Matthew 12:22-45

English Standard Version

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

²²^(A)Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. ²³^(B)And all the people were amazed, and said, ^(C)“Can this be the Son of David?” ²⁴But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ^(D)“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” ²⁵^(E)Knowing their thoughts, ^(F)he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, ^(G)by whom do ^(H)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁸But if it is ^(I)by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then ^(J)the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹Or ^(K)how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed ^(L)he may plunder his house. ³⁰^(M)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹^(N)Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but ^(O)the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³²And whoever speaks a word ^(P)against the Son of Man ^(Q)will be forgiven, but ^(R)whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in ^(S)this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

³³^(T)“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, ^(U)for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴^(V)You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, ^(W)when you are evil? ^(X)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵^(Y)The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶I tell you, ^(Z)on the day of judgment ^(AA)people will give account for ^(AB)every careless word they speak, ³⁷for ^(AC)by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, ^(AD)we wish to see a sign from you.” ³⁹But he answered them, ^(AE)“An evil and ^(AF)adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For ^(AG)just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, ^(AH)so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹^(AI)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ^(AJ)condemn it, for ^(AK)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ^(AL)something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴²^(AM)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, ^(AN)something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

⁴³“When ^(AO)the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through ^(AP)waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and ^(AQ)the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this ^(AR)evil generation.”