12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His ¹  disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat ²  and eat them. 12:2 But when the Pharisees ³  saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” 12:3 He ⁴  said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – 12:4 how he entered the house of God and they ate ⁵  the sacred bread, ⁶  which was against the law ⁷  for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? ⁸  12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 12:6 I ⁹  tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 12:7 If ¹⁰  you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ ¹¹  you would not have condemned the innocent. 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord ¹²  of the Sabbath.”

12:9 Then ¹³  Jesus ¹⁴  left that place and entered their synagogue. ¹⁵  12:10 A ¹⁶  man was there who had a withered ¹⁷  hand. And they asked Jesus, ¹⁸  “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” ¹⁹  so that they could accuse him. 12:11 He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? 12:12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 12:13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored, ²⁰  as healthy as the other. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate ²¹  him.

12:15 Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great ²²  crowds ²³  followed him, and he healed them all. 12:16 But he sternly warned them not to make him known. 12:17 This fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet: ²⁴ 

12:18 “Here is ²⁵  my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love, in whom I take great delight. ²⁶ 

I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

12:20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,

until he brings justice to victory.

12:21 And in his name the Gentiles ²⁷  will hope.” ²⁸