THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW

THE NEW TESTAMENT
TRANSLATED FROM
THE SYRIAC PESHITO VERSION BY JAMES MURDOCK

Chapter 12

(Mat 12:1) At that time Jesus, on the sabbath, walked in the tillage grounds: and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat.

(Mat 12:2) And when the Pharisees saw them, they said to him: See; thy disciples are doing that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath.

(Mat 12:3) But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him?

(Mat 12:4) How he went to the house of God, and ate the bread of the Lord's table; which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but solely for the priests?

(Mat 12:5) Or have ye not read in the law, how that in the temple the priests profane the sabbath, and are without fault?

(Mat 12:6) But I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here.

(Mat 12:7) And if ye had known what that is, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; ye would not have criminated them who are without fault.

(Mat 12:8) For the Son of man, is lord of the sabbath.

(Mat 12:9) And Jesus went from there, and came to their synagogue.

(Mat 12:10) And a man was there, whose hand was withered. And they questioned him and said, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might defame him.

(Mat 12:11) And he said to them, What man among you is there, who, if he have a sheep, and it fall into a pit on the day of the sabbath, doth not lay hold of it and lift it out?

(Mat 12:12) Now, how much better is a human being than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do what is good, on the sabbath.

(Mat 12:13) Then said he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched out his hand; and it was restored, and like the other.

(Mat 12:14) And the Pharisees went out and held a consultation against him, that they might destroy him.

(Mat 12:15) But Jesus knew [it]; and he retired from there. And great multitudes followed him: and he cured them all.

(Mat 12:16) And he charged them not to make him known:

(Mat 12:17) that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying:

(Mat 12:18) Behold my servant, in whom I have complacency; my beloved, in whom my soul delighteth. I will put my spirit upon him; and he shall proclaim judgment to the Gentiles.

(Mat 12:19) He shall not contend, nor be clamorous, nor shall any one hear his voice in the market-place.

(Mat 12:20) The crushed reed he will not break; and the flickering lamp he will not extinguish; until he bring judgment to be victorious.

(Mat 12:21) And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

(Mat 12:22) Then they brought to him a demoniac that was dumb and blind; and he healed him, so that the dumb and blind man both talked and saw.

(Mat 12:23) And all the multitude were amazed, and said: Is not this the son of David?

(Mat 12:24) But when the Pharisees heard [it], they said: This man doth not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub the prince of demons.

(Mat 12:25) And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: Every kingdom that is divided against itself, will become desolate; and every house or city which is divided against itself, will not stand.

(Mat 12:26) Now if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then doth his kingdom stand?

(Mat 12:27) And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Wherefore they will be your judges.

(Mat 12:28) But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, the kingdom of God hath come near to you.

(Mat 12:29) Or how can one enter the house of a strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? and then he may plunder his house.

(Mat 12:30) He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me actually scattereth.

(Mat 12:31) Therefore I say to you, that all sins and contumelies shall be forgiven to men; but the contumely which is against the Spirit, shall not be forgiven to men.

(Mat 12:32) And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him: but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him;---not in this world, and not in the world to come.

(Mat 12:33) Either make the tree good, and its fruits good; or make the tree bad, and its fruits bad: for a tree is known by its fruits.

(Mat 12:34) Offspring of vipers, how can ye who are evil, speak good things? For out of the fullnesses of the heart the mouth speaketh.

(Mat 12:35) A good man out of good treasures bringeth forth good things, and a bad man out of bad treasures bringeth forth bad things.

(Mat 12:36) For I say to you, That for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment.

(Mat 12:37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified; and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

(Mat 12:38) Then answered some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees, and said to him: Teacher, we wish to see from thee a sign.

(Mat 12:39) But he replied and said to them: A wicked and adulterous generation demandeth a sign: but a sign will not be given to it, unless it be the sign of Jonah the prophet.

(Mat 12:40) For as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights; so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

(Mat 12:41) The people of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and lo, a greater than Jonah is here.

(Mat 12:42) The queen of the south will stand up in the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it: for she came from the extremities of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and lo, a superior to Solomon is here.

(Mat 12:43) And when an unclean spirit goeth out of a man, it wandereth in places where is no water, and seeketh comfort and findeth [it] not.

(Mat 12:44) Then it saith: I will return to my house, from which I came out. And it cometh, and findeth it vacated, and swept clean, and set in order.

(Mat 12:45) So it goeth and taketh with it seven other spirits, worse than itself, and they enter and dwell in it; and the end of that man is worse than his beginning. So will it be to this evil generation.

(Mat 12:46) And while he was discoursing to the multitudes, his mother and his brothers came and stood with out, and sought to speak with him.

(Mat 12:47) And a person said to him: Lo, thy mother and thy brothers stand without, and seek to speak with thee.

(Mat 12:48) But he replied, and said to him that informed him: Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?

(Mat 12:49) And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said: Behold my mother, and behold my brothers!

(Mat 12:50) For every one that doeth the good pleasure of my Father who is in heaven, that person is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.