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

¹ At that time as Jesus pass'd through the corn on the sabbath day, his disciples being hungry, pluck'd the ears of corn, and fell to eating. ² the Pharisees seeing that, said to him, see, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath-day.

³ he answer'd them, have ye not read what David and the rest of the company did when they were hungry, ⁴ how he entred into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which it was not lawful either for him or his company to eat, but only for the priests? ⁵ or have ye not observed in the law, what a work the priests made in the temple on the sabbath-day, without being blamed? ⁶ now I tell you, that the work now in hand, is of greater consequence than that of the temple. ⁷ if ye had known the meaning of that expression, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice," ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ for the sabbath is subservient to men.

²³ Another time, as he was going through the corn-fields on the sabbath-day, his disciples as they pass'd along began to pluck the ears of corn. ²⁴ upon which the Pharisees said to him, pray observe how they trespass on the sabbath-day.

²⁵ but he replied, have ye never read what David, and the rest of the company did, when they were press'd with hunger? ²⁶ how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar, who was afterwards high-priest, and did eat the shew-bread, giving some of it likewise to the company, though the law allow'd no body to eat of it but the priests. ²⁷ adding this observation, "the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." ²⁸ therefore the son of man has a power of dispensing with the law of the sabbath.

¹ On the second-prime sabbath, as Jesus was passing through the corn-fields, his disciples happen'd to pluck the ears, and rubbing out the corn with their hands began to eat. ² upon which some of the Pharisees said to them, why do you do what is not allowed to be done on the sabbath-day?

³ but Jesus replied, have you never read what David did, when he and his company were press'd with hunger? ⁴ how he went into the court of the tabernacle, took and eat the shew-bread, and distributed it likewise to the company, which the law allowed the priests only to eat? ⁵ the son of man, said he, may dispense even with the sabbath.