my house which I had to leave.' So it goes back and finds the house empty, clean, and in order.

45. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

45. Off it goes again to bring back with it, this time, seven spirits, more evil than itself. They move in and settle there, so that this person is finally in a worse state than he was at the beginning. This is what will happen to this evil generation."

46. While he yet talked to the people, behold, [his] mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

46. While Jesus was still talking to the people, his mother and his brothers wanted to speak to him and they waited outside.

47. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

47. So someone said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are just outside; they want to speak with you."

48. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

48. Jesus answered, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"

49. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

49. Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "Look! Here are my mother and my brothers.

50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

50. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is for me brother, sister, or mother."