12:1 At that time Jesus was walking through some fields of grain on a Sabbath day. His ·followers [disciples] were hungry, so they began to pick the grain and eat it [Deut. 23:25].
12:2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look! Your ·followers [disciples] are doing what is ·unlawful to do [forbidden] on the Sabbath day.” [C Gleaning was viewed as work, and therefore forbidden on the Sabbath; Ex. 34:21.]
12:3 Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and ·the people with him [his companions] were hungry?
12:4 He went into God’s house, and he and ·those with him [his companions] ate the ·holy bread [consecrated bread; L bread of presentation], which was ·lawful [allowed] only for priests to eat [Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5–9].
12:5 And have you not read in the ·law of Moses [L Law] that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple ·break this law about [violate; desecrate; profane] the Sabbath day [C by working when they offer sacrifices]? But the priests are ·not wrong for doing that [L innocent; not guilty].
12:6 I tell you that there is ·something [or someone; C may refer to Jesus himself or to the arrival of the kingdom] here that is greater than the Temple.
12:7 The Scripture says, ‘I want ·kindness more than I want animal sacrifices [L mercy and not sacrifice; Hos. 6:6].’ If you ·understood [had known] what these words mean, you would not have ·judged those who have done nothing wrong [condemned the innocent/guiltless].
12:8 “·So [For] the Son of Man is ·Lord [Master] of the Sabbath day.”
12:9 Jesus left there and went into their synagogue,
12:10 ·where [L and look/T behold] there was a man with a ·crippled [paralyzed; deformed; shriveled] hand. They were looking for a reason to ·accuse [bring charges against] Jesus, so they asked him, “Is it ·right [lawful] to ·heal [cure] on the Sabbath day?”
12:11 Jesus answered, “If any of you has a sheep, and it falls into a ·ditch [pit; hole] on the Sabbath day, ·you will [would you not…?] ·help [L grab it and lift] it out of the ditch.
12:12 ·Surely a human being is more important [L How much better is a person] than a sheep. So it is ·lawful [permitted] to do ·good things [good] on the Sabbath day.”
12:13 Then Jesus said to the man, “·Hold [Stretch] out your hand.” The man ·held [stretched] out his hand, and it ·became well again [was restored], ·like [L as healthy as] the other hand.
12:14 But the Pharisees left and ·made plans [plotted; conspired] to ·kill [destroy] Jesus.
12:15 Jesus knew ·what the Pharisees were doing [L this], so he left that place. ·Many people [Large crowds] followed him, and he healed all who were sick.
12:16 But Jesus warned the people not to ·tell who he was [make him known].
12:17 He did these things to ·bring about [fulfill] what Isaiah the prophet had said:
12:18 “·Here is [L Behold; Look!] my servant whom I have chosen. ·I love him [The one I love; My beloved], ·and I am pleased with him [L in whom my soul delights/is well pleased]. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will ·tell of my [proclaim] justice to ·all people [the nations/Gentiles].
12:19 He will not ·argue [quarrel; fight] or ·cry out [shout]; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
12:20 He will not break a ·crushed blade of grass [battered/bruised reed] or ·put out [extinguish] ·even a weak flame [a flickering candle; L a smoldering wick] until he ·makes justice win the [leads justice to] victory.
12:21 In ·him [L his name] will the ·Gentiles [nations; non-Jewish people] ·find [put their] hope [Is. 42:1–4].”
12:22 Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and ·could not talk [mute], because he ·had a demon [was demon-possessed/demonized]. Jesus healed the man so that he could talk and see.
12:23 All the people were amazed and said, “Perhaps this man is the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah, a descendant of King David; 2 Sam. 7:11–16]!”
12:24 When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man uses the power of Beelzebul [C another name for Satan], the ruler of demons, to ·force [drive; cast] demons out of people.”
12:25 Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking, so he said to them, “Every kingdom that is ·divided against [at war with] itself ·will be destroyed [is doomed/headed for ruin]. And any city or ·family [L house] that is ·divided against [at war with] itself will not ·continue [survive; stand].
12:26 And if Satan ·forces out himself [L drives/casts out Satan], then Satan is ·divided against [at war with] himself, and ·his kingdom will not continue [L how will his kingdom stand?].
12:27 You say that I use the power of Beelzebul [v. 24] to ·force [drive; cast] out demons. If that is true, then what power do your ·people [own exorcists; followers; L sons] use to ·force [drive; force] out demons? So they will be your judges.
12:28 But if I use the power of God’s Spirit to ·force [drive; cast] out demons, then the kingdom of God has ·come to you [arrived among you; or overtaken you; caught you unaware].
12:29 “·If anyone wants to [L Or how can anyone…?] enter a strong person’s house and ·steal [seize; plunder] his things, he must first ·tie up [bind] the strong person. Then he can ·steal [seize; plunder] the things from the house. [C Satan is the strong man and his possessions are the people Jesus is freeing from Satan’s power.]
12:30 “Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not ·work [gather] with me ·is working against me [scatters; C probably a reference to gathering or scattering a flock; John 10:12].
12:31 So I tell you, people can be forgiven for every sin and ·everything they say against God [blasphemy]. But whoever ·speaks [blasphemes] against the ·Holy Spirit [L Spirit] will not be forgiven.
12:32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, ·now or in the future [L neither in this age, nor the one to come].
12:33 “If you want good fruit, you must ·make the tree good [grow a good/healthy tree]. If ·your tree is not good [you grow a bad/unhealthy tree], it will have bad fruit. A tree is ·known [identified; recognized] by the kind of fruit it produces.
12:34 You ·snakes [T brood/offspring of vipers]! You are evil people, so how can you say anything good? [L For] The mouth speaks the things that ·are in [overflow from] the heart.
12:35 Good people ·have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things [L bring forth good things from the good treasure/storehouse]. But evil people ·have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things [L bring forth evil things from the evil treasure/storehouse].
12:36 And I tell you that on the judgment day people will ·be responsible [give an accounting; answer] for every ·careless [idle; thoughtless; unhelpful] ·thing [word] they have said.
12:37 ·The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty [L For by your words you will be acquitted/justified, and by your words you will be condemned].”
12:38 Then some of the Pharisees and ·teachers of the law [scribes] answered Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want to see ·you work a miracle as a sign [L a sign from you].”
12:39 Jesus answered, “Evil and sinful people [L An evil and adulterous/unfaithful generation] are the ones who ·want to see [seek after; ask for; demand] ·a miracle for a sign [L a sign]. But no sign will be given to them, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
12:40 [L For just as] Jonah was in the stomach of the ·big fish [sea monster; sea creature] for three days and three nights [Jon. 1:17]. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the ·grave [L heart of the earth] three days and three nights.
12:41 On the judgment day the ·people [or men] from Nineveh will stand up with ·you people who live now [this generation], and they will ·show that you are guilty [condemn you]. [L Because] When Jonah preached to them, they ·were sorry and changed their lives [repented]. And ·I tell you that [L look; T behold] ·someone [or something; C either Jesus or the Kingdom of God] greater than Jonah is here.
12:42 On the judgment day, the Queen of the South will ·stand [rise] up with ·you people who live today [this generation]. She will ·show that you are guilty [condemn you], because she came from ·far away [the ends of the earth] to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching [1 Kin. 10:1–13]. And ·I tell you that [L look; T behold] ·someone [or something] greater than Solomon is here.
12:43 “When an ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit comes out of a person, it travels through ·dry [waterless; arid] places, looking for a place to rest, but it doesn’t find it.
12:44 So the spirit says, ‘I will go back to the house [C the person] I left.’ When the spirit comes back, it finds the house still empty, swept clean, and ·made neat [put in order; fixed up].
12:45 Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits even more ·evil [wicked] than it is, and they go in and live there. So ·the person has even more trouble than before [L the last state of that person is worse than the first]. ·It is the same way [L So it will be] with ·the evil people who live today [this evil generation].”
12:46 While Jesus was talking to the ·people [crowds], [L look; T behold] his mother and ·brothers [or brothers and sisters; C the Greek word can mean “siblings”] stood outside, ·trying to find a way [seeking; asking] to talk to him.
12:47 Someone told Jesus, “[L Look; T Behold] Your mother and brothers [and sisters] are standing outside, ·and they want [seeking; asking] to talk to you.”
12:48 He answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers [and sisters]?”
12:49 Then he ·pointed to [or stretched out his hand toward] his ·followers [disciples] and said, “·Here are [L Look; T Behold] my mother and my brothers.
12:50 My true brother and sister and mother are those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].”
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