1At that time Jesus walked through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” 3But he said to them,“Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reservedfor the priests? 5Or haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6But I tell you, something greater than the temple is here! 7If you had known what ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’means, you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 9Moving on from there, Jesus went into their synagogue. 10Suddenly a man with a paralyzed hand appeared. The people asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, intending to accuse him of doing something wrong. 11But he said to them,“Is there a man among you who, if he had one sheep and it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't take hold of it and pull it out? 12How much more is a human being worth than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man,“Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it became normal, as healthy as the other. 14The Pharisees, however, went out and plotted against Jesus to kill him. 15When Jesus became aware of this, he left that place. Many crowds followed him, and he healed all of them, 16ordering them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 18“Here is my Servant whom I have chosen,whom I love, and with whom my soul is pleased! I will put my Spirit on him,and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not quarrel or shout,and no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20He will not snap off a broken reedor snuff out a smoldering wickuntil he brings justice to victory. 21And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” 22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that the man could speak and see. 23All the crowds were amazed and kept saying, “This man isn't the Son of David, is he?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 25He knew what they were thinking and said to them,“Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26Soif Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom stand? 27IfI drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followersdrive them out? That is why they will be your judges! 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29How can someone go into a strong man's house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then he can ransack his house. 30“The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who doesn't gather with me scatters. 31So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven,but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Whoever 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 one to come.” 33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. For a tree is known by its fruit. 34You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart. 35A good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and an evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account for every thoughtlessword they utter. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39But he replied to them,“An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights,so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look—something greater than Jonah is here! 42The queen of the south will stand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look—something greater than Solomon is here!” 43“Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places looking for a place to rest but finds none. 44Then it says, ‘I will go back to my home that I left.’ When it arrives, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That's just what will happen to this evil generation!” 46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Look! Your mother and your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to you.” 48He asked the man who told him,“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Then pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said,“Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”