27. If I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? Your followers are the ones who will judge you.
28. But when I force out demons by the power of God's Spirit, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you.
29. How can anyone break into a strong man's house and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything.
30. If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the harvest with me, you scatter it.
31-32. I tell you that any sinful thing you do or say can be forgiven. Even if you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven, either in this life or in the life to come.
33. A good tree produces only good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces.
34. You are evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts.
35. Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts.
36. I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken.
37. On that day they will be told that they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.
38. Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a sign from heaven.”
39. But Jesus replied:You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40. He was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights, just as the Son of Man will be deep in the earth for three days and nights.