Christ heals the withered hand. He chooses the twelve. He confutes the
blasphemy of the Pharisees.
3:1. And he entered again into the synagogue: and there was a man there
who had a withered hand.
3:2. And they watched him whether he would heal on the sabbath days,
that they might accuse him.
3:3. And he said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the
midst.
3:4. And he saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days,
or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace.
3:5. And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the
blindness of their hearts, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand.
And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him.
3:6. And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with
the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
3:7. But Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea; and a great
multitude followed him from Galilee and Judea,
3:8. And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and from beyond the Jordan.
And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things
which he did, came to him.
3:9. And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on
him, because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
3:10. For he healed many, so that they pressed upon him for to touch
him, as many as had evils.
3:11. And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him:
and they cried, saying:
3:12. Thou art the Son of God. And he strictly charged them that they
should not make him known.
3:13. And going up into a mountain, he called unto him whom he would
himself: and they came to him.
3:14. And he made that twelve should be with him, and that he might
send them to preach.
3:15. And he gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out
devils.
3:16. And to Simon he gave the name Peter:
3:17. And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and
he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.
3:18. And Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas
and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus and Simon the Cananean:
3:19. And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
3:20. And they come to a house, and the multitude cometh together
again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
3:21. And when his friends had heard of it, they went out to lay hold
on him. For they said: He is become mad.
3:22. And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem, said: He hath
Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils.
3:23. And after he had called them together, he said to them in
parables: How can Satan cast out Satan?
3:24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot
stand.
3:25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot
stand.
3:26. And if Satan be risen up against himself, he is divided, and
cannot stand, but hath an end.
3:27. No man can enter into the house of a strong man and rob him of
his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then shall he
plunder his house.
3:28. Amen I say to you that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons
of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme:
3:29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, shall never
have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin.
3:30. Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit.
3:31. And his mother and his brethren came; and standing without, sent
unto him, calling him.
3:32. And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy
mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
3:33. And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren?
3:34. And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith:
Behold my mother and my brethren.
3:35. For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my
sister, and mother.