Jesus Cleanses a Leper; The Centurion’s Faith
8 When [a]Jesus came down from the mountain, [b]large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper (HAS A SKIN DISEASE) came to Him and [c]bowed down WORSHIPPED before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed." CHRIST WANTS US HEALED.
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus *said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the [d]offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 5 And when [e]Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion (OVER 100 IN THE ARMY, LIKE A COMPANY COMMANDER) came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, “[f]Lord, my [g]servant is [h]lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 7 Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion said, “[i]Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just [j]say the word, and my [k]servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith [l]with anyone in Israel. THE CENTURION UNDERSTOOD AUTHORITY. 11 I say to you that many will come from east and west, and [m]recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST, SO THEY DON'T GO TO HELL. 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; [n]it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the [o]servant was healed that very [p]moment.
Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed NOT JUST A FEW
14 When Jesus came into Peter’s [q]home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and [r]waited on Him. 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. NOT JUST SOME. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and [s]carried away our diseases.” ISAIAH 53. THEY BELIEVED IN DEMONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT TIMES.
Discipleship Tested
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the [t]air have [u]nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” DURING HIS 3 YEARS OF MINISTRY, CHRIST TRAVELED TO MANY PLACES. 21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.” IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE DISCIPLES (FOLLOWERS) TO LEARN TO GIVE OTHERS LIFE. THEY LATER BECAME APOSTLES - THE SENT OUT ONES. 23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose [v]a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He *said to them, “Why are you [w]afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [x]it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” IN THE BOOK OF JOHN (5 AND 14) CHRIST SAID WE WOULD DO GREATER WORKS THAN HIM. WHEN I WAS IN YOUTH WITH A MISSION WE PRAYED ABOUT THE WEATHER SINCE IT AFFECTED OUR MINISTRY. ARMY CHAPLAINS PRAY FOR WEATHER, TOO.
Jesus Casts Out Demons
28 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “[y]What business do we have with each other, Son of God? THEY KNEW WHO HE WAS. Have You come here to torment us before [z]the time?” JUDGMENT IN REVELATION 30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. 31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” THEY ARE UNCLEAN, NOT KOSHER. 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. 33 The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, [aa]including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region. THEY WERE SCARED BECAUSE OF THE POWER HE HAD OVER EVIL.
Footnotes
a. Matthew 8:1 Lit He
b. Matthew 8:1 Lit many
c. Matthew 8:2 Or worshiped
d. Matthew 8:4 Lit gift
e. Matthew 8:5 Lit He
f. Matthew 8:6 Or Sir
g. Matthew 8:6 Lit boy
h. Matthew 8:6 Lit thrown down
i. Matthew 8:8 Or Sir
j. Matthew 8:8 Lit say with a word
k. Matthew 8:8 Lit boy
l. Matthew 8:10 One early ms reads not even in Israel
m. Matthew 8:11 Or dine
n. Matthew 8:13 Or let it be done; i.e. a command
o. Matthew 8:13 Lit boy
p. Matthew 8:13 Lit hour
q. Matthew 8:14 Or house
r. Matthew 8:15 Or served
s. Matthew 8:17 Or removed
t. Matthew 8:20 Or sky
u. Matthew 8:20 Or roosting places
v. Matthew 8:24 Lit a shaking
w. Matthew 8:26 Or cowardly
x. Matthew 8:26 Lit a great calm occurred
y. Matthew 8:29 Lit What is to us and to you (a Heb idiom)
z. Matthew 8:29 I.e. the appointed time of judgment
aa. Matthew 8:33 Lit and the things of
A Paralytic Healed
9 Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city. 2 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, [a]son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And some of the scribes said [b]to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he got up and [c]went home. 8 But when the crowds saw this, they were [d]awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Matthew Called
9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. 10 Then it happened that as [e]Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [f]sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn [g]what this means: ‘I desire [h]compassion, [i]and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The Question about Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “The [j]attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 But no one puts [k]a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for [l]the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17 Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Miracles of Healing
18 While He was saying these things to them, [m]a synagogue [n]official came and [o]bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.
20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the [p]fringe of His [q]cloak; 21 for she was saying [r]to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will [s]get well.” 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has [t]made you well.” [u]At once the woman was [v]made well.
23 When Jesus came into the [w]official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl [x]got up. 26 This news spread throughout all that land.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus *said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They *said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “[y]It shall be done to you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.
32 As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man [z]was brought to Him. 33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has [aa]ever been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
36 Seeing the [ab]people, He felt compassion for them, because they were [ac]distressed and [ad]dispirited like sheep [ae]without a shepherd. 37 Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Footnotes
a. Matthew 9:2 Lit child
b. Matthew 9:3 Lit among
c. Matthew 9:7 Or departed
d. Matthew 9:8 Lit afraid
e. Matthew 9:10 Lit He
f. Matthew 9:10 I.e. irreligious Jews
g. Matthew 9:13 Lit what is
h. Matthew 9:13 Or mercy
i. Matthew 9:13 I.e. more than
j. Matthew 9:15 Lit sons of the wedding place
k. Matthew 9:16 Lit that which is put on
l. Matthew 9:16 Lit that which fills up
m. Matthew 9:18 Or one
n. Matthew 9:18 Lit ruler
o. Matthew 9:18 Or worshiped
p. Matthew 9:20 I.e. tassel fringe with a blue cord
q. Matthew 9:20 Or outer garment
r. Matthew 9:21 Lit in herself
s. Matthew 9:21 Lit be saved
t. Matthew 9:22 Lit saved you
u. Matthew 9:22 Lit from that hour
v. Matthew 9:22 Lit saved
w. Matthew 9:23 Lit ruler’s
x. Matthew 9:25 Or was raised up
y. Matthew 9:29 Or Let it be done; Gr command
z. Matthew 9:32 Lit they brought
aa. Matthew 9:33 Lit ever appeared
bb. Matthew 9:36 Lit crowds
cc. Matthew 9:36 Or harassed
dd. Matthew 9:36 Lit thrown down
ee. Matthew 9:36 Lit not having
The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service
10 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and [a]James the son of Zebedee, and [b]John his brother; 3 Philip and [c]Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; [d]James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the [e]Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not [f]go [g]in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, [h]preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven [i]is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a [j]bag for your journey, or even two [k]coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his [l]support. 11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay [m]at his house until you leave that city. 12 As you enter the [n]house, give it your [o]greeting. 13 If the house is worthy, [p]give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, [q]take back your blessing of peace. 14 Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
A Hard Road before Them
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so [r]be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and [s]cause them to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
23 “But whenever they persecute you in [t]one city, flee to [u]the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
The Meaning of Discipleship
24 “A [v]disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house [w]Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
26 “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [x]hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [y]cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32 “Therefore everyone who [z]confesses Me before men, I will also confess [aa]him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever [ab]denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34 “Do not think that I came to [ac]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who has found his [ad]life will lose it, and he who has lost his [ae]life for My sake will find it.
The Reward of Service
40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these [af]little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
Footnotes
a. Matthew 10:2 Or Jacob; James is the Eng form of Jacob
b. Matthew 10:2 Gr Joannes, Heb Johanan
c. Matthew 10:3 I.e. son of Talmai (Aram)
d. Matthew 10:3 Or Jacob
e. Matthew 10:4 Or Cananaean
f. Matthew 10:5 Or go off
g. Matthew 10:5 Or on the road of (Gr hodos: way or road)
h. Matthew 10:7 Or proclaim
i. Matthew 10:7 Lit has come near
j. Matthew 10:10 Or knapsack, or beggar’s bag
k. Matthew 10:10 Or inner garments
l. Matthew 10:10 Lit nourishment
m. Matthew 10:11 Lit there until
n. Matthew 10:12 Or household
o. Matthew 10:12 I.e. the familiar Heb blessing, “Peace be to this house!”
p. Matthew 10:13 Lit your peace is to come upon it
q. Matthew 10:13 Lit your peace is to return to you
r. Matthew 10:16 Or show yourselves to be
s. Matthew 10:21 Lit put them to death
t. Matthew 10:23 Lit this
u. Matthew 10:23 Lit the other
v. Matthew 10:24 Or student
w. Matthew 10:25 Or Beezebul: ruler of demons
x. Matthew 10:28 Gr Gehenna
y. Matthew 10:29 Gr assarion, the smallest copper coin
z. Matthew 10:32 Lit will confess in Me
aa. Matthew 10:32 Lit in him
bb. Matthew 10:33 Lit will deny
cc. Matthew 10:34 Lit cast
dd. Matthew 10:39 Or soul
ee. Matthew 10:39 Or soul
ff. Matthew 10:42 I.e. humble
John’s Questions
11 When Jesus had finished [a]giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and [b]preach in their cities.
2 Now when John, [c]while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the [d]Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the [e]gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he [f]who does not [g]take offense at Me.”
Jesus’ Tribute to John
7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 [h]But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ [i]palaces! 9 [j]But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it [k]is written,
‘Behold, I send My messenger [l]ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is [m]least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven [n]suffers violence, and violent men [o]take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who [p]was to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, [q]let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, 17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not [r]mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a [s]drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and [t]sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
The Unrepenting Cities
20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His [u]miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the [v]miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in [w]sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the [x]miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”
Come to Me
25 At that [y]time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
28 “Come to Me, all [z]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is [aa]easy and My burden is light.”
Footnotes
a. Matthew 11:1 Or commanding
b. Matthew 11:1 Or proclaim
c. Matthew 11:2 Lit in prison
d. Matthew 11:3 Lit Coming One
e. Matthew 11:5 Or good news
f. Matthew 11:6 Lit whoever
g. Matthew 11:6 Or stumble over Me
h. Matthew 11:8 Or Well then,
i. Matthew 11:8 Lit houses
j. Matthew 11:9 Or Well then,
k. Matthew 11:10 Lit has been written
l. Matthew 11:10 Lit before your face
m. Matthew 11:11 Or less
n. Matthew 11:12 Or is forcibly entered
o. Matthew 11:12 Or seize it for themselves
p. Matthew 11:14 Or is going to come
q. Matthew 11:15 Or hear! Or listen!
r. Matthew 11:17 Lit beat the breast
s. Matthew 11:19 Or wine-drinker
t. Matthew 11:19 I.e. irreligious Jews
u. Matthew 11:20 Or works of power
v. Matthew 11:21 Or works of power
w. Matthew 11:21 I.e. symbols of mourning
x. Matthew 11:23 Or works of power
y. Matthew 11:25 Or occasion
z. Matthew 11:28 Or who work to exhaustion
aa. Matthew 11:30 Or comfortable, or pleasant
Sabbath Questions
12 At that [a]time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the [b]consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple [c]break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this [d]means, ‘I desire [e]compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Lord of the Sabbath
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned [f]Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him. 11 And He said to them, “What man [g]is there among you who [h]has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do [i]good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to [j]normal, like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and [k]conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
15 But Jesus, [l]aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16 and warned them not to [m]tell who He was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
18 “Behold, My [n]Servant whom I [o]have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My soul [p]is well-pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He shall proclaim [q]justice to the [r]Gentiles.
19 “He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 “A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He [s]leads [t]justice to victory.
21 “And in His name the [u]Gentiles will hope.”
The Pharisees Rebuked
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to [v]Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by [w]Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “[x]Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and [y]any city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he [z]is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I by [aa]Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 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.
The Unpardonable Sin
30 He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
31 “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 Whoever [ab]speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever [ac]speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Words Reveal Character
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. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak [ad]what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 The good man brings out of his good treasure [ae]what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure [af]what is evil. 36 But I tell you that every [ag]careless word that people [ah]speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 For [ai]by your words you will be justified, and [aj]by your words you will be condemned.”
The Desire for Signs
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a [ak]sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a [al]sign; and yet no [am]sign will be given to it but the [an]sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for 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. 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. 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 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 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. 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.”
Changed Relationships
46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.”[ao] 48 But [ap]Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Footnotes
a. Matthew 12:1 Or occasion
b. Matthew 12:4 Or showbread; lit loaves of presentation
c. Matthew 12:5 Or profane
d. Matthew 12:7 Lit is
e. Matthew 12:7 Or mercy
f. Matthew 12:10 Lit Him
g. Matthew 12:11 Lit will be from you
h. Matthew 12:11 Lit will have
i. Matthew 12:12 Lit well
j. Matthew 12:13 Lit health
k. Matthew 12:14 Lit took counsel
l. Matthew 12:15 Lit knowing
m. Matthew 12:16 Lit make Him known
n. Matthew 12:18 Lit Child
o. Matthew 12:18 Lit chose
p. Matthew 12:18 Or took pleasure
q. Matthew 12:18 Or judgment
r. Matthew 12:18 Or nations
s. Matthew 12:20 Or puts forth
t. Matthew 12:20 Or judgment
u. Matthew 12:21 Or nations
v. Matthew 12:22 Lit Him
w. Matthew 12:24 Or Beezebul; i.e. ruler of demons
x. Matthew 12:25 Lit Every
y. Matthew 12:25 Lit Every
z. Matthew 12:26 Lit was
aa. Matthew 12:27 V 24, note 1
bb. Matthew 12:32 Lit will speak
cc. Matthew 12:32 Lit will speak
dd. Matthew 12:34 Lit good things
ee. Matthew 12:35 Lit good things
ff. Matthew 12:35 Lit evil things
gg. Matthew 12:36 Or useless
hh. Matthew 12:36 Lit will speak
ii. Matthew 12:37 Or in accordance with
jj. Matthew 12:37 Or in accordance with
kk. Matthew 12:38 I.e. attesting miracle
ll. Matthew 12:39 I.e. attesting miracle
mm. Matthew 12:39 I.e. attesting miracle
nn. Matthew 12:39 I.e. attesting miracle
oo. Matthew 12:47 This verse is not found in early mss
pp. Matthew 12:48 Lit He
