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

¹ In that time went Jesus, on the Sabbath day, through the corn; and his disciples were a hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. ² When the Pharisees saw that, they said unto him, "Behold: thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day."

³ He said unto them, "Have ye not read what David did, when he was a hungered, and they also which were with him? ⁴ How he entered into the house of God, and ate the hallowed loaves, which were not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests. ⁵ Or have ye not read in the law, how that the priests in the temple break the Sabbath day, and yet are blameless? ⁶ But I say unto you, that here is one greater than the temple. ⁷ Wherefore if ye had wist, what this saying meaneth, 'I require mercy and not sacrifice,' ye would never have condemned innocents. ⁸ For the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."

²³ And it chanced that he went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day; and his disciples, as they went on their way, began to pluck the ears of corn. ²⁴ And the Pharisees said unto him, "Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?"

²⁵ And he said to them, "Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was a hungered both he and they that were with him? ²⁶ How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the hallowed loaves, which is not lawful but for the priests only to eat: and gave also to them which were with him?" ²⁷ And he said to them, "The Sabbath day was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath day. ²⁸ Wherefore, the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."

¹ It happened on an after Sabbath, that he went through the corn field, and that his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and ate them, and rubbed them in their hands. ² And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, "Why do ye that which is not lawful to be done on the Sabbath days?"

³ And Jesus answered them and said, "Have ye not read what David did, when he himself was a hungered, and they which were with him: ⁴ how he went into the house of God, and took and ate the loaves of hallowed bread, and gave also to them which were with him: which was not lawful to eat, but for the priests only." ⁵ And he said unto them, "The son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."