11:14 Now 9 he was casting out a demon that was mute. 10 When 11 the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute began to speak, 12 and the crowds were amazed. 11:15 But some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, 13 the ruler 14 of demons, he casts out demons.” 11:16 Others, to test 15 him, 16 began asking for 17 a sign 18 from heaven. 11:17 But Jesus, 19 realizing their thoughts, said to them, 20 “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, 21 and a divided household falls. 22 11:18 So 23 if 24 Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because 25 you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 11:19 Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons 26 cast them 27 out? Therefore they will be your judges. 11:20 But if I cast out demons by the finger 28 of God, then the kingdom of God 29 has already overtaken 30 you. 11:21 When a strong man, 31 fully armed, guards his own palace, 32 his possessions are safe. 33 11:22 But 34 when a stronger man 35 attacks 36 and conquers him, he takes away the first man’s 37 armor on which the man relied 38 and divides up 39 his plunder. 40 11:23 Whoever is not with me is against me, 41 and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 42
11:24 “When an unclean spirit 43 goes out of a person, 44 it passes through waterless places 45 looking for rest but 46 not finding any. Then 47 it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 48 11:25 When it returns, 49 it finds the house 50 swept clean and put in order. 51 11:26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 52 the last state of that person 53 is worse than the first.” 54
11:27 As 55 he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out 56 to him, “Blessed is the womb 57 that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!” 58 11:28 But he replied, 59 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey 60 it!”
11:29 As 61 the crowds were increasing, Jesus 62 began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, 63 but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 64 11:30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, 65 so the Son of Man will be a sign 66 to this generation. 67 11:31 The queen of the South 68 will rise up at the judgment 69 with the people 70 of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, 71 something greater 72 than Solomon is here! 11:32 The people 73 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 74 – and now, 75 something greater than Jonah is here!
11:33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place 76 or under a basket, 77 but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. 11:34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, 78 your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, 79 your body is full of darkness. 11:35 Therefore see to it 80 that the light in you 81 is not darkness. 11:36 If 82 then 83 your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, 84 it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” 85
11:37 As he spoke, 86 a Pharisee 87 invited Jesus 88 to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. 89 11:38 The 90 Pharisee was astonished when he saw that Jesus 91 did not first wash his hands 92 before the meal. 11:39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean 93 the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 94 11:40 You fools! 95 Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well? 96 11:41 But give from your heart to those in need, 97 and 98 then everything will be clean for you. 99
11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! 100 You give a tenth 101 of your mint, 102 rue, 103 and every herb, yet you neglect justice 104 and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others. 105 11:43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats 106 in the synagogues 107 and elaborate greetings 108 in the marketplaces! 11:44 Woe to you! 109 You are like unmarked graves, and people 110 walk over them without realizing it!” 111
11:45 One of the experts in religious law 112 answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult 113 us too.” 11:46 But Jesus 114 replied, 115 “Woe to you experts in religious law as well! 116 You load people 117 down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch 118 the burdens with even one of your fingers! 11:47 Woe to you! You build 119 the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors 120 killed. 11:48 So you testify that you approve of 121 the deeds of your ancestors, 122 because they killed the prophets 123 and you build their 124 tombs! 125 11:49 For this reason also the wisdom 126 of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 11:50 so that this generation may be held accountable 127 for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning 128 of the world, 129 11:51 from the blood of Abel 130 to the blood of Zechariah, 131 who was killed 132 between the altar and the sanctuary. 133 Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against 134 this generation. 11:52 Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away 135 the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered 136 those who were going in.”
11:53 When he went out from there, the experts in the law 137 and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly, 138 and to ask him hostile questions 139 about many things, 11:54 plotting against 140 him, to catch 141 him in something he might say.