Then a blind and dumb demoniac was brought to him, and he cured him, so that the blind and dumb spoke and saw. And all the multitudes wondered and said, Is this the Son of David? But the Pharisees hearing it, said, This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, a ruler of the demons. But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed; and no city or house divided against itself can stand. If Satan casts out Satan he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of a strong man and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters. Therefore, I tell you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven men. And if one speaks a word against the Son of man

it shall be forgiven him; but if one speaks against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven him either in this life or in that to come. Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man, out of his good treasury, casts forth good things; and the evil man, out of his evil treasury, casts forth evil things. But I tell you, that for every idle word which men speak they shall render an account in a day of judgment; for by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

Then answered some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you. But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and no sign shall be given it but the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they changed their minds at the preaching of Jonah; and behold a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold a greater than Solomon is here. But when the impure spirit has gone out of a man, it goes through dry places seeking a rest, and finds none. Then it says, I will return to my house from which I went out; and coming, it finds it empty, swept, and adorned. Then it goes and takes with itself seven other spirits worse than itself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation.

And while he was speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brothers stood without, desiring to speak to him. And some one said to him, Behold your mother and your brothers stand without, desiring to speak to you. And he answered and said to him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brothers? and stretching out his hand to his disciples, he said, Behold my mother, and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

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