Jesus is Accused of Working with Beelzebul^(A)

²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus^[a] healed him so that the man^[b] could speak and see. ²³ All the crowds were amazed and kept saying, “This man isn’t the Son of David, is he?”

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

²⁵ He knew what they were thinking and told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom stand? ²⁷ If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers^[c] drive them out? That is why they will be your judges! ²⁸ But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. ²⁹ How can someone go into a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then he can ransack his house. ³⁰ The person who isn’t with me is against me, and the person who isn’t gathering with me is scattering. ³¹ So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven,^[d] but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.”

Jesus is Accused of Working with Beelzebul^(A)

¹⁴ Jesus^[a] was driving a demon out of a man who was^[b] unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man^[c] began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” ¹⁶ Others, wanting to test Jesus,^[d] kept asking him for a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ Since he knew what they were thinking, he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is devastated, and a divided household collapses.^{[e] 18} Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers^[f] drive them out? That is why they will be your judges! ²⁰ But if I drive out demons by the power^[g] of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

²¹ “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe. ²² But when a stronger man than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man^[h] strips off that man’s armor in which he trusted and then divides his plunder.

²³ “The person who isn’t with me is against me, and the person who doesn’t gather with me scatters.”

¹⁰ Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven.