3 Jesusaj entered the synagogueak again, and a man was there who had a shriveledal hand. 2 In order to accuseam him, they were watching him closelyan to see whether he would healao him on the Sabbath.ap 3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawfulaq to do goodar on the Sabbath or to do evil,as to save lifeat or to kill?”au But they were silent.av 5 After looking around at them with anger,aw he was grieved at the hardnessax of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.ay 6 Immediately the Phariseesaz went out and started plottingba with the Herodiansbb against him, how they might killbc him.

MINISTERING TO THE MULTITUDE

7 Jesusbd departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,be and a large crowd followed from Judea,bf 8 Jerusalem,bg Idumea, beyond the Jordan,bh and around Tyrebi and Sidon.bj The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. 9 Then he told his disciples to have a small boatbk ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. 10 Since he had healedbl many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touchbm him. 11 Whenever the uncleanbn spiritsbo saw him, they fell downbp before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”bq 12 And he would strongly warnbr them not to make him known.bs

THE TWELVE APOSTLES

13 Jesusbt went up the mountainbu and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,E,bv to be with him, to send them out to preach,bw 15 and to have authority toF drive out demons. 16 He appointed the Twelve:G,bx To Simon,by he gave the name Peter;bz 17 and to Jamesca the son of Zebedee,cb and to his brother John,cc he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”cd); 18 Andrew;ce Philipcf and Bartholomew; Matthewcg and Thomas;ch James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot,ci who also betrayed him.

A HOUSE DIVIDED

20 Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.A 21 When his familya heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”b

22 The scribesc who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,”d and, “He drives oute demonsf by the rulerg of the demons.”h

23 So he summonedi them and spoke to them in parables:j “How can Satank drive out Satan?l 24 If a kingdomm is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties upn the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemieso they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemesp against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,q but is guiltyr of an eternal sin”B,s—30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”t

TRUE RELATIONSHIPS

31 Hisu motherv and his brothersw came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers,x and your sistersC are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!y 35 Whoever does the will of Godz is my brother and sister and mother.”