¹⁹ And ^(A)it came about that just as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered that the doors be shut, ^[a]and that they were not to open them until after the Sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the Sabbath day.

²¹ This is what the Lord says: “^(A)Take care for yourselves, and ^(B)do not carry any ^[a]load on the Sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. ²² You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day ^(C)nor do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I ^(D)commanded your ^[b]forefathers. ²³ Yet they ^(E)did not listen or incline their ears, but ^(F)stiffened their necks so as not to listen or accept discipline.

²⁴ “But it will come about, if you ^(G)give your attention to Me,” declares the Lord, “to ^(H)bring no load in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, ^(I)but to keep the Sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, ^25 (J)then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and officials ^(K)sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this ^(L)city will be inhabited forever. ²⁶ They will come in from the ^(M)cities of Judah and from the areas surrounding Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the ^(N)lowland, from the hill country, and from the ^(O)Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord. ²⁷ But ^(P)if you do not listen to Me, to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then ^(Q)I will set fire to its gates, and it will ^(R)devour the palaces of Jerusalem and ^(S)not go out.”’”

² Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what ^(A)is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!”

² But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what ^(A)is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

^23 (A)If a man receives circumcision on a Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry at Me because I made an entire man well on a Sabbath?

¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He ^(A)does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such ^[a](B)signs?” And ^(C)there was dissension among them.