Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁴ And he was a casting out a devil that was dumb. And it followed, when the devil was gone out, the dumb man spoke. And the people were filled with wonder. ¹⁵ But some of them said, He casts out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. ¹⁶ And others challenged him, seeking from him a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, Every kingdom divided within itself will be brought to desolation, and one house will fall upon another. ¹⁸ So if Satan is divided within himself, how shall his kingdom endure? For you say that I cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub. ¹⁹ If I cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, without question the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²¹ When a strong man armed guards his house, that which he possesses is in peace. ²² But when one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him his weapons in which he trusted, and divides up his goods. ²³ He who is not with me, is against me. And he who does not gather with me, scatters.

²⁴ When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through waterless places, seeking rest. And when he finds none, he says, I will return again to my house from which I came out. ²⁵ And when he comes back, he finds it swept and set in order. ²⁶ Then he goes and gets seven other spirits worse than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the end of that man is worse than the beginning.

²⁷ And it happened, as he spoke those things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to him, Happy is the womb that bore you, and the paps that gave you suck. ²⁸ But he said, Yea, happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it.