21. “When a strong man, with all his weapons ready, guards his own house, all his belongings are safe.
22. But when a stronger man attacks him and defeats him, he carries away all the weapons the owner was depending on and divides up what he stole.
23. “Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering.
24. “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house.’
25. So it goes back and finds the house clean and tidy.
26. Then it goes out and brings seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in a worse state than he was at the beginning.”
27. When Jesus had said this, a woman spoke up from the crowd and said to him, “How happy is the woman who bore you and nursed you!”
28. But Jesus answered, “Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
29. As the people crowded round Jesus, he went on to say, “How evil are the people of this day! They ask for a miracle, but none will be given them except the miracle of Jonah.
30. In the same way that the prophet Jonah was a sign for the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this day.