12 ¹ ONCE ABOUT THAT TIME Jesus went through the cornfields on the Sabbath; and his disciples, feeling hungry, began to pluck some ears of corn and eat them. 12 ² The Pharisees noticed this, and said to him, 'Look, your disciples are doing something which is forbidden on the Sabbath.' 12 ³ He answered, 'Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? 12 ⁴ He went into the House of God and ate the consecrated loaves, though neither he nor his men had a right to eat them, but only the priests. 12 ⁵ Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and it is not held against them? 12 ⁶ I tell you, there is something greater than the temple here. 12 ^{7 [ Hs.6.6. ]} If you had known what that text means, "I require mercy, not sacrifice", you would not have condemned the innocent. 12 ⁸ For the Son of Man is sovereign over the Sabbath.'