Chapter 12

¹At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat. ²And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days. ³But he said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him: ⁴How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but for the priests only? ⁵Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame? ⁶But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple. ⁷And if you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent. ⁸For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath. ⁹And when he has passed from thence, he came into their synagogues. ¹⁰And behold there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. ¹¹But he said to them: What man shall there be among you, that hath one sheep: and if the same fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not take hold on it and lift it up? ¹²How much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore it it lawful to do a good deed on the sabbath days. ¹³Then he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand; and he stretched it forth, and it was restored to health even as the other. ¹⁴And the Pharisees going out made a consultation against him, how they might destroy him. ¹⁵But Jesus knowing it, retired from thence: and many followed him, and he healed them all. ¹⁶And he charged them that they should not make him known. ¹⁷That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet, saying: ¹⁸Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul hath been well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. ¹⁹He shall not contend, nor cry out, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰The bruised reed he shall not break: and smoking flax he shall not extinguish: till he send forth judgment unto victory. ²¹And in his name the Gentiles shall hope. ²²Then was offered to him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, so that he spoke and saw. ²³And all the multitudes were amazed, and said: Is not this the son of David? ²⁴But the Pharisees hearing it, said: This man casteth not out the devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. ²⁵And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate: and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. ²⁶And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. ²⁸But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. ²⁹Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong, and rifle his goods, unless he first bind the strong? and then he will rifle his house. ³⁰He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth. ³¹Therefore I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven. ³²And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. ³³Either make the tree good and its fruit good: or make the tree evil, and its fruit evil. For by the fruit the tree is known. ³⁴O generation of vipers, how can you speak good things, whereas you are evil? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵A good man out of a good treasure bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. ³⁶But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment. ³⁷For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. ³⁸Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying: Master we would see a sign from thee. ³⁹Who answering said to them: An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. ⁴⁰For as Jonas was in the whale's belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. ⁴¹The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here. ⁴²The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold there is one greater than Solomon here. ⁴³And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none. ⁴⁴Then he saith: I will return into my house from whence I came out. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. ⁴⁵Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man in made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation. ⁴⁶As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. ⁴⁷And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee. ⁴⁸But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? ⁴⁹And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren. ⁵⁰For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.