1 He entered the Synagogue again. There was a man there whose hand was withered.

2 They watched to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath day. Then they might have something against him.

3 He said to the man: »Get up and come forward.«

4 Then he asked the Pharisees, »Is it right to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil? Is it right to give life or to put to death?« But they said nothing.

5 He looked at them and was angry. He was also sad on account of their hard hearts. He said to the man: »Stretch out your hand.« He stretched it out and his hand was healed.

6 The Pharisees went away and immediately conspired with the Herodians. They tried to decide how they might destroy him.

7 Jesus went with his disciples to the sea. A great crowed from Galilee followed. They were also from Judaea,

8 Jerusalem, Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and from Tyre and Sidon. These people heard the great things he did and came to him.

9 He asked his disciples to have a small boat ready because the crowd might press too close to him.

10 He healed many. Others with afflictions pressed close to him that they might touch him.

11 The unclean spirits fell down before him and cried: You are the Son of God.

12 He commanded them not to make him known.

13 He went up on the mountain and invited anyone who wanted to go with him.

14 He appointed twelve to be with him and he sent them out to preach.

15 He gave them authority to cast out demons.

16 The twelve included Simon whom he surnamed Peter,

17 James the son of Zebedee, John the brother of James surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder:

18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean.

19 Also present was Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he went into a house.

20 The crowd gathered so close that they did not have time for bread.

21 When his own people heard of this they went to apprehend him. They said: »He has lost his senses.«

22 Scribes that came down from Jerusalem said: »He has Beelzebub. He casts out demons by the prince of the demons.«

23 Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in illustrations. He asked: »How could Satan cast out Satan?

24 »When a kingdom is divided against itself that kingdom cannot stand.

25 »When a house is divided against itself it will not be able to stand.

26 »If Satan has risen up against himself, he is divided, cannot stand and will come to an end.

27 »No one can enter into the house of the strong man and steal his property unless he first captures the strong man. Then he will steal his property.

28 »I tell you sins will be forgiven of the sons of men, and their evil talk will be forgiven.

29 »But whoever speaks evil and defames Holy Spirit will not be forgiven but is guilty of an eternal sin.«

30 They exclaimed: »He has an unclean spirit!«

31 His mother and his brother were standing nearby. They sent for him.

32 A crowd was sitting around him. They said to him: »Look your mother and you brother are outside looking for you.«

33 He answered them: »Who is my mother and who is my brother?«

34 Looking at the people who sat around him he said: »Behold, my mother and my brother!

35 »For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.«