Matthew 12

1 At that tyme Iesus went on the Sabbath dayes through the corne, and his disciples were an hungred, and began to plucke the eares of corne, & to eate.

2 But when the Pharisees sawe it, they sayde vnto hym: Beholde, thy disciples do that which is not lawfull to do vpon the Sabbath day.

3 But he sayde vnto them: Haue ye not read what Dauid did when he was an hungred, and they that were with him:

4 Howe he entred into the house of God, and did eate the shew bread, which was not lawfull for hym to eate, neither for them which were with hym, but only for the priestes?

5 Or haue ye not read in the lawe, howe that on the Sabbath dayes the priestes in the temple prophane the Sabbath, and are blamelesse?

6 But I say vnto you, that in this place is one greater then the temple.

7 Wherfore if ye wist what this meaneth, I will mercie & not sacrifice: ye woulde not haue condempned the giltlesse.

8 For the sonne of man also is Lorde euen of the Sabbath day.

9 And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue,

10 And beholde there was a man which had his hande dryed vp, and they asked him, saying: Is it lawfull to heale vpon the Sabbath dayes? that they might accuse him.

11 And he sayde vnto them: What man of you wyll there be that shall haue a sheepe, & if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, wyll he not take holde of it, and lift it out?

12 Howe much more then is a man better then a sheepe? Wherfore it is lawfull to do a good deede on the Sabbath dayes.

13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch foorth thy hande. And he stretched it foorth: and it was made whole like as the other.

14 Then the Pharisees went out, and helde a counsayle agaynst him, howe they might destroy hym.

15 But when Iesus knewe it, he departed thence: and great multitudes folowed him, and he healed them all,

16 And charged them that they shoulde not make him knowen:

17 That it might be fulfylled which was spoken by Esaias the prophete, saying:

18 Beholde my childe whom I haue chosen, my beloued in whom my soule well delighteth: I wyll put my spirite vpon him, and he shall shewe iudgement to the gentiles.

19 He shall not striue nor crye, neither shal any man heare his voyce in the streetes.

20 A bruised reede shall he not breake, and smokyng flaxe shall he not quenche, tyll he sende foorth iudgement vnto victorie:

21 And in his name shall the gentiles trust.

22 Then was brought to him one possessed with a deuyll, blinde, and dumbe: and he healed him, insomuch that the blinde and dumbe both spake and sawe.

23 And all the people were amased and sayde: Is not this that sonne of Dauid?

24 But when the Pharisees hearde it, they sayde: This [felowe] driueth the deuils no otherwise out, but by Beelzebub the prince of the deuils.

25 But whe Iesus knew their thoughtes, he sayde vnto them, Euery kingdome deuided agaynst it selfe shalbe brought to naught: and euery citie or house deuided agaynst it selfe shall not stande.

26 And if Satan cast out Satan, then is he deuided agaynst him selfe: howe shall then his kingdome endure?

27 Also if I by Beelzebub cast out deuils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therfore they shalbe your iudges.

28 But if I cast out the deuils by the spirite of God: then is the kingdome of God come vpon you.

29 Or els howe can one enter into a strong mans house, & spoyle his goodes, except he first binde the strong man, and then spoyle his house?

30 He that is not with me, is agaynst me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abrode.

31 Wherfore, I say vnto you, all maner of sinne and blasphemy shalbe forgeuen vnto men, but the blasphemy agaynst the spirite, shall not be forgeuen vnto men.

32 And whosoeuer speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man, it shalbe forgeuen hym: But whosoeuer speaketh agaynst the holy ghost, it shall not be forgeuen hym, neither in this worlde, neither in the worlde to come.

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruite good: or els make the tree euyll, and his fruite euyll. For the tree, is knowen by his fruite.

34 O generation of vipers, howe can ye speake good thynges, when ye your selues are euyll? For out of the aboundauce of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bryngeth foorth good thynges: And an euyll man, out of euyll treasure, bryngeth foorth euyll thynges.

36 But I say vnto you, of euery idell worde that men shall speake, they shall geue accompt therof, in the day of iudgment.

37 For of thy wordes, thou shalt be iustified: and of thy wordes, thou shalt be condemned.

38 Then certayne of the Scribes, and of the Pharisees, aunswered hym, saying. Maister, we wyl see a signe of thee.

39 But he aunswered and sayde to them. The euyll and adulterous generation seketh a signe, and there shall no signe be geuen to it, but the signe of the prophete Ionas.

40 For as Ionas was three dayes, and three nyghtes, in the Whales belly: so shall the sonne of man be three dayes, and three nyghtes, in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Niniue shall ryse in the iudgement, with this nation, and condemne it, because they repented at the preachyng of Ionas: and beholde, here [is] one greater then Ionas.

42 The Queene of the south shall ryse in the iudgement, with this generation, and shall condemne it: for she came from the vtmost partes of the earth, to heare the wisdome of Solomon. And beholde, in this place [is] one greater then Solomon.

43 When the vncleane spirite is gone out of a man, he walketh throughout drye places, sekyng rest, and fyndeth none.

44 Then he sayeth: I wyll returne into my house, from whence I came out. And when he is come, he fyndeth it emptie, swept, and garnyshed.

45 Then goeth he, and taketh vnto hym seuen other spirites, worse then hym selfe, and they enter in, and dwell there: And the ende of that man, is worse then the begynnyng. Euen so shall it be also, vnto this frowarde generation.

46 Whyle he yet talked to the people, beholde, his mother, and his brethren stoode without, desyryng to speake with hym.

47 Then one sayde vnto hym: beholde, thy mother, and thy brethren, stande without, desyryng to speake with thee.

48 But he aunswered, and sayde vnto hym that had tolde hym: Who is my mother? or who are my brethren?

49 And he stretched foorth his hande towarde his disciples, & sayde, beholde my mother, and my brethren.

50 For whosoeuer shall do the wyll of my father which is in heauen, the same is my brother, sister, and mother.