11At that timeJesuswentthrough the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to 2pick the heads of grain and eat.
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But when the Phariseessaw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciplesdowhat3is not lawful to do on a Sabbath."
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But He said to them, "Have you not readwhatDaviddidwhen he became hungry, he and his companions*,
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how he entered the house of God, and 4they ate the consecratedbread, which was not lawful for him to eatnor for those with him, but for the priestsalone?
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"Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the templebreak the Sabbath and are innocent?
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"But I say to you that something 5greater than the temple is here.
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"But if you had knownwhat this means, '6I DESIRECOMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
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8Departing from there, He went into their synagogue.
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And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, "9Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"-so that they might accuse Him.
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And He said to them, "10Whatman is there among you whohas a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not takehold of it and lift it out?
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"11Howmuchmorevaluablethen is a man than a sheep! Sothen, it is lawful to dogood on the Sabbath."
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Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!"12He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.
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But the Phariseeswent out and 13conspired*against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
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But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Manyfollowed Him, and 14He healed them all,
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This was to fulfillwhat was spokenthroughIsaiah the prophet:
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"16BEHOLD, MY SERVANTWHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; 17MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; 18 I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, 19 AND HE SHALL PROCLAIMJUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
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"20HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NORCRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONEHEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
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"21A BATTEREDREED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERINGWICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADSJUSTICE TO VICTORY.
2223Then a 24demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mutemanspoke and saw.
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All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the 25Son of David, can he?"
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But when the Phariseesheard this, they said, "Thisman26casts out demonsonly** by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."
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27And 28knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Anykingdomdividedagainstitself is laidwaste; and anycityorhousedividedagainstitself will not stand.
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"If29Satancasts out Satan, he is dividedagainsthimself; howthen will his kingdomstand?
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"If I 30by Beelzebulcast out demons, 31by whom do your sonscast them out? For this*reason* they will be your judges.
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"But 32if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
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"Orhowcananyoneenter the strongman'shouse and carryoff his property, unless* he firstbinds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
The Unpardonable Sin
30"33He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
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"34Therefore* I say to you, anysin and blasphemy shall be forgivenpeople, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
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"35Whoever*speaks a wordagainst the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever*speaksagainst the HolySpirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in 36thisageor in the age to come.
Words Reveal Character
33"Eithermake the treegood and its fruitgood, ormake the treebad and its fruitbad; for 37the tree is known by its fruit.
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"38You brood of vipers, howcan you, beingevil, speak what is good? 39For the mouthspeaks out of that whichfills the heart.
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"40The goodmanbrings out of his goodtreasure what is good; and the evilmanbrings out of his eviltreasure what is evil.
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"But I tell you that everycarelessword that peoplespeak, they shall give an accounting for it in 41the day of judgment.
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"For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
The Desire for Signs
38Thensome of the scribes and Phariseessaid to Him, "Teacher, 42we want to see a sign from You."
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But He answered and said to them, "43An evil and adulterousgenerationcraves for a sign; and yet nosign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
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for just as 44JONAH WAS THREEDAYS AND THREENIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEAMONSTER, so will 45the Son of Man be 46threedays and threenights in the heart of the earth.
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"47The men of Nineveh will stand up with thisgeneration at the judgment, and will condemn it because48they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, 49something greater than Jonah is here.
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"50The Queen of the South will rise up with thisgeneration at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, 51something greater than Solomon is here.
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"52Nowwhen the uncleanspiritgoes out of a man, it passesthroughwaterlessplacesseekingrest, and does not find it.
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"Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came '; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
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"Then it goes and takesalong with it sevenotherspiritsmorewicked than itself, and they go in and livethere; and 53the last state of that manbecomesworse than the first. That is the way it will also be with thisevilgeneration."
Changed Relationships
4654While He was stillspeaking to the crowds, behold, His 55mother and 56brothers were standingoutside, seeking to speak to Him.
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Someonesaid to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standingoutsideseeking to speak to You."
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But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"
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And stretching out His handtoward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers!
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"For whoever*does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."