{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/wnt/matthew/12","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-27T00:30:28.666Z"},"reference":{"translation":"WNT","book":"Matthew","bookSlug":"matthew","chapter":12,"testament":"NEW"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":11,"nextChapter":13,"totalChapters":28,"totalVerses":50},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"But the Pharisees saw it and said to Him, |Look! your disciples are doing what the Law forbids them to do on the Sabbath.|"},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"|Have you never read,| He replied, |what David did when he and his men were hungry?"},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"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?"},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple  break the Sabbath without incurring guilt?"},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"But I tell you that there is here  that which is greater than the Temple."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"And if you knew what this means, 'It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are without guilt."},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.|"},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"Departing thence  He went to their synagogue,"},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"|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?"},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath.|"},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"Then He said to the man, |Stretch out your arm.| And he stretched it out, and it was restored quite sound like the other."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue consulted together against Him, how they might destroy Him."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"Aware of this, Jesus departed elsewhere; and a great number of people followed Him, all of whom He cured."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"But He gave them strict injunctions not to blaze abroad His doings,"},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"that those words of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled,"},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"|This is My servant whom I have chosen, My dearly loved One in whom My soul  takes pleasure. I will put My spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the nations."},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"He will not wrangle or raise His voice, nor will His voice be heard in the broadways."},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"A crushed reed He will not utterly break, nor will He quench the still smouldering wick, until He has led on Justice to victory."},{"verseNumber":21,"text":"And on His name shall the nations  rest their hopes.|"},{"verseNumber":22,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":23,"text":"And the crowds of people were all filled with amazement and said, |Can this be  the Son of David?|"},{"verseNumber":24,"text":"The Pharisees heard it and said, |This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons.|"},{"verseNumber":25,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":26,"text":"And if Satan is expelling Satan, he has  begun to make war on himself: how therefore shall his kingdom last?"},{"verseNumber":27,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":28,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":29,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":30,"text":"|The man who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me is scattering abroad."},{"verseNumber":31,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":32,"text":"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.|"},{"verseNumber":33,"text":"|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."},{"verseNumber":34,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":35,"text":"A good man from his good store produces good things, and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things."},{"verseNumber":36,"text":"But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be held accountable on the day of Judgement."},{"verseNumber":37,"text":"For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned.|"},{"verseNumber":38,"text":"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.|"},{"verseNumber":39,"text":"|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."},{"verseNumber":40,"text":"For just as Jonah was  three days in the sea-monster's belly, so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the earth."},{"verseNumber":41,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":42,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":43,"text":"|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."},{"verseNumber":44,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":45,"text":"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.|"},{"verseNumber":46,"text":"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."},{"verseNumber":47,"text":"So some one told Him, |Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and desire to speak to you.|"},{"verseNumber":48,"text":"|Who is my mother?| He said to the man; |and who are my brothers?|"},{"verseNumber":49,"text":"And pointing to His disciples He added, |See here are my mother and my brothers."},{"verseNumber":50,"text":"To obey my Father who is in Heaven--that is to be my brother and my sister and my mother.|"}],"citation":{"inline":"Matthew 12 (WNT)","markdown":"[Matthew 12](https://primebible.com/wnt/matthew/12)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* WNT. https://primebible.com/wnt/matthew/12 (accessed 2026-05-27)."}}