Healing on the Sabbath

1. And he entered again into the synagogue, and a man was there, having a withered hand.
2. And they were watching him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they might accuse him.
3. And he says to the man having the withered hand, “Stand up in the middle.”
4. And he says to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” And they were silent.
5. And looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their heart, he says to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6. And the Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

A Great Multitude Follows Jesus

7. And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him.
8. And from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon, great multitudes, when they heard what he was doing, came to him.
9. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him.
10. For he healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed upon him to touch him.
11. And unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

12. And he strictly charged them not to make him known.

Choosing the Twelve Apostles

13. And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
14. And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them to preach,
15. and to have authority to heal diseases, and to cast out demons.
16. And he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),
17. and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”),
18. and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
19. and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Jesus Accused by His Family and Teachers of the Law

20. And he came home, and again the crowd gathered so that they could not even eat bread.
21. And when his relatives heard, they went out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
22. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He has Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out demons.”
23. And he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?
24. And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished.
27. But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

The Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

28. Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may speak,
29. but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin,
30. because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ True Family

31. And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.
32. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.”
33. And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
34. And looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold my mother and my brothers!
35. For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”