Matthew 12:22-45

22Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus healed him so that he could speak and see.

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

24But when the Pharisees heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!”

25Now when Jesus realized what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and no town or house divided against itself will stand.

26So if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

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

28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has already overtaken you.

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

30Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

31For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32Whoever 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.

33“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 known by its fruit.

34Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.

35The good person brings good things out of his good treasury, and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury.

36I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak.

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

38Then some of the experts in the law along with some Pharisees answered him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39But 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.

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

41The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them – and now, 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 now, something greater than Solomon is here!

43“When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but does not find it.

44Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and put in order.

45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”