⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”^(A)

²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem^(A) said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!^(B) By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”^(C)

³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,^[a] Judas and Simon?^(A) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.^(B)

John the Baptist Beheaded^(A)(B)

¹⁴ King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,^[a] “John the Baptist^(C) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵ Others said, “He is Elijah.”^(D)

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,^(E) like one of the prophets of long ago.”^(F)