Matthew 12:33-41

New American Standard Bible 1995

Words Reveal Character

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for ^(A)the tree is known by its fruit. ^34 (B)You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak ^[a]what is good? ^(C)For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. ^35 (D)The good man brings out of his good treasure ^[b]what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure ^[c]what is evil. ³⁶ But I tell you that every ^[d]careless word that people ^[e]speak, they shall give an accounting for it in ^(E)the day of judgment. ³⁷ For ^[f]by your words you will be justified, and ^[g]by your words you will be condemned.”

The Desire for Signs

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, ^(F)we want to see a ^[h]sign from You.” ³⁹ But He answered and said to them, “^(G)An evil and adulterous generation craves for a ^[i]sign; and yet no ^[j]sign will be given to it but the ^[k]sign of Jonah the prophet; ⁴⁰ for just as ^(H)Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will ^(I)the Son of Man be ^(J)three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ^41 (K)The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because ^(L)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, ^(M)something greater than Jonah is here.