1 Jesus a entered the synagogue b again, and a man was there who had a shriveled c hand. 2 In order to accuse d him, they were watching him closely e to see whether he would heal f him on the Sabbath. g 3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful h to do good i on the Sabbath or to do evil, j to save life k or to kill? ” l But they were silent. m 5 After looking around at them with anger, n he was grieved at the hardness o of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. p 6 Immediately the Pharisees q went out and started plotting r with the Herodians s against him, how they might kill t him.
Ministering to the Multitude
7 Jesus u departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, v and a large crowd followed from Judea, w 8 Jerusalem, x Idumea, beyond the Jordan, y and around Tyre z and Sidon. a The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. 9 Then he told his disciples to have a small boat b ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. 10 Since he had healed c many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch d him. 11 Whenever the unclean e spirits f saw him, they fell down g before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God! ” h 12 And he would strongly warn i them not to make him known. j
The Twelve Apostles
13 Jesus k went up the mountain l and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, X,m to be with him, to send them out to preach, n 15 and to have authority to Y drive out demons. 16 He appointed the Twelve: Z,o To Simon, p he gave the name Peter; q 17 and to James r the son of Zebedee, s and to his brother John, t he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder” u ); 18 Andrew; v Philip w and Bartholomew; Matthew x and Thomas; y James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, z who also betrayed him.
A House Divided
20 Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. A 21 When his family a heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.” b
22 The scribes c who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” d and, “He drives out e demons f by the ruler g of the demons.” h
23 So he summoned i them and spoke to them in parables: j “How can Satan k drive out Satan? l 24 If a kingdom m is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up n the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies o they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes p against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, q but is guilty r of an eternal sin” B,s— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” t
True Relationships
31 His u mother v and his brothers w came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, x and your sisters C are outside asking for you.”
33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers? ” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! y 35 Whoever does the will of God z is my brother and sister and mother.”