Matthew:12

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* 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 . * But when the Pharisees saw it , they said to him , "Look , your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath ." * He said to them , "Have you not read what David did , when he was hungry , and those who were with him : * 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 ? * Or have you not read in the law how on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath , and are guiltless ? * I tell you , something greater than the temple is here . * And 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 ." * And he went on from there , and entered their synagogue . * And behold , there was a man with a withered hand . And they asked him , "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath ?" so that they might accuse him . * He said to them , "What man of you , if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath , will not lay hold of it and lift it out ? * Of how much more value is a man than a sheep ! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath ." * Then he said to the man , "Stretch out your hand ." And the man stretched it out , and it was restored , whole like the other . * But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him , how to destroy him . * Jesus , aware of this , withdrew from there . And many followed him , and he healed them all , * and ordered them not to make him known . * This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah : * "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 shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles . * He will not wrangle or cry aloud , nor will any one hear his voice in the streets ; * he will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick , till he brings justice to victory ; * and in his name will the Gentiles hope ." * Then a blind and dumb demoniac was brought to him , and he healed him , so that the dumb man spoke and saw . * And all the people were amazed , and said , "Can this be the Son of David ?" * But when the Pharisees heard it they said , "It is only by Be-el 'zebul , the prince of demons , that this man casts out demons ." * 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 ; * and if Satan casts out Satan , he is divided against himself ; how then will his kingdom stand ? * And if I cast out demons by Be-el 'zebul , by whom do your sons cast them out ? Therefore they shall be your judges . * But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons , then the kingdom of God has come upon you . * Or how can one enter a strong man 's house and plunder his goods , unless he first binds the strong man ? Then indeed he may plunder his house . * He who is not with me is against me , and he who does not gather with me scatters . * Therefore I tell you , every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men , but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven . * And whoever says 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 . * "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 . * You brood of vipers ! how can you speak good , when you are evil ? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks . * The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good , and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil . * I tell you , on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter ; * for by your words you will be justified , and by your words you will be condemned ." * Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him , "Teacher , we wish to see a sign from you ." * But he answered them , "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign ; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah . * For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale , so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth . * The men of Nin 'eveh will arise 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 . * The queen of the South will arise 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 . * "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man , he passes through waterless places seeking rest , but he finds none . * Then he says , `I will return to my house from which I came .' And when he comes he finds it empty , swept , and put in order . * Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself , and they enter and dwell there ; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first . So shall it be also with this evil generation ." * While he was still speaking to the people , behold , his mother and his brothers stood outside , asking to speak to him . * But he replied to the man who told him , "Who is my mother , and who are my brothers ?" * And stretching out his hand toward his disciples , he said , "Here are my mother and my brothers ! * For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother , and sister , and mother ."

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