Matthew 12

World English Bible (WEB)

1 Ref At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

2 Ref But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, "Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."

3 Ref But he said to them, "Haven't you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him;

4 Ref how he entered into the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Ref Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?

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

7 Ref But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

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

9 Ref He departed there, and went into their synagogue.

10 Ref And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" that they might accuse him.

11 Ref He said to them, "What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won't he grab on to it, and lift it out?

12 Ref Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day."

13 Ref Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.

14 Ref But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.

15 Ref Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,

16 Ref and charged them that they should not make him known:

17 Ref that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

18 Ref "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

19 Ref He will not strive, nor shout; Neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

20 Ref He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench a smoking flax, Until he leads justice to victory.

21 Ref In his name, the Gentiles will hope."

22 Ref Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

23 Ref All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?"

24 Ref But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

25 Ref Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

26 Ref If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

27 Ref If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

28 Ref But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 Ref Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.

30 Ref "He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn't gather with me, scatters.

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

32 Ref Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.

33 Ref "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

34 Ref You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

35 Ref The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure{TR adds "of the heart"} brings out evil things.

36 Ref I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37 Ref For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

38 Ref Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

39 Ref But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

40 Ref 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.

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

42 Ref The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.

43 Ref But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn't find it.

44 Ref Then he says, 'I will return into my house from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

45 Ref Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."

46 Ref While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

47 One said to him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you."

48 Ref But he answered him who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"

49 Ref He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!

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

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Ref At that time Jesus went through the fields on the Sabbath day; and his disciples, being in need of food, were taking the heads of grain.

2 Ref But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, See, your disciples do that which it is not right to do on the Sabbath.

3 Ref But he said to them, Have you no knowledge of what David did when he had need of food, and those who were with him?

4 Ref How he went into the house of God and took for food the holy bread which it was not right for him or for those who were with him to take, but only for the priests?

5 Ref Or is it not said in the law, how the Sabbath is broken by the priests in the Temple and they do no wrong?

6 Ref But I say to you that a greater thing than the Temple is here.

7 Ref But if these words had been in your minds, My desire is for mercy and not for offerings, you would not have been judging those who have done no wrong.

8 Ref For the Son of man is lord of the Sabbath.

9 Ref And he went from there into their Synagogue:

10 Ref And there was a man with a dead hand. And they put a question to him, saying, Is it right to make a man well on the Sabbath day? so that they might have something against him.

11 Ref And he said to them, Which of you, having a sheep, if it gets into a hole on the Sabbath day, will not put out a helping hand and get it back?

12 Ref Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! For this reason it is right to do good on the Sabbath day.

13 Ref Then said he to the man, Put out your hand. And he put it out, and it was made as well as the other.

14 Ref But the Pharisees went out and made designs against him, how they might put him to death.

15 Ref And Jesus, having knowledge of this, went away from there, and a great number went after him; and he made them all well,

16 Ref Ordering them not to give people word of him:

17 Ref So that what was said by Isaiah the prophet might come true,

18 Ref See my servant, the man of my selection, my loved one in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him, and he will make my decision clear to the Gentiles.

19 Ref His coming will not be with fighting or loud cries; and his voice will not be lifted up in the streets.

20 Ref The crushed stem will not be broken by him; and the feebly burning light will he not put out, till he has made righteousness overcome all.

21 Ref And in his name will the Gentiles put their hope.

22 Ref Then they took to him one with an evil spirit, who was blind and had no power of talking: and he made him well so that he had the power of talking and seeing.

23 Ref And all the people were surprised and said, Is not this the Son of David?

24 Ref But the Pharisees, hearing of it, said, This man only sends evil spirits out of men by Beelzebub, the ruler of evil spirits.

25 Ref And having knowledge of their thoughts he said to them, Every kingdom having division in itself is made waste, and every town or house having division in itself will come to destruction.

26 Ref And if Satan sends out Satan, he makes war against himself; how then will he keep his kingdom?

27 Ref And if I by Beelzebub send evil spirits out of men, by whom do your sons send them out? So let them be your judges.

28 Ref But if I by the Spirit of God send out evil spirits, then is the kingdom of God come on you.

29 Ref Or how may one go into a strong man's house and take his goods, if he does not first put cords round the strong man? and then he may take his goods.

30 Ref Whoever is not with me is against me; and he who does not take part with me in getting people together, is driving them away.

31 Ref So I say to you, Every sin and every evil word against God will have forgiveness; but for evil words against the Spirit there will be no forgiveness.

32 Ref And whoever says a word against the Son of man, will have forgiveness; but whoever says a word against the Holy Spirit, will not have forgiveness in this life or in that which is to come.

33 Ref Make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for by its fruit you will get knowledge of the tree.

34 Ref You offspring of snakes, how are you, being evil, able to say good things? because out of the heart's store come the words of the mouth.

35 Ref The good man out of his good store gives good things; and the evil man out of his evil store gives evil things.

36 Ref And I say to you that in the day when they are judged, men will have to give an account of every foolish word they have said.

37 Ref For by your words will your righteousness be seen, and by your words you will be judged.

38 Ref Then some of the scribes and Pharisees, hearing this, said to him, Master, we are looking for a sign from you.

39 Ref But he, answering, said to them, An evil and false generation is looking for a sign; and no sign will be given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonah:

40 Ref For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the stomach of the great fish, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 Ref The men of Nineveh will come up in the day of judging and give their decision against this generation: because they were turned from their sins at the preaching of Jonah; and now a greater than Jonah is here.

42 Ref The queen of the South will come up in the day of judging and give her decision against this generation: for she came from the ends of the earth to give ear to the wisdom of Solomon; and now a greater than Solomon is here.

43 Ref But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of a man, goes through dry places looking for rest, and getting it not.

44 Ref Then he says, I will go back into my house from which I came out; and when he comes, he sees that there is no one in it, but that it has been made fair and clean.

45 Ref Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits worse than himself, and they go in and make it their living-place: and the last condition of that man is worse than the first. Even so will it be with this evil generation.

46 Ref While he was still talking to the people, his mother and his brothers came, desiring to have talk with him.

47 And one said to him, See, your mother and your brothers are outside, desiring to have talk with you.

48 Ref But he in answer said to him who gave the news, Who is my mother and who are my brothers?

49 Ref And he put out his hand to his disciples and said, See, my mother and my brothers!

50 Ref For whoever does the pleasure of my Father in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Chapter 12 of 28

Begin Your Journey of Faith

We all start at different points in our walk with Christ. No matter where you are, we're here to support you as you grow in faith.

Accept Jesus Christ as Your Savior

If you haven’t made the decision to follow Jesus yet, we want to walk with you as you discover the new life He offers.

Read "A Truly Free Gift"

What Guides Our Walk With Christ

Discover the biblical truths and core beliefs that shape how we live, serve, and walk faithfully with Christ each day.

Explore Our Beliefs

Join a Community of Believers

Don’t walk through life alone. Find others to connect with, whether in person or online, and grow together in Christ.

Discover Where We Meet