Mark 3:20-4:9

Holman Christian Standard Bible

A House Divided

²⁰ Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^{[a] 21} When His family^(A) heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, “He’s out of His mind.”^(B)

²² The scribes^(C) who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul^(D) in Him!” and, “He drives out^(E) demons^(F) by the ruler^(G) of the demons!”^(H)

²³ So He summoned^(I) them and spoke to them in parables:^(J) “How can Satan^(K) drive out Satan?^{(L) 24} If a kingdom^(M) is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished!^[b]

²⁷ “On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up^(N) the strong man. Then he will rob his house. ²⁸ I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins^[c] and whatever blasphemies^(O) they may blaspheme. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes^(P) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,^(Q) but is guilty^(R) of an eternal sin”^[d](S)— ³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”^(T)

True Relationships

³¹ Then^(U) His mother^(V) and His brothers^(W) 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 sisters^[e] are outside asking for You.”

³³ He replied to them, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” ³⁴ And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!^{(Y) 35} Whoever does the will of God^(Z) is My brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again^(AA) He began to teach^(AB) by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea. ² He taught them many things in parables,^(AC) and in His teaching^(AD) He said to them: ³ “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.^{(AE) 4} As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,^(AF) and the birds came and ate^(AG) it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away,^(AH) since it didn’t have deep soil. ⁶ When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.^{(AI) 7} Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. ⁸ Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased^(AJ) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”^{(AK) 9} Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”^(AL)