Matthew 12:1-13 ▼

1 At that time Jesus was going, on the Sabbath, through the fields of grain; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pull the ears of grain, and to eat.

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him: Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.

3 But he said to them: Have you not read what David did, when he and those who were with him were hungry?

4 how he entered the house of God, and ate the loaves of the presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but for the priests only?

5 Or, have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath-days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

6 But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here.

7 But if you had known what this means—I desire mercy, and not sacrifice—you would not have condemned the blameless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.

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

10 And behold, a man was there that had a withered hand. And they asked him, saying: Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath-days? that they might accuse him.

11 And he said to them: What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out?

12 How much better, then, is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days.

13 Then he said to the man: Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored to soundness, like the other.