Bible / Matthew
Matthew 12
Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision (1749–1752), the traditional Catholic English Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate. If you read a modern Bible, this is the same Scripture in older English; some names are spelled differently (Cesarea for Caesarea, Apocalypse for Revelation). About this translation
1 At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat.
2 And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days.
3 But he said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him:
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but for the priests only?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame? CCC · Fathers
6 But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple. CCC
7 And if you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent. CCC · Fathers
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.
9 And when he had passed from thence, he came into their synagogues.
10 And behold there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
11 But he said to them: What man shall there be among you, that hath one sheep: and if the same fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not take hold on it and lift it up?
12 How much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do a good deed on the sabbath days. CCC
13 Then he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand; and he stretched it forth, and it was restored to health even as the other.
14 And the Pharisees going out made a consultation against him, how they might destroy him.
15 But Jesus knowing it, retired from thence: and many followed him, and he healed them all.
16 And he charged them that they should not make him known.
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet, saying:
18 Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul hath been well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. CCC · Fathers
19 He shall not contend, nor cry out, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. CCC
20 The bruised reed he shall not break: and smoking flax he shall not extinguish: till he send forth judgment unto victory. CCC
21 And in his name the Gentiles shall hope. CCC
22 Then was offered to him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, so that he spoke and saw.
23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and said: Is not this the son of David? CCC
24 But the Pharisees hearing it, said: This man casteth not out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. CCC
25 And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate: and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. Fathers
26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his kingdom stand? CCC
27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. CCC
29 Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong, and rifle his goods, unless he first bind the strong? and then he will rifle his house. Fathers
30 He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.
31 Therefore I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven. CCC · Fathers
32 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor in the world to come. CCC
33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good: or make the tree evil, and its fruit evil. For by the fruit the tree is known.
34 O generation of vipers, how can you speak good things, whereas you are evil? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of a good treasure bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment. CCC · Fathers
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. CCC
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying: Master, we would see a sign from thee. Fathers
39 Who answering said to them: An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. CCC
40 For as Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. CCC
41 The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here. CCC · Fathers
42 The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon here. CCC · Fathers
43 And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith: I will return into my house from whence I came out. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation.
46 As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
47 And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee.
48 But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?
49 And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren. CCC
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
This chapter in the Catechism and the early Church
Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va), and where the earliest Church Fathers quote them (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, public domain). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text. The Catechism uses modern verse numbers, so these are listed by chapter.
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 581 “The Jewish people and their spiritual leaders viewed Jesus as a rabbi. He often argued within the framework of rabbinical interpretation of…”
- CCC 582 “Going even further, Jesus perfects the dietary law, so important in Jewish daily life, by revealing its pedagogical meaning through a divine…”
- CCC 2173 “The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness…”
“… the sons of Levi; and my people shall be satiated with my goodness." Now, in the preceding book I have shown that all the disciples of the Lord are Levites and priests, they who used in the temple to profane the Sabbath, but are blameless.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXIV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
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- CCC 2100 “Outward sacrifice, to be genuine, must be the expression of spiritual sacrifice: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit...." The…”
“… than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings." Besides, our Lord also exhorted them to the same effect, when He said, "But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism
- CCC 342 “The hierarchy of creatures is expressed by the order of the "six days", from the less perfect to the more perfect. God…”
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 713 “The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs." These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how…”
“A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, until He send forth judgment into contention; and in His name shall the Gentiles trust.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
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- CCC 713 “The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs." These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 713 “The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs." These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 713 “The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs." These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how…”
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- CCC 439 “Many Jews and even certain Gentiles who shared their hope recognized in Jesus the fundamental attributes of the messianic "Son of David",…”
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- CCC 574 “From the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, certain Pharisees and partisans of Herod together with priests and scribes agreed together to destroy…”
Read the Fathers
“For that the kingdom must be divided, and thus come to ruin, the Lord [declares when He] says: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
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- CCC 550 “The coming of God's kingdom means the defeat of Satan's: "If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 550 “The coming of God's kingdom means the defeat of Satan's: "If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out…”
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“… Lord showed Himself under every aspect and truly to be the strong man, saying that one can in no other way "spoil the goods of a strong man, if he do not first bind the strong man himself, and then he will spoil his house.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter VIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“For He fought and conquered; for He was man contending for the fathers, and through obedience doing away with disobedience completely: for He bound the strong man,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XVIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“… and long-suffering, He did indeed show Himself to be long-suffering in the matter of the correction of man and the probation of all, as I have already observed; and by means of the second man did He bind the strong man, and spoiled his goods,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 1031 “The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the…”
“Sinning, therefore, in all these particulars, against the Spirit of God,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 590 “Only the divine identity of Jesus' person can justify so absolute a claim as "He who is not with me is against…”
“And therefore the Lord says, "As to every idle word that men have spoken, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
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- CCC 590 “Only the divine identity of Jesus' person can justify so absolute a claim as "He who is not with me is against…”
Read the Fathers
“And that He would rise again on the third day after the crucifixion, it is written”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
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- CCC 994 “But there is more. Jesus links faith in the resurrection to his own person: "I am the Resurrection and the life." It…”
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 590 “Only the divine identity of Jesus' person can justify so absolute a claim as "He who is not with me is against…”
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
“For if He were the son of Joseph, how could He be greater than Solomon, or greater than Jonah,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“And how could He (Christ) have been greater than Solomon,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 590 “Only the divine identity of Jesus' person can justify so absolute a claim as "He who is not with me is against…”
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
“For if He were the son of Joseph, how could He be greater than Solomon, or greater than Jonah,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“And how could He (Christ) have been greater than Solomon,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Matthew 12:0 in modern BiblesCCC 590
Read the Catechism
- CCC 590 “Only the divine identity of Jesus' person can justify so absolute a claim as "He who is not with me is against…”
A modern English Catholic translation will be added once its publisher grants permission.