Matthew:12

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* Jesus ’ disciples were hungry . It was Sabbath day and yet Jesus and his disciples went through the grain fields plucking ears and eating them . * The Pharisees saw it and said to him : »Your disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath .« * He replied to them : »Have you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry ? * »He entered into the house of God , and he and his companions ate the showbread , which it was not lawful for them to eat . It was only lawful for the priests . * »Have you read the law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath , and are guiltless ? * »I say to you , one greater than the Temple is here . * »If you had known what this means , ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice ,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless . * »For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath .« * He left and went into their synagogue . * There he saw a man who had a withered hand . They asked him if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath day ? They wanted to accuse him . * He said to them : »Which of you having one sheep , if this sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath day , will not get it and lift it out . * »How much more value is a man than a sheep ! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day !« * Then he said to the man : »Stretch out your hand .« He stretched it out and it was restored whole like the other . * The Pharisees left and took counsel against him , to decide how they might destroy him . * Jesus was aware of this and withdrew from the place . Many followed him and were healed by him . * He warned them not to tell anyone where he was . * This fulfilled what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet . * »Look ! My servant whom I have chosen . I am well pleased with him . I will put my Spirit upon him and he will declare judgment to the nations . * »He will not quarrel , nor cry aloud . None will hear his voice in the streets . * »He will break a bruised reed . He will quench smoking flax . This he will do until he sends forth judgment to victory . * »The nations will hope in his name !« * Someone possessed with a demon , blind and dumb was brought to him . He healed him and the dumb man spoke and could see . * The crowds were amazed , and said : »Can this be the son of David ?« * When the Pharisees heard it , they said : »This man casts out demons by Beelzebub , the prince of the demons .« * Knowing their thoughts , he said to them : »Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed . Every city or house divided against itself will not stand . * »If Satan casts out Satan , he is divided against himself . How will his kingdom stand ? * »If I cast out demons by Beelzebub , by whom do your sons cast them out ? Let them be your judges . * »But if I cast out demons by God ’s Spirit , then the kingdom of God has come to you . * »How can one enter into the house of a strong man and steal his things , except he first tie up the strong man ? Then he can rob his house . * »He that is not with me is against me . And he that does not gather with me , scatters . * »Therefore I say to you , every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men . But the blasphemy against God ’s Spirit will not be forgiven . * »Whoever speaks a word against the Son of man , it shall be forgiven him . But whoever speaks against Holy Spirit , it shall not be forgiven him , neither in this age , nor in that which is to come . * »Either make the tree good , and its fruit good , or make the tree corrupt , and its fruit corrupt . The fruit a tree produces provides its reputation . * »You offspring of vipers . How can you who are evil speak good things ? Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks . * »The good man performs good things out of his good treasure . The evil man performs evil things out of his evil treasure . * »I tell you there will be an account in the Judgment Day for every careless word that men say . * »For by your words you will be justified , and by your words you will be condemned .« * Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him , saying : »Teacher , we want to see a sign from you .« * He answered them : »An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign . No sign will be given but the sign of Jonah the prophet . * »Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish , so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth . * »The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it . After all , they repented at the preaching of Jonah . Yet someone greater than Jonah is here . * »The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation , and condemn it . She came from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon . Someone greater than Solomon is here ! * »When an unclean spirit goes out of a man it passes through the desert seeking rest . It does not find it . * »It tries to return to the place from where it came . It finds it empty , swept , and fixed up . * »Then it takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself . They enter in and dwell there . The last state of that man becomes worse than the first . It will also be like this with this evil generation .« * While Jesus was yet speaking to the crowds , his mother and his brothers stood nearby . They wanted to speak to him . * Someone told Jesus : »Look , your mother and your brothers stand nearby seeking to speak to you .« * But he answered : »Who is my mother ? Who are my brothers ?« * He stretched out his hand towards his disciples , and said : »Behold , my mother and my brothers ! * »For everyone who does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother , and sister , and mother .«

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