New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand.

1Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.

2Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

2And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

3Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.”

3And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”

4Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

4And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

5He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

5And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

6At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus. Crowds Follow Jesus

6The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

7Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea,

7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea

8Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

8and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.

9Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him.

9And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,

10He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him.

10for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.

11And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!”

11And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

12But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

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

13Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.

13And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.

14Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach,

14And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach

15giving them authority to cast out demons.

15and have authority to cast out demons.

16These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter),

16He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);

17James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder” ),

17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);

18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot ),

18Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,

19Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). Jesus and the Prince of Demons

19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

20One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat.

20Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.

21When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

21And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

22But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”

23Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked.

23And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.

24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

26 And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.

26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven,

28“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.”

29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

30He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.” The True Family of Jesus

30for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them.

31And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.

32There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”

32And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.”

33Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

33And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

34Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.

34And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

35For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.