A House Divided Cannot Stand

²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. ²³ And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, “Perhaps this one is the Son of David!” ²⁴ But the Pharisees, when they^[a] heard it,^[b] said, “This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!” ²⁵ But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?^[c] For this reason they will be your judges! ²⁸ But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! ²⁹ Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. ³⁰ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! ³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, 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 coming one!