Matthew:12

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* About that time Jesus passed on the Sabbath through the wheatfields ; and His disciples became hungry , and began to gather ears of wheat and eat them . * But the Pharisees saw it and said to Him , »Look ! your disciples are doing what the Law forbids them to do on the Sabbath .« * »Have you never read ,« He replied , »what David did when he and his men were hungry ? * how he entered the House of God and ate the Presented Loaves , which it was not lawful for him or his men to eat , nor for any except the priests ? * And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath without incurring guilt ? * But I tell you that there is here that which is greater than the Temple . * And if you knew what this means ,, you would not have condemned those who are without guilt . * For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath .« * Departing thence He went to their synagogue , * where there was a man with a shrivelled arm . And they questioned Him , »Is it right to cure people on the Sabbath ?« Their intention was to bring a charge against Him . * »Which of you is there ,« He replied , »who , if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath , will not lay hold of it and lift it out ? * Is not a man , however , far superior to a sheep ? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath .« * Then He said to the man , »Stretch out your arm .« And he stretched it out , and it was restored quite sound like the other . * But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue consulted together against Him , how they might destroy Him . * Aware of this , Jesus departed elsewhere ; and a great number of people followed Him , all of whom He cured . * But He gave them strict injunctions not to blaze abroad His doings , * that those words of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled , wmth @Matthew:12:18 " /> wmth @Matthew:12:19 " /> wmth @Matthew:12:20 " /> wmth @Matthew:12:21 " /> * At that time a demoniac was brought to Him , blind and dumb ; and He cured him , so that the dumb man could speak and see . * And the crowds of people were all filled with amazement and said , »Can this be the Son of David ?« * The Pharisees heard it and said , »This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul , the Prince of demons .« * Knowing their thoughts He said to them , »Every kingdom in which civil war has raged suffers desolation ; and every city or house in which there is internal strife will be brought low . * And if Satan is expelling Satan , he has begun to make war on himself : how therefore shall his kingdom last ? * And if it is by Baal-zebul 's power that I expel the demons , by whose power do your disciples expel them ? They therefore shall be your judges . * But if it is by the power of the Spirit of God that I expel the demons , it is evident that the Kingdom of God has come upon you . * Again , how can any one enter the house of a strong man and carry off his goods , unless first of all he masters and secures the strong man : then he will ransack his house . * »The man who is not with me is against me , and he who is not gathering with me is scattering abroad . * This is why I tell you that men may find forgiveness for every other sin and impious word , but that for impious speaking against the Holy Spirit they shall find no forgiveness . * And whoever shall speak against the Son of Man may obtain forgiveness ; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit , neither in this nor in the coming age shall he obtain forgiveness .« * »Either grant the tree to be wholesome and its fruit wholesome , or the tree poisonous and its fruit poisonous ; for the tree is known by its fruit . * O vipers ' brood , how can you speak what is good when you are evil ? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks . * A good man from his good store produces good things , and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things . * But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be held accountable on the day of Judgement . * For each of you by his words shall be justified , or by his words shall be condemned .« * Then He was accosted by some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees who said , »Teacher , we wish to see a sign given by you .« * »Wicked and faithless generation !« He replied , »they clamour for a sign , but none shall be given to them except the sign of the Prophet Jonah . * For just as so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the earth . * There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation , and will condemn it ; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah , and mark ! there is One greater than Jonah here . * The Queen of the south will awake at the Judgement together with the present generation , and will condemn it ; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon , and mark ! there is One greater than Solomon here . * »No sooner however has the foul spirit gone out of the man , then he roams about in places where there is no water , seeking rest but finding none . * Then he says , `I will return to my house that I left ;' and he comes and finds it unoccupied , swept clean , and in good order . * Then he goes and brings back with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself , and they come in and dwell there ; and in the end that man 's condition becomes worse than it was at first . So will it be also with the present wicked generation .« * While He was still addressing the people His mother and His brothers were standing on the edge of the crowd desiring to speak to Him . * So some one told Him , »Your mother and your brothers are standing outside , and desire to speak to you .« * »Who is my mother ?« He said to the man ; »and who are my brothers ?« * And pointing to His disciples He added , »See here are my mother and my brothers . * To obey my Father who is in Heaven –that is to be my brother and my sister and my mother .«

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