Matthew 12:22-45

22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see.

23All the crowds were astounded and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

25Knowing their thoughts, he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

28If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

31Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.

33“Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

35A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.

36I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak.

37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look — something greater than Jonah is here.

42The 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 hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look — something greater than Solomon is here.

43“When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any.

44Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order.

45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”