Gospel According to Matthew - Modern Literal Version

Gospel According to Matthew (MLV)

Matthew 12)

^12:1 In that season Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads and to eat.^12:2 But the Pharisees, having seen it, said to him, Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath.

^12:3 But he said to them, _<17>Have you not read what David did, when he himself was hungry and those with him;^12:4 how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor those with him, unlawful except for the priests only?^12:5 Or have you* not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?{1Sam. 21:6}^12:6 But I say to you*, that a greater thing than the temple is here.^12:7 But if you* had known what is meant by this, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' {Hos. 6:6} You* would not have condemned the guiltless.^12:8 For* the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.

^12:9 And having departed from there, he went into their synagogue.^12:10 And behold, there was a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? that* they might accuse him.

^12:11 And he said to them, What man out of you* _<18>is there, who _<18>has one sheep and if this one fall into a ditch on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out?^12:12 Then how much is a man of more value than a sheep! So-then it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.^12:13 Then he says to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored as healthy as the other.^12:14 But the Pharisees having went out, took counsel against him, on how they might destroy him.

^12:15 And Jesus having known it withdrew from there and many crowds followed him; and he healed them all,^12:16 and prohibited them that they should not make him known:^12:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, '^12:18 Behold, my manservant whom I have chosen; My beloved* in whom my soul is well pleased: I will place my Spirit upon him. And he will declare judgment to the Gentiles.' {Num. 28:9-10} ^12:19 'He will not engage in strife, nor cry aloud; nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.^12:20 He will not break a bruised reed and he will not quench smoking flax, until he send forth judgment to victory.^12:21 And in his name the _<20>Gentiles will hope.' {Is. 42.1-3}

^12:22 Then was brought to him one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb and he healed him, so-that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.^12:23 And all the crowds were astonished and said, Is this the son of David?^12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.

^12:25 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolation; and every city or house divided against itself will not stand:^12:26 and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. Then how will his kingdom stand?^12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your* sons cast them out? Because of this they will be your* judges.^12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God , then the kingdom of God has come upon you*.^12:29 Or how is anyone able to enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man ? And then he will plunder his house.^12:30 He who is not with me is against me and he who does not gather with me scatters.^12:31 Because of this, I say to you* , Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.^12:32 And 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, not in the age which is now, nor in the future one.^12:33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good; or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten: for* the tree is known by its fruit.^12:34 You* offspring of vipers, how are you* , being evil, able to speak good things? For* out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking.^12:35 The good man out of his good treasure is putting forth good things and the evil man out of his evil treasure is putting forth evil things.^12:36 And I say to you* , that every idle word whatever men may speak, they will give an account concerning it in the day of judgment.^12:37 For* you will be justified by your words and you will be condemned by your words.

^12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you*.

^12:39 But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign; and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet:^12:40 for* as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.^12:41 The Ninivites will stand up with this generation in the judgment and will condemn it: because they repented from the preaching of Jonah; and behold, more than Jonah is here.^12:42 The queen of the south will rise up with this generation in the judgment and will condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, more than Solomon is here.^12:43 But the unclean spirit, when it has gone out of the man, passes through water less places, seeking rest and finds it not.^12:44 Then it says, I will return into my house from where I came out; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept and garnished.^12:45 Then it goes and takes with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself and they go in and dwell there and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Thus it will also be with this evil generation.

^12:46 But while he was speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brethren were standing outside, seeking to speak to him.^12:47 And one said to him, Behold, your mother and your brethren are standing outside, seeking to speak to you*.

^12:48 But he answered and said to him who told him, Who is my mother? And who are my brethren?^12:49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren!^12:50 For* whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.

<18> 12:11- Both verbs literally are future tense.

<20> 12:18, 21- OR nations; SEE APPENDIX.