Matthew 12:22-50

Then was brought to him a demoniac, blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, ‘Is this the Son of David?’ but the Pharisees having heard, said, ‘This one doth not cast out demons, except by Beelzeboul, ruler of the demons.’ 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, doth stand, and if the Adversary doth cast out the Adversary, against himself he was divided, how then doth his kingdom stand? ‘And if I, by Beelzeboul, do cast out the demons, your sons — by whom do they cast out? because of this they — they shall be your judges. ‘But if I, by the Spirit of God, do cast out the demons, then come already unto you did the reign of God. ‘Or how is one able to go into the house of the strong man, and to plunder his goods, if first he may not bind the strong man? and then his house he will plunder. ‘He who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me, doth scatter. Because of this I say to you, all sin and evil speaking shall be forgiven to men, but the evil speaking of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. And whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven to him, but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is coming. ‘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. ‘Brood of vipers! how are ye able to speak good things — being evil? for out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak. The good man out of the good treasure of the heart doth put forth the good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure doth put forth evil things. ‘And I say to you, that every idle word that men may speak, they shall give for it a reckoning in a day of judgment; for from thy words thou shalt be declared righteous, and from thy words thou shalt be declared unrighteous.’ Then answered certain of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, ‘Teacher, we will to see a sign from thee.’ And he answering said to them, ‘A generation, evil and adulterous, doth seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet; for, as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. ‘Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for they reformed at the proclamation of Jonah, and lo, a greater than Jonah here! ‘A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and lo, a greater than Solomon here! ‘And, when the unclean spirit may go forth from the man, it doth walk through dry places seeking rest, and doth not find; then it saith, I will turn back to my house whence I came forth; and having come, it findeth [it] unoccupied, swept, and adorned: then doth it go, and take with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having gone in they dwell there, and the last of that man doth become worse than the first; so shall it be also to this evil generation.’ And while he was yet speaking to the multitudes, lo, his mother and brethren had stood without, seeking to speak to him, and one said to him, ‘Lo, thy mother and thy brethren do stand without, seeking to speak to thee.’ And he answering said to him who spake to him, ‘Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?’ And having stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Lo, my mother and my brethren! for whoever may do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.’