Matthew 12:1-8 - Plucking Grain On The Sabbath

¹ At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat [them]. ² But [when] the Pharisees saw [it], they said to him, "Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not permitted to do on the Sabbath!"

³ So he said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, ⁴ how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶ But I tell you that [something] greater than the temple is here! ⁷ And if you had known what {it means}, 'I want mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

²³ And it happened that he was going through the grain fields on the Sabbath, and his disciples began to make [their] way [while] plucking off the heads of grain. ²⁴ And the Pharisees began to say to him, "Behold, why are they doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath?"

²⁵ And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he had need and he and those [who were] with him were hungry-- ²⁶ how he entered into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the presentation, which it is not permitted to eat (except the priests) and also gave [it] to those who were with him?" ²⁷ And he said to them, "The Sabbath was established for people, and not people for the Sabbath. ²⁸ So then, the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

¹ Now it happened that on a Sabbath he went through the grain fields, and his disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing [them] in [their] hands. ² But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath?

³ And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Have you not read this, what David did when he and those [who were] with him were hungry-- ⁴ how he entered into the house of God and took the bread of the presentation, which it is not permitted to eat (except the priests alone), [and] ate [it] and gave [it] to those with him?" ⁵ And he said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."