Matthew 12:22–45

Jesus and Beelzebul

²²Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see.^{* 23}All the crowds were amazed and were saying, “Can this be the Son of David?”^{* 24}But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this man casts out the demons.”^{* 25}He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.^{* 26}If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? ²⁷If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists^h cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.^{* 28}But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.^{* 29}Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. ³⁰Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^{* 31}Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.^{* 32}Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.^*

A Tree and Its Fruit

³³“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.^{* 34}You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.^{* 35}The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. ³⁶I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter, ³⁷for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”^{* 39}But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.^{* 40}For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.^{* 41}The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and indeed something greater than Jonah is here!^{* 42}The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed something greater than Solomon is here!^*

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

⁴³“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. ⁴⁴Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it returns, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.”^*