Matthew 12:1-8

New International Version

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(A)^(B)

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain^(C) and eat them. ²When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”^(D)

³He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?^(E) ⁴He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.^(F) ⁵Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath^(G) and yet are innocent? ⁶I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.^(H) ⁷If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’^[a]^(I) you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸For the Son of Man^(J) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

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Footnotes

Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6

Luke 6:1-5

New International Version

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(A)

6 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.^(B) ²Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”^(C)

³Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?^(D) ⁴He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat.^(E) And he also gave some to his companions.” ⁵Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man^(F) is Lord of the Sabbath.”