Matthew 12:33-50 ▼

33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree unsound, and its fruit unsound. For by the fruit the tree is known.

34 Generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

35 The good man, out of his good treasury, brings forth good things; and the evil man, out of his evil treasury, brings forth evil things.

36 But I say to you, That for every idle word which men speak, they shall give account in the day of judgment.

37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered and said: Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.

39 But he answered and said to them: A wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; and no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 Tho men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and condemn it; for they repented in accordance with the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

42 The queen of the south shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the most distant parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

43 When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he goes through dry places seeking rest, and finds none.

44 Then he says: I will return to my house, out of which I came. And he comes and finds it empty, swept, and set in order.

45 Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be with this wicked generation.

46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood without, desiring to speak to him.

47 And some one said to him: Behold, your mother and your brothers stand without, desiring to speak to you.

48 But he answered and said to him that told him: Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?

49 And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said: Behold my mother and my brothers.

50 For whoever will do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.