1 At that time, Joshua went through the grain fields on the Sabbath day. And His apprentices were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Separators saw it, they said to Him, “Look! Your apprentices do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
3 But He said to them,“Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him; 4 how he entered into God’s house, and ate the display bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?* 5 Or have you not read in the Torah, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple commonize the Sabbath, and are guiltless? 6 But I tell you that One greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath.”
9 And departing from there He went into their synagogue. 10 And look, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?”—so that they might accuse Him.
11 But He said to them,“What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” 13 Then He told the man,“Hold out your hand.” And he held it out; and it became healthy again, just like the other. 14 But the Separators went out and conspired against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But Joshua, knowing about it, left that place. And large crowds followed Him; and He healed them all, 16 and He commanded them so that they wouldn’t cause Him to be noticed, 17 in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
18 “Look, My Servant whom I have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My heart is well pleased:
I will put My spirit on Him,
and He will announce justice to the nations.
19 He will not fight or shout,
and no one will hear His voice in the streets.
20 He won’t break off a broken stalk,
and He won’t snuff out a flickering wick,
until He brings justice to victory.
21 And the nations will place their hope in His name.”
22 Then one possessed by a demon, blind and unable to speak, was brought to Him and He healed him, so that the blind and speechless man both spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “This isn’t the Son of David, right?” 24 But when the Separators heard it, they said, “This man does not expel demons, except by Baal-Zebul*, the prince of the demons.”
25 Knowing their thoughts, Joshua said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I by Baal-Zebul* expel demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if I by the spirit of God expel demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who doesn’t gather with Me, scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in the age to come.
33 “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You offspring of poisonous snakes! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasury brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasury brings out evil things. 36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
38 Then certain of the scholars and Separators responded, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39 But He answered them,“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, likewise the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and look, someone greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, someone greater than Solomon is here.
43 When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through dry places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house that I came out of,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they go in and live there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”
46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, look, his mother and his brothers stood outside, looking to speak to Him. 47 One said to Him, “Look, Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, looking to speak to You.”
48 But He answered him who spoke to Him,“Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out his hand towards His apprentices, and said, “Look! My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”