1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shrivelled hand was there.2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.3Jesus said to the man with the shrivelled hand, ‘Stand up in front of everyone.’4Then Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent.5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Crowds follow Jesus
7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.8When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.9Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.10For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.11Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’12But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.
Jesus appoints the Twelve
13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.14He appointed twelve[1] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach15and to have authority to drive out demons.16These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means ‘sons of thunder’),18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus accused by his family and by teachers of the law
20Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.21When his family[2] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’22And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.’23So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: ‘How can Satan drive out Satan?24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.27In fact, no-one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.28Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter,29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.’30He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit.’31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.32A crowd was sitting round him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’33‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked.34Then he looked at those seated in a circle round him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’
Mark 3
English Standard Version
A Man with a Withered Hand
1Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. (Mt 12:9; Mr 1:29; Lu 6:6)2And they watched Jesus,[1] to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. (Lu 11:54; Lu 14:1; Lu 20:20; Joh 8:6)3And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”4And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. (Lu 14:3)5And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. (1Ki 13:4; Mr 3:34; Mr 5:32; Mr 6:52; Mr 10:21; Mr 10:23; Ro 11:25; Eph 4:18)6The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. (Mt 12:14; Mt 22:16; Mr 8:15; Mr 12:13)
A Great Crowd Follows Jesus
7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea (Mt 4:25; Mt 12:15; Lu 6:17)8and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. (Isa 34:5; Eze 35:15; Mt 11:21)9And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, (Mr 5:24; Mr 5:31; Mr 6:32; Mr 6:45; Mr 8:10)10for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. (Mt 4:23; Mt 9:20; Mt 14:36; Mr 5:29; Mr 5:34; Mr 6:56; Lu 6:19)11And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” (Mt 14:33; Mr 1:26; Mr 1:34; Lu 4:41; Lu 8:28)12And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. (Mt 12:16)
The Twelve Apostles
13And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. (Mt 10:1; Mr 6:7; Lu 6:12; Lu 9:1; Joh 13:18; Joh 15:16; Joh 15:19)14And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach (Mr 3:13)15and have authority to cast out demons. (Mr 3:13)16He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); (Mt 10:2; Mt 16:18; Lu 6:14; Joh 1:42; Ac 1:13)17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); (Mt 4:21)18Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,[2] (Mt 9:9)19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.20Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. (Mr 6:31; Mr 7:17; Mr 9:28)21And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” (Mr 3:31; Joh 7:5; Joh 10:20; Ac 26:24; 2Co 5:13)
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” (Mt 9:34; Mt 10:25; Mt 12:24; Mt 15:1; Mr 7:1; Lu 11:15; Joh 7:20)23And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? (Mt 12:25; Lu 11:17)24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. (Isa 49:24; Isa 53:12)28“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, (Mt 12:31; Lu 12:10; Heb 6:4; Heb 10:26; 1Jo 5:16)29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— (Ac 7:51; Heb 10:29)30for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
31And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. (Mt 12:46; Mt 13:55; Mr 6:3; Lu 8:19; Joh 2:12; Joh 7:3; Joh 7:5; Joh 7:10; Ac 1:14; 1Co 9:5; Ga 1:19)32And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers[3] are outside, seeking you.”33And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”34And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! (Mr 3:5)35For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mt 7:21; Lu 11:28; Joh 15:14; Heb 2:11)