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."

King James Version (KJV)

1 Ref At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

2 Ref But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

3 Ref But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

4 Ref How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Ref Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

6 Ref But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

7 Ref But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 Ref For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

9 Ref And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

10 Ref And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

11 Ref And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

12 Ref How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

13 Ref Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

14 Ref Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

15 Ref But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and 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 by Esaias 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 upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

19 Ref He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

20 Ref A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

21 Ref And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

22 Ref Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

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

24 Ref But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

25 Ref And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

26 Ref And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

27 Ref And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

28 Ref But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

29 Ref Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

30 Ref He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

31 Ref Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 Ref And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

33 Ref Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 Ref O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 Ref A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 Ref But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 Ref For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38 Ref Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39 Ref But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

40 Ref For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 Ref The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

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

43 Ref When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Ref Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Ref Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

46 Ref While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

48 Ref But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

49 Ref And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

50 Ref For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same 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