Luke 11:14-28
Pharisees’ Blasphemy
14 And [at another time] Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was [controlling a man so as to make him] mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds were awed.(A)
15 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by [the power of] (a)Beelzebul (Satan), the ruler of the demons.”
16 Others, trying to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.
17 But He, well aware of their thoughts and purpose, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is doomed to destruction; and a house divided against itself falls.
18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand and continue to survive? For you are saying that I drive out demons by [the power of] Beelzebul.
19 Now if I drive out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons [the Jewish exorcists] drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.
20 But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then (b)the kingdom of God has already come upon you.
21 When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his belongings are undisturbed and secure.
22 But when someone stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he robs him of all his armor on which he had relied and divides his [goods as] spoil.
23 He who is not with Me [believing in Me as Lord and Savior] is against Me [there is no impartial position]; and he who does not gather with Me [assisting in My ministry], scatters.
24 “When the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places in search [of a place] of rest; and not finding any, it says, ‘I will go back to my house (person) from which I came.’
25 And when it comes, it finds the place swept and put in order.
26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in [the person] and live there; and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first.”
27 Now while Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed (happy, favored by God) is the womb that gave birth to You and the breasts at which You nursed!”
28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it.”
Footnotes:
a.
Luke 11:15: I.e. a deity worshiped in the Philistine city of Ekron: Baal Zebul, lord of the high places or Baal Zebub, lord of the flies.
b.
Luke 11:20: I.e. in the person and ministry of Jesus.