Luke 11:14–26

¹⁴One day Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. And when the demon was gone, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed, ¹⁵but some of them said, “It is by Beelzebul,^e the prince of the demons, that He drives out demons.” ¹⁶And others tested Him by demanding a sign from heaven.

¹⁷Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and a house divided against a house will fall. ¹⁸If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁰But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²¹When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure. ²²But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and then he divides up his plunder.

²³He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

²⁴When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵On its return, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first.”