29. How else can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house.
30. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31. For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
33. “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.
34. Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.
35. The good person brings good things out of his good treasury, and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury.
36. I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak.
37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
38. Then some of the experts in the law along with some Pharisees answered him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39. But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
41. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them – and now, something greater than Jonah is here!
42. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, something greater than Solomon is here!