Picking Grain on the Sabbath. 1^* At that time Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.^a His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads^* of grain and eat them.^b 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.” 3He said to them,^* “Have you not read what David^c did when he and his companions were hungry, 4how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,^d which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? 5^* Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent?^e 6I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. 7^* If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’^f you would not have condemned these innocent men. 8^{* g} For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”