Luke 11:14–28

A House Divided Cannot Stand

14 And he was expelling a mute demon.b Now it happened that when* the demon came out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were astonished. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul the ruler of demons he expels demons!” 16 And others, in order to* test him,* were demanding from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and ⌊a divided household⌋c falls. 18 So if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I expel demons by Beelzebul. 19 But if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?* For this reason they will be your judges! 20 But if I expel demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are ⌊safe⌋.d 22 But when a stronger man attacks him and* conquers him, he takes away his full armor in which he trusted and distributes his plunder. 23 The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

24 “Whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it.* It says,e ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ 25 And when it* arrives it finds the house* swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and* live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first!”

27 Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and* said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it!”*