Bible NIV, The Words of Jesus Christ

Matthew

Chapter 12

{3} "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
{4} He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
{5} Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
{6} I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
{7} If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
{8} For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?



{12} How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." "Stretch out your hand." "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
{26} If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
{27} And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
{28} But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
{29} "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.



{30} "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
{31} And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
{32} Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
{33} "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
{34} You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.



{35} The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
{36} But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
{37} For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
{40} For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.



{41} The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
{42} The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
{43} "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
{44} Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.



{45} Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" "Here are my mother and my brothers.
{50} For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."