Matthew 12:22-37
Jesus and Beelzebub
Then one possessed by
a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the
blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the multitudes were amazed,
and said, "Can this be the son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it,
they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul,
the prince of the demons."
Knowing their
thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided
against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is
divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out
demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be
your judges. But if I by
the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon
you. Or how can one
enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he
first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
"He who is not with me is
against me, and he who doesn't gather with me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin
and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit
will not be forgiven men. 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, neither in this age, nor in that
which is to come.
"Either make the tree good,
and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for
the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can
you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaks. The
good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man
out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. I tell you that every idle word
that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
For by your words you
will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."