Chapter 12

1. At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.

2. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to hi, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."

3. He answered, "Haven't read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

4. He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread - which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.

5. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?

( Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? - NKJV)

(And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? - NLT)

6. I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.

7. If you had known what these words mean. 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

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

10. and a man with a shriveled hand was there, Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

(where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.- NLT)

(And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. - NKJV)

11. He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and if falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?

12. How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

13. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.

18. "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

19. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.

20. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.

           <19 He will not fight or shout
    or raise his voice in public.
           20 He will not crush the weakest reed
    or put out a flickering candle.
    Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.  -- NLT>

           <20 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;  --- NKJV>

21. In his name the nations will put their hope.

22. When they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.

23. All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

24. But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

25. Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

26. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How can this kingdom stand?

27. And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

 

(And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. - NLT)

28. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon us.

29. "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off(plunder, NLT) his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.

30. "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

31. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven , either in this age or in the age to come.

33. "Make a good tree and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

34. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow(abundance, NKJV) of the heart the mouth speaks.

( 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. - NLT)

35. The good man bring good things out of the good store up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

( A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. - NLT)

36. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless(idle,NLT) word they have spoken.

37. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

39. He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

42. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.

43. "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

(43 “When an evil[f] spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. - NLT)

44. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

(44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.)

45. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

(Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” - NLT)

46. While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.

50. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."