1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick heads of grain and eat. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and those with him were hungry, 4 how he entered the house of God and they ate the bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him or those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9 He left that place and went into their synagogue. 10 A man with a withered hand was there. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they could accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, sound like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, to kill him.

15 Knowing this, Jesus withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all. 16 He sternly warned them not to make him known, 17 to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

22 Then a man possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him. He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and seize his goods unless he first binds the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of his good treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil treasure. 36 But I tell you that people will give account on the day of judgment for every idle word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at Jonah’s preaching. And look, something 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 hear Solomon’s wisdom. And look, something greater than Solomon is here.

43 When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through dry places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it arrives, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there. The last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will also be with this evil generation.”

46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 47 Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to you.” 48 But he answered the one speaking to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 He stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “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.”