The Man with the Paralyzed Hand

Now(A) He entered the synagogue(B) again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed(C) hand. In order to accuse(D) Him, they were watching Him closely(E) to see whether He would heal(F) him on the Sabbath.(G) He told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand before us.”[a] Then He said to them, “Is it lawful(H) on the Sabbath to do what is good(I) or to do what is evil,(J) to save life(K) or to kill?”(L) But they were silent.(M) After looking around at them with anger(N) and sorrow at the hardness(O) of their hearts, He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.(P) Immediately the Pharisees(Q) went out and started plotting(R) with the Herodians(S) against Him, how they might destroy(T) Him.

Ministering to the Multitude

Jesus(U) departed with His disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,(V) Judea,(W) Jerusalem,(X) Idumea, beyond the Jordan,(Y) and around Tyre(Z) and Sidon.(AA) The large crowd came to Him because they heard about everything He was doing. Then He told His disciples to have a small boat(AB) ready for Him, so the crowd would not crush Him. 10 Since He had healed(AC) many, all who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch(AD) Him. 11 Whenever the unclean(AE) spirits(AF) saw Him, those possessed fell down(AG) before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”(AH) 12 And He would strongly warn(AI) them not to make Him known.(AJ)

The 12 Apostles

13 Then(AK) He went up the mountain(AL) and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14 He also appointed 12—He also named them apostles[b](AM)—to be with Him, to send them out to preach,(AN) 15 and to have authority to[c] drive out demons.

16 He appointed the Twelve:[d](AO)

To Simon,(AP) He gave the name Peter;(AQ)
17 and to James(AR) the son of Zebedee,(AS)
and to his brother John,(AT)
He gave the name “Boanerges”
(that is, “Sons of Thunder”(AU));
18 Andrew;(AV)
Philip(AW) and Bartholomew;
Matthew(AX) and Thomas;(AY)
James the son of Alphaeus,
and Thaddaeus;
Simon the Zealot,[e]
19 and Judas Iscariot,[f](AZ)
who also betrayed Him.

A House Divided

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

22 The scribes(BC) who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul(BD) in Him!” and, “He drives out(BE) demons(BF) by the ruler(BG) of the demons!”(BH)

23 So He summoned(BI) them and spoke to them in parables:(BJ) “How can Satan(BK) drive out Satan?(BL) 24 If a kingdom(BM) 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![h]

27 “On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up(BN) the strong man. Then he will rob his house. 28 I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins[i] and whatever blasphemies(BO) they may blaspheme. 29 But whoever blasphemes(BP) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,(BQ) but is guilty(BR) of an eternal sin”[j](BS) 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”(BT)

True Relationships

31 Then(BU) His mother(BV) and His brothers(BW) 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,(BX) and Your sisters[k] 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!(BY) 35 Whoever does the will of God(BZ) is My brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 3:3 Lit Rise up in the middle
  2. Mark 3:14 Other mss omit He also named them apostles
  3. Mark 3:15 Other mss add heal diseases, and to
  4. Mark 3:16 Other mss omit He appointed the Twelve
  5. Mark 3:18 Lit the Cananaean
  6. Mark 3:19 Iscariot is probably “a man of Kerioth,” a town in Judea.
  7. Mark 3:20 Or eat a meal; lit eat bread
  8. Mark 3:26 Lit but he has an end
  9. Mark 3:28 Lit All things will be forgiven the sons of men
  10. Mark 3:29 Other mss read is subject to eternal judgment
  11. Mark 3:32 Other mss omit and Your sisters

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

Crowds Follow Jesus

Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil[a] spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles.[b] They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve he chose:

Simon (whom he named Peter),
17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”[c]),
18 Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
Simon (the zealot[d]),
19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

Jesus and the Prince of Demons

20 One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan,[e] the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

23 Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. 24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. 25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” 30 He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”

The True Family of Jesus

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers[f] are outside asking for you.”

33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes

  1. 3:11 Greek unclean; also in 3:30.
  2. 3:14 Some manuscripts do not include and called them his apostles.
  3. 3:17 Greek whom he named Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder.
  4. 3:18 Greek the Cananean, an Aramaic term for Jewish nationalists.
  5. 3:22 Greek Beelzeboul; other manuscripts read Beezeboul; Latin version reads Beelzebub.
  6. 3:32 Some manuscripts add and sisters.