¹⁶ Others, ^[a]to test Him, ^(A)were demanding of Him a ^[b]sign from heaven.

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

²⁷ While ^[b]Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “^(B)Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” ²⁸ But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are ^(C)those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “^(D)This generation is a wicked generation; it ^(E)seeks for a ^[c]sign, and yet no ^[d]sign will be given to it but the ^[e]sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For just as ^(F)Jonah became a ^[f]sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ The ^(G)Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because ^(H)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

³³ “^(I)No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. ^34 (J)The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is ^[g]clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is ^[h]bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. ³⁶ If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”

^31 (A)Then His mother and His brothers *arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. ³² A crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” ³³ Answering them, He *said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” ³⁴ Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, “^(B)Behold My mother and My brothers! ³⁵ For whoever ^(C)does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

^19 (A)And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” ²¹ But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these ^(B)who hear the word of God and do it.”