Knox Bible

1

And once more he went into a synagogue; and there was a man there who had one of his hands withered;

2

and they were watching him, to see whether he would do a work of healing on the sabbath, so that they might have a charge to bring against him.

3

So he said to the man who had his hand withered, Rise up, and come forward.

4

Then he said to them, Which is right, to do good on the sabbath day, or to do harm? To save life, or to make away with it? And they sat there in silence.

5

And he looked round on them in anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man, Stretch out thy hand. He stretched it out, and his hand was restored to him.

6

Then the Pharisees went out, and at once began plotting with those who were of Herod’s party to make away with him.✻

7

But Jesus withdrew, with his disciples, towards the sea; and great crowds followed him from Galilee, and from Judaea,

8

and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and those who lived about Tyre and Sidon, hearing of all that he did, came in great numbers to him.

9

So he told his disciples to keep a boat ready at need because of the multitude, for fear they should press on him too close;

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for he did many works of healing, so that all those who were visited with suffering thrust themselves upon him, to touch him.

11

The unclean spirits, too, whenever they saw him, used to fall at his feet and cry out,

12

Thou art the Son of God; and he would give them a strict charge not to make him known.

13

Then he went up on to the mountain-side, and called to him those whom it pleased him to call; so these came to him,

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and he appointed twelve to be his companions, and to go out preaching at his command,

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with power to cure diseases and to cast out devils.

16

To Simon he gave the fresh name of Peter;

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to James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, he gave the fresh name of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder.

18

The others were Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananean;✻

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and Judas Iscariot, the traitor.✻

20

And now they came into a house, and once more the multitude gathered so that they had no room even to sit and eat.

21

When word came to those who were nearest him, they went out to restrain him; they said, He must be mad.✻

22

And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, He is possessed by Beelzebub; it is through the prince of the devils that he casts the devils out.

23

So he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables; How can it be Satan who casts Satan out?

24

Why, if a kingdom is at war with itself, that kingdom cannot stand firm,

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and if a household is at war with itself, that household cannot stand firm;

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if Satan, then, has risen up in arms against Satan, he is at war with himself; he cannot stand firm; his end has come.

27

No one can enter into a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, without first making the strong man his prisoner; then he can plunder his house at will.

28

Believe me, there is pardon for all the other sins of mankind and the blasphemies they utter;

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but if a man blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, there is no pardon for him in all eternity; he is guilty of a sin which is eternal.✻

30

This was because they were saying, He has an unclean spirit.✻

31

Then his mother and his brethren came and sent a message to him, calling him to them, while they stood without.

32

There was a multitude sitting round him when they told him, Here are thy mother and thy brethren without, looking for thee.

33

And he answered them, Who is a mother, who are brethren, to me?

34

Then he looked about at those who were sitting around him, and said, Here are my mother and my brethren!

35

If anyone does the will of God, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.✻