²² The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by ^[a]Beelzebul (Satan),” and “He is driving out the demons by the [power of the] ruler of the demons.”^{(A) 23} So He called them to Himself and spoke to them in ^[b]parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided [split into factions and rebelling] against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. ²⁷ But no one can go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man, and then he will ransack and rob his house.^(B)

²⁸ “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and all the abusive and blasphemous things they say; ²⁹ but whoever ^[c]blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and His power [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin [a sin which is unforgivable in this present age as well as in the age to come]”—^{(C) 30} [Jesus said this] because the scribes and Pharisees were [attributing His miracles to Satan by] saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”