²⁰ And He *came ^[a](A)home, and the ^(B)crowd *gathered again, ^(C)so that they could not even eat ^[b]a meal. ²¹ And when ^(D)His own ^[c]people heard this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “^(E)He has lost His senses.” ²² And the scribes who came down ^(F)from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by ^[d](G)Beelzebul,” and “^(H)He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” ^23 (I)And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in ^(J)parables, “How can ^(K)Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴ And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ And if ^(L)Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but ^[e]he is finished! ^27 (M)But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

²⁸ “^(N)Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹ but ^(O)whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”