Matthew 12:23-50 ▼

23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Is this the Son of David?”

24 But the Pharisees having heard, said, “This One does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, ruler of the demons.”

25 And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom having been divided against itself is desolated, and no city or house having been divided against itself stands,

26 and if Satan casts out Satan, against himself he was divided, how then does his kingdom stand?

27 And if I, by Beelzebul, cast out the demons, your sons—by whom do they cast out? Because of this they will be your judges.

28 But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then the Kingdom of God has already come to you.

29 Or how is one able to go into the house of the strong man, and to snatch his goods, if first he may not bind the strong man? And then his house he will plunder.

30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who is not gathering with Me, scatters.

31 Because of this I say to you, all sin and slander will be forgiven to men, but the slander of the Spirit will not be forgiven to men.

32 And whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man it will be forgiven to him, but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is coming.

33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad, for from the fruit is the tree known.

34 Brood of vipers! How are you able to speak good things—being evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 The good man out of the good treasure of the heart puts forth the good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure puts forth evil things.

36 And I say to you that every idle word that men may speak, they will give for it a reckoning in [the] day of judgment;

37 for from your words you will be declared righteous, and from your words you will be declared unrighteous.”

38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we will to see a sign from You.”

39 And He answering said to them, “A generation, evil and adulterous, seeks a sign, and a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet;

40 for as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

41 Men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they converted at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, [One] greater than Jonah [is] here!

42 A queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, [One] greater than Solomon [is] here!

43 And when the unclean spirit may go forth from the man, it walks through dry places seeking rest and does not find;

44 then it says, I will return to my house from where I came forth; and having come, it finds [it] unoccupied, swept, and adorned:

45 then it goes, and takes with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having gone in they dwell there, and the last of that man becomes worse than the first; so will it also be to this evil generation.”

46 And while He was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers had stood outside, seeking to speak to Him,

47 and one said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to You.”

48 And He answering said to him who spoke to Him, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?”

49 And having stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold, My mother and My brothers!

50 For whoever may do the will of My Father who is in the heavens, He is My brother, and sister, and mother.”