Matthew 12 - American Standard Version (ASV)

12 At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat. ² But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath. ³ But he said unto them, ^[a]Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; ⁴ how he entered into the house of God, and ^[b]ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have ye not read in the law, ^[c]that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? ⁶ But I say unto you, that ^[d]one greater than the temple is here. ⁷ But if ye had known what this meaneth, ^[e]I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

⁹ And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue: ¹⁰ and behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him. ¹¹ And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? ¹² How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. ¹³ Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

¹⁵ And Jesus perceiving it withdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all, ¹⁶ and charged them that they should not make him known: ¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

^{18 [f]}Behold, my ^[g]servant whom I have chosen;
My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased:
I will put my Spirit upon him,
And he shall declare judgment to the ^[h]Gentiles.
¹⁹ He shall not strive, nor cry aloud;
Neither shall any one hear his voice 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.
²¹ And in his name shall the ^[i]Gentiles hope.

²² Then was brought unto him ^[j]one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spake and saw. ²³ And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the son of David? ²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but ^[k]by ^[l]Beelzebub the prince of the demons. ²⁵ And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: ²⁶ and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I ^[m]by ^[n]Beelzebub cast out demons, ^[o]by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. ²⁸ But if I ^[p]by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. ²⁹ Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. ³⁰ He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. ³¹ Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. ³² And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this ^[q]world, nor in that which is to come. 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. ³⁴ Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵ The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. ³⁶ And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

³⁸ Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. 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 Jonah the prophet: ⁴⁰ for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the ^[r]whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, ^[s]a greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, ^[t]a greater than Solomon is here. ⁴³ But the unclean spirit, when ^[u]he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. ⁴⁴ Then ^[v]he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when ^[w]he is come, ^[x]he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. ⁴⁵ Then goeth ^[y]he, and taketh with ^[z]himself seven other spirits more evil than ^[aa]himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.

⁴⁶ While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. ^{47 [ab]}And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee. ⁴⁸ But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? ⁴⁹ And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! ⁵⁰ For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Footnotes

1. Matthew 12:3 1 Sam. 21:6.
2. Matthew 12:4 Some ancient authorities read they ate.
3. Matthew 12:5 Num. 28:9, 10.
4. Matthew 12:6 Greek a greater thing.
5. Matthew 12:7 Hos. 6:6.
6. Matthew 12:18 Isa. 42:1ff.
7. Matthew 12:18 See marginal note on Acts 3:13.
8. Matthew 12:18 See marginal note on 4:15.
9. Matthew 12:21 See marginal note on 4:15.
10. Matthew 12:22 Or, a demoniac
11. Matthew 12:24 Or, in
12. Matthew 12:24 Greek Beelzebul.
13. Matthew 12:27 Or, in
14. Matthew 12:27 Greek Beelzebul.
15. Matthew 12:27 Or, in
16. Matthew 12:28 Or, in
17. Matthew 12:32 Or, age
18. Matthew 12:40 Greek sea-monster.
19. Matthew 12:41 Greek more than.
20. Matthew 12:42 Greek more than.
21. Matthew 12:43 Or, it
22. Matthew 12:44 Or, it
23. Matthew 12:44 Or, it
24. Matthew 12:44 Or, it
25. Matthew 12:45 Or, it
26. Matthew 12:45 Or, itself
27. Matthew 12:45 Or, itself
28. Matthew 12:47 Some ancient authorities omit verse 47.