12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath day, and his disciples were 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 aredoing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, 4 how he entered the house of God and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, and are innocent? [121] 6 But I say to you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had understood this: ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”[122]
    9 Departing from there, he went into their synagogue. 10 A man who had a withered hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11 He replied, “Which of you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and pull it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So then it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, just like the other hand. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired together as to how they might destroy him.
    15 But Jesus, aware of this, left there. Large crowds followed him and he healed them all. 16 He ordered them not to make him known, 17 so that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:  18 “Look, My servant whom I have chosen, My beloved with whom I am pleased. I will put My spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not struggle or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not put out, until he leads justice to victory,[123] 21 And in his name the nations will hope.”
    22 Then there was brought to him a demonized[124] man, who was blind and mute. Jesus healed him, so that the mute man was able to both speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and were saying, “Could this man be the son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man only casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.” 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
   27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people cast them out? Therefore 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.[125] 29 How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and take his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man? If you tie him up first, then you can take away all his belongings. 30 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
   31 Because of this I say to you: every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man[126] will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the holy spirit will not be forgiven, either in this present age or in the Age to Come.[127]
    33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, because the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.[128] 35 The good person from his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil person from his evil treasure brings out evil things. 36 I say to you that every useless word that people say, they will give an account of it on the Day of Judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
    38 Then some of the religious teachers and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and unfaithful people craves a miraculous sign, and no sign will be given to them except the sign of the prophet Jonah: 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.[129] 41 The people of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment and will condemn this evil society, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and look: someone greater than Jonah is here! 42 The Queen of the South will be resurrected in the judgment and condemn this evil society, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look: someone greater than Solomon is here!
    43 “Now when an evil spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will go back to my house which I came from.’ When it goes back it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all go in and live there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first. So it will be for this evil society also.”
    46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers stood outside, wanting to talk with him. 47 Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to talk with you.” 48 But Jesus replied to that person, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Gesturing toward his disciples, he said, “Look — my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.”