Day 12
Matthew 12
12:1 At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
12:2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, "Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."
12:3 But he said to them, "Haven't you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him;
12:4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?{1 Samuel 21:3-6}
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?
12:6 But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
12:7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,'{Hosea 6:6} you would not have condemned the guiltless.
12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
12:9 He departed there, and went into their synagogue.
12:10 And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" that they might accuse him.
12:11 He said to them, "What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won't he grab on to it, and lift it out?
12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day."
12:13 Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.
12:14 But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.
12:15 Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
12:16 and commanded 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 servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.
12:19 He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
12:20 He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.
12:21 In his name, the nations will hope."{Isaiah 42:1-4}
12:22 Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
12:23 All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?"
12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."
12:25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
12:26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
12:27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
12:28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
12:29 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.
12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn't gather with me, scatters.
12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
12:32 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 that which is to come.
12:33 "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.
12:34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
12:35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure{TR adds "of the heart"} brings out evil things.
12:36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
12:38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."
12:39 But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but 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 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 behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
12:42 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 behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.
12:43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn't find it.
12:44 Then he says, 'I will return into my house from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
12:45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."
12:46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
12:47 One said to him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you."
12:48 But he answered him who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
12:49 He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!
12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Acts 23
23:1 Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, "Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day."
23:2 The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
23:3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?"
23:4 Those who stood by said, "Do you malign God's high priest?"
23:5 Paul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"{Exodus 22:28}
23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!"
23:7 When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.
23:9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and contended, saying, "We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let's not fight against God!"
23:10 When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
23:11 The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, "Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome."
23:12 When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
23:13 There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.
23:14 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
23:15 Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near."
23:16 But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.
23:17 Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him."
23:18 So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you."
23:19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
23:20 He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.
23:21 Therefore don't yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you."
23:22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, "Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me."
23:23 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night{about 9:00 PM}."
23:24 He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.
23:25 He wrote a letter like this:
23:26 "Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
23:27 "This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
23:28 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.
23:29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
23:30 When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell."
23:31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
23:32 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.
23:33 When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
23:34 When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,
23:35 "I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive." He commanded that he be kept in Herod's palace.
Acts 24
24:1 After five days, the high priest, Ananias, came down with certain elders and an orator, one Tertullus. They informed the governor against Paul.
24:2 When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Seeing that by you we enjoy much peace, and that excellent measures are coming to this nation,
24:3 we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.
24:4 But, that I don't delay you, I entreat you to bear with us and hear a few words.
24:5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
24:6 He even tried to profane the temple, and we arrested him.{TR adds "We wanted to judge him according to our law,"}
24:7 {TR adds "but the commanding officer, Lysias, came by and with great violence took him out of our hands,"}
24:8 {TR adds "commanding his accusers to come to you."}By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him."
24:9 The Jews also joined in the attack, affirming that these things were so.
24:10 When the governor had beckoned to him to speak, Paul answered, "Because I know that you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I cheerfully make my defense,
24:11 seeing that you can recognize that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem.
24:12 In the temple they didn't find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues, or in the city.
24:13 Nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.
24:14 But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
24:15 having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
24:16 Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.
24:17 Now after some years, I came to bring gifts for the needy to my nation, and offerings;
24:18 amid which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with a mob, nor with turmoil.
24:19 They ought to have been here before you, and to make accusation, if they had anything against me.
24:20 Or else let these men themselves say what injustice they found in me when I stood before the council,
24:21 unless it is for this one thing that I cried standing among them, 'Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged before you today!'"
24:22 But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, "When Lysias, the commanding officer, comes down, I will decide your case."
24:23 He ordered the centurion that Paul should be kept in custody, and should have some privileges, and not to forbid any of his friends to serve him or to visit him.
24:24 But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.
24:25 As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, "Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you."
24:26 Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore also he sent for him more often, and talked with him.
24:27 But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
