Part 14

012:015 Aware of this, Jesus departed elsewhere; and a great number of people followed Him, all of whom He cured.

012:016 But He gave them strict injunctions not to blaze abroad His doings,

012:017 that those words of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled,

012:018 "This is My servant whom I have chosen, My dearly loved One in whom My soul takes pleasure. I will put My spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the nations.

012:019 He will not wrangle or raise His voice, nor will His voice be heard in the broadways.

012:020 A crushed reed He will not utterly break, nor will He quench the still smouldering wick, until He has led on Justice to victory.

012:021 And on His name shall the nations rest their hopes."

012:022 At that time a demoniac was brought to Him, blind and dumb; and He cured him, so that the dumb man could speak and see.

012:023 And the crowds of people were all filled with amazement and said, "Can this be the Son of David?"

012:024 The Pharisees heard it and said, "This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons."

012:025 Knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Every kingdom in which civil war has raged suffers desolation; and every city or house in which there is internal strife will be brought low.

012:026 And if Satan is expelling Satan, he has begun to make war on himself: how therefore shall his kingdom last?

012:027 And if it is by Baal-zebul's power that I expel the demons, by whose power do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.

012:028 But if it is by the power of the Spirit of God that I expel the demons, it is evident that the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

012:029 Again, how can any one enter the house of a strong man and carry off his goods, unless first of all he masters and secures the strong man: then he will ransack his house.

012:030 "The man who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me is scattering abroad.

012:031 This is why I tell you that men may find forgiveness for every other sin and impious word, but that for impious speaking against the Holy Spirit they shall find no forgiveness.

012:032 And whoever shall speak against the Son of Man may obtain forgiveness; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, neither in this nor in the coming age shall he obtain forgiveness."

012:033 "Either grant the tree to be wholesome and its fruit wholesome, or the tree poisonous and its fruit poisonous; for the tree is known by its fruit.

012:034 O vipers' brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.

012:035 A good man from his good store produces good things, and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things.

012:036 But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be held accountable on the day of Judgement.

012:037 For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned."

012:038 Then He was accosted by some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees who said, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign given by you."

012:039 "Wicked and faithless generation!" He replied, "they clamour for a sign, but none shall be given to them except the sign of the Prophet Jonah.

012:040 For just as Jonah was three days in the sea-monster's belly, so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the earth.

012:041 There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and mark! there is One greater than Jonah here.

012:042 The Queen of the south will awake at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and mark! there is One greater than Solomon here.