Matthew 12:38-50

Good News Translation

The Demand for a Miracle^(A)

^38 (B)Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up. “Teacher,” they said, “we want to see you perform a miracle.”

^39 (C)“How evil and godless are the people of this day!” Jesus exclaimed. “You ask me for a miracle? No! The only miracle you will be given is the miracle of the prophet Jonah. ^40 (D)In the same way that Jonah spent three days and nights in the big fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and nights in the depths of the earth. ^41 (E)On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand up and accuse you, because they turned from their sins when they heard Jonah preach; and I tell you that there is something here greater than Jonah! ^42 (F)On the Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will stand up and accuse you, because she traveled all the way from her country to listen to King Solomon's wise teaching; and I assure you that there is something here greater than Solomon!

The Return of the Evil Spirit^(G)

⁴³ “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, ⁴⁴ it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house.’ So it goes back and finds the house empty, clean, and all fixed up. ⁴⁵ Then it goes out and brings along seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in worse shape than at the beginning. This is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers^(H)

⁴⁶ Jesus was still talking to the people when his mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside, asking to speak with him. ⁴⁷ So one of the people there said to him, “Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak with you.”^[a]

⁴⁸ Jesus answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother, my sister, and my mother.”