²⁵ But Jesus ^(A)knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. ²⁸ But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, ^(B)surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ^29 (C)Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. ³⁰ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The Unpardonable Sin^(D)

³¹ “Therefore I say to you, ^(E)every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, ^(F)but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. ³² Anyone who ^(G)speaks a word against the Son of Man, ^(H)it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit^(I)

³³ “Either make the tree good and ^(J)its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. ^34 (K)Brood^[a] of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? ^(L)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure ^[b]of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign^(M)

^38 (N)Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

³⁹ But He answered and said to them, “An evil and ^(O)adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ^40 (P)For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ^41 (Q)The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and ^(R)condemn it, ^(S)because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. ^42 (T)The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit Returns^(U)

^43 (V)“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, ^(W)he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. ⁴⁴ Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; ^(X)and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”