Matthew 12:1-13 ▼

1 At that time Jesus went on the Sabbaths through the grainfields, and His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat,

2 and the Pharisees having seen, said to Him, “Behold, Your disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”

3 And He said to them, “Did you not read what David did when he was hungry, himself and those with him—

4 how he went into the house of God, and ate the Bread of the Presentation, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone?

5 Or did you not read in the Law that on the Sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless?

6 And I say to you that [One] greater than the temple is here;

7 and if you had known what [this] is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice—you had not condemned the blameless,

8 for the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

9 And having departed from there, He went to their synagogue,

10 and behold, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths?” That they might accuse Him.

11 And He said to them, “What man will be of you who will have one sheep, and if this may fall on the Sabbaths into a ditch, will not lay hold on it and raise [it]?

12 How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep? So that it is lawful on the Sabbaths to do good.”

13 Then He says to the man, “Stretch forth your hand,” and he stretched [it] forth, and it was restored whole as the other.