Chapter 12

  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.  

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  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath.  

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  But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him;  

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  How he entered into the house of God, and ate the show-bread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them who were with him, but only for the priests?  

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  Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?  

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  But I say to you, that in this place is one greater than the temple.  

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  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.  

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  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.  

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  And when he had departed thence, he went into their synagogue.  

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  And behold, there was a man who had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him.  

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  And he said to them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it shall fall into a pit on the sabbath, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?  

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  How much then is a man better than a sheep? wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.  

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  Then saith he to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched it out; and it was restored to a sound state like the other.  

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  Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.  

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  But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all.  

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  And charged them that they should not make him known:  

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  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,  

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  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 show judgment to the Gentiles.  

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  He shall not contend, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.  

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  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he shall send forth judgment to victory.  

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  And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.  

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  Then was brought to him one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb; and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw.  

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  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?  

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  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.  

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  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself, is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand.  

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  And if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?  

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  And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children expel them? therefore they shall be your judges.  

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  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come to you.  

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  Or else, how can one enter into a strong man's house, and seize his goods, except he shall first bind the strong man? and then he will plunder his house.  

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  He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad.  

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  Wherefore I say to you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven to men.  

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  And whoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.  

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  Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.  

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  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.  

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  A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things: and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things.  

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  But I say to you, That for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judgment.  

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  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.  

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  Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.  

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  But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh for a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.  

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  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  

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  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.  

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  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.  

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  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and he findeth none.  

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  Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.  

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  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also to this wicked generation.  

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  While he was yet speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.  

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  Then one said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.  

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  But he answered and said to him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?  

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  And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!  

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  For whoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.  

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