Pharisees’ Blasphemy

¹⁴ And [at another time] Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was [controlling a man so as to make him] mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds were awed.^{(A) 15} But some of them said, “He drives out demons by [the power of] ^[a]Beelzebul (Satan), the ruler of the demons.” ¹⁶ Others, trying to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But He, well aware of their thoughts and purpose, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is doomed to destruction; and a house divided against itself falls. ¹⁸ If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand and continue to survive? For you are saying that I drive out demons by [the power of] Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Now if I drive out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons [the Jewish exorcists] drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then ^[b]the kingdom of God has already come upon you. ²¹ When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his belongings are undisturbed and secure. ²² But when someone stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he robs him of all his armor on which he had relied and divides his [goods as] spoil. ²³ He who is not with Me [believing in Me as Lord and Savior] is against Me [there is no impartial position]; and he who does not gather with Me [assisting in My ministry], scatters.

²⁴ “When the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places in search [of a place] of rest; and not finding any, it says, ‘I will go back to my house (person) from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the place swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in [the person] and live there; and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first.”