Part 4

003:007 Accordingly Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the Lake, and a vast crowd of people from Galilee followed Him;

003:008 and from Judaea and Jerusalem and Idumaea and from beyond the Jordan and from the district of Tyre and Sidon there came to Him a vast crowd, hearing of all that He was doing.

003:009 So He gave directions to His disciples to keep a small boat in constant attendance on Him because of the throng-- to prevent their crushing Him.

003:010 For He had cured many of the people, so that all who had any ailments pressed upon Him, to touch Him.

003:011 And the foul spirits, whenever they saw Him, threw themselves down at His feet, screaming out: "You are the Son of God."

003:012 But He many a time checked them, forbidding them to say who He was.

003:013 Then He went up the hill; and those whom He Himself chose He called, and they came to Him.

003:014 He appointed twelve of them, that they might be with Him, and that He might also send them to proclaim His Message,

003:015 with authority to expel the demons.

003:016 These twelve were Simon (to whom He gave the surname of Peter),

003:017 James the son of Zabdi and John the brother of James (these two He surnamed Boanerges, that is 'Sons of Thunder'),

003:018 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean,

003:019 and Judas Iscariot, the man who also betrayed Him.

003:020 And He went into a house. But again the crowd assembled, so that there was no opportunity for them even to snatch a meal.

003:021 Hearing of this, His relatives came to seize Him by force, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

003:022 The Scribes, too, who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zebul in him; and it is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he expels the demons."

003:023 So He called them to Him, and using figurative language He appealed to them, saying, "How is it possible for Satan to expel Satan?

003:024 For if civil war breaks out in a kingdom, nothing can make that kingdom last;

003:025 and if a family splits into parties, that family cannot continue.

003:026 So if Satan has risen in arms and has made war upon himself, stand he cannot, but meets his end.

003:027 Nay, no one can go into a strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

003:028 In solemn truth I tell you that all their sins may be pardoned to the sons of men, and all their blasphemies, however they may have blasphemed;

003:029 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, he remains for ever unabsolved: he is guilty of a sin of the Ages."

003:030 This was because they said, "He is possessed by a foul spirit."

003:031 By this time His mother and His brothers arrive, and standing outside they send a message to Him to call Him.

003:032 Now a crowd was sitting round Him; so they tell Him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, inquiring for you."

003:033 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" He replied.

003:034 And, fixing His eyes on the people who were sitting round Him in a circle, He said,