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

¹ At that time Jesus walked one sabbath through the cornfields, and as his disciples were hungry they started to pull some ears of corn and eat them. ² When the Pharisees noticed it, they said to him, "Look at your disciples, they are doing what is not allowed on the sabbath."

³ He replied, "Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry, ⁴ how he went into the house of God, and there they ate the loaves of the Presence which neither he nor his men were allowed to eat, but only the priests? ⁵ Have you not read in the Law that the priests in the temple are not guilty when they desecrate the sabbath? ⁶ I tell you, One is here who is greater than the temple. ⁷ Besides, if you had known what this meant, I care for mercy not for sacrifice, you would not have condemned men who are not guilty. ⁸ For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath."

²³ Now it happened that he was passing through the cornfields on the sabbath, and as the disciples made their way through they began to pull the ears of corn. ²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, "Look at what they are doing on the sabbath! That is not allowed."

²⁵ He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and his men? ²⁶ He went into the house of God (Abiathar was high priest then) and ate the loaves of the Presence which no one except the priests is allowed to eat, and also shared them with his followers." ²⁷ And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath: ²⁸ so that the Son of man is Lord even over the sabbath."

¹ One sabbath it happened that as he was crossing the cornfields his disciples pulled some ears of corn and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. ² Some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not allowed on the sabbath?"

³ But Jesus answered them, "And have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? ⁴ He went into the house of God, took the loaves of the Presence and ate them, giving them to his men as well ??bread that no one is allowed to eat except the priests." ⁵ And he said to them, "The Son of man is Lord even over the sabbath."