International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1At that time, Jesus walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat.

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

2When the Pharisees saw this, they told him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"

2But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath."

3But he told them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

3But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions,

4How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved for the priests?

4how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?

5Or haven't you read in the Law that on every Sabbath the priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

5"Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?

6But I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here!

6"But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.

7If you had known what 'I want mercy and not sacrifice' means, you would not have condemned the innocent,

7"But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

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

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

9Moving on from there, Jesus went into their synagogue.

9Departing from there, He went into their synagogue.

10Suddenly, a man with a paralyzed hand appeared. The people asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on Sabbath days, intending to accuse him of doing something wrong.

10And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"-- so that they might accuse Him.

11But he asked them, "Is there a man among you who, if he had one sheep and it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't take hold of it and pull it out?

11And He said to them, "What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?

12How much more is a human being worth than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on Sabbath days."

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

13Then he told the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out and it became normal, as healthy as his other hand.

13Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.

14The Pharisees, however, went out and plotted against Jesus to kill him.

14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

15When Jesus became aware of this, he left that place. Many crowds followed him, and he healed all of them,

15But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,

16ordering them not to make him known.

16and warned them not to tell who He was.

17This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

17This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

18"Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased! I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to unbelievers.

18"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 PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

19He will not quarrel or shout, and no one will hear him shouting in the streets.

19"HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.

20He will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory.

20"A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.

21And in his name unbelievers will hope."

21"AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE."

22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that the man could speak and see.

22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.

23All the crowds were amazed and kept saying, "This man isn't the Son of David, is he?"

23All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?"

24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."

25He knew what they were thinking and told them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

25And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.

26So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom stand?

26"If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?

27If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges!

27"If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

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

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

29How can someone go into a strong man's house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then he can ransack his house.

29"Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

30The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who isn't gathering with me is scattering.

30"He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

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

31"Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come."

32"Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

33"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, because a tree is known by its fruit.

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

34You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? The mouth speaks about what overflows from the heart.

34"You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

35A good person brings good things out of a good treasure house, and an evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure house.

35"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

36I tell you, on Judgment Day people will give an account for every thoughtless word they have uttered,

36"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

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

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

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees told Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."

39But he replied to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah,

39But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;

40because just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

40for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look—something greater than Jonah is here!

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

42The queen of the south will stand up and condemn the people living today, because she came from so far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look! Something greater than Solomon is here!"

42"The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

43"Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places looking for a place to rest, but finds none.

43"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.

44Then it says, 'I will go back to my home that I left.' When it arrives, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order.

44"Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.

45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That's just what will happen to this evil generation!"

45"Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."

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

46While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.

47Someone told him, "Look! Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you."

47Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You."

48He asked the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"

48But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"

49Then pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers,

49And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers!

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

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org