Mark 3
New Testament for Everyone
Healing of the man with the withered hand
3 Once more Jesus went to the synagogue. There was a man there with a withered hand. 2 People were watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the sabbath, so that they could frame a charge against him.
3 “Stand up,” said Jesus to the man with the withered hand, “and come out here.” And he said to them, 4 “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath, or to do evil? To save life or to kill?” They stayed quiet.
5 He was deeply upset at their hard-heartedness, and looked round at them angrily. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out—and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out right away and began to plot with the Herodians against Jesus, trying to find a way to destroy him.
The Twelve are appointed
7 Jesus went off towards the sea with his disciples, and a large crowd from Galilee followed him. A great company, too, from Judaea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumaea, Transjordan, and the region of Tyre and Sidon, heard what he was doing and came to him.
9 There was a real danger that he might be crushed by the crowd, so he told his disciples to get a boat ready for him. 10 He healed large numbers, and sick people were pushing towards him to touch him. 11 Whenever unclean spirits saw him, they fell down in front of him and yelled out, “You are the son of God!” 12 He gave them strict orders not to reveal his identity.
13 Jesus went up the mountain, and summoned the people he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve (naming them “apostles”) to be with him and to be sent out as heralds, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 In appointing the Twelve, he named Simon “Peter”; 17 James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John, he named “Boanerges,” which means “sons of thunder.” The others were 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot (the one who handed him over).
Jesus and Beelzebul
20 He went into the house. A crowd gathered again, so that they couldn’t even have a meal. 21 When his family heard it, they came to restrain him. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
22 Experts who had come from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! He casts out demons by the prince of demons!”
23 Jesus summoned them and spoke to them in pictures. “How can the Accuser cast out the Accuser? 24 If a kingdom splits into two factions, it can’t last; 25 if a household splits into two factions, it can’t last. 26 So if the Accuser revolts against himself and splits into two, he can’t last—his time is up! 27 But remember: no one can get into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless first they tie up the strong man; then they can plunder his house.
28 “I’m telling you the truth: people will be forgiven all sins, and all blasphemies of whatever sort. 29 But people who blaspheme the holy spirit will never find forgiveness. They will be guilty of an eternal sin.” 30 That was his response to their claim that he had an unclean spirit.
Jesus’ family
31 Jesus’ mother and brothers appeared. They waited outside the house, and sent in a message, asking for him.
32 “Look!” said the crowd sitting around Jesus. “Your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside! They’re searching for you!”
33 “Who is my mother?” replied Jesus. “Who are my brothers?”
34 He looked around him at the people sitting there in a ring. “Here is my mother!” he said. “Here are my brothers! 35 Anybody who does God’s will is my brother! And my sister! And my mother!”
Mark 3
Christian Standard Bible
3 Jesus(A) entered the synagogue(B) again, and a man was there who had a shriveled(C) hand. 2 In order to accuse(D) him, they were watching him closely(E) to see whether he would heal(F) him on the Sabbath.(G) 3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful(H) to do good(I) on the Sabbath or to do evil,(J) to save life(K) or to kill?”(L) But they were silent.(M) 5 After looking around at them with anger,(N) he was grieved at the hardness(O) of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.(P) 6 Immediately the Pharisees(Q) went out and started plotting(R) with the Herodians(S) against him, how they might kill(T) him.
Ministering to the Multitude
7 Jesus(U) departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,(V) and a large crowd followed from Judea,(W) 8 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. 9 Then he told his disciples to have a small boat(AB) ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t 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, they 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 Twelve Apostles
13 Jesus(AK) went up the mountain(AL) and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,[a](AM) to be with him, to send them out to preach,(AN) 15 and to have authority to[b] drive out demons. 16 He appointed the Twelve:[c](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, 19 and Judas Iscariot,(AZ) who also betrayed him.
A House Divided
20 Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.[d] 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 is possessed by Beelzebul,”(BD) 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 opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up(BN) the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies(BO) they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes(BP) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,(BQ) but is guilty(BR) of an eternal sin”[e](BS)— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”(BT)
True Relationships
31 His(BU) 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[f] are outside asking for you.”
33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those 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.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.