Matthew 12:22–45

Jesus and Beelzebul

12:25-29^pp — Mk 3:23–27; Lk 11:17–22

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.^a All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”^b

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,^c the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”^d

Jesus knew their thoughts^e and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan^f drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,^g by whom do your people^h drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of Godⁱ has come upon you.

“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then his house can be plundered.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^j And so I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy. But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.^k Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age^l or in the age to come.^m

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.ⁿ You brood of vipers,^o how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.^p Good people bring good things out of the good stored up in them, and evil people bring evil things out of the evil stored up in them. But I tell you that people will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”^q

The Sign of Jonah

12:39-42^pp — Lk 11:29–32 12:43-45^pp — Lk 11:24–26

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign^a from you.”^b

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.^c For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,^d so the Son of Man^e will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.^f The people of Nineveh^g will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,^h and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she cameⁱ from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.

“When an evil spirit comes out of anyone, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.^j That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”