Mark 3
Open in the reader1Once again He-Who-Is-Saves entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there.
2In order to accuse He-Who-Is-Saves, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Rest.
3Then He-Who-Is-Saves said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.”
4And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Rest: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were silent.
5He-Who-Is-Saves looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored.
6At this, the Separated-Ones went out and began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill He-Who-Is-Saves.
7So He-Who-Is-Saves withdrew with His apprentices to the sea, accompanied by a large crowd from The-Circuit, Land-of-the-Praised,
8Foundation-of-Peace, Land-of-Red, the region beyond the Descender, and the vicinity of The-Rock and Sidon. The large crowd came to Him when they heard what great things He was doing.
9He-Who-Is-Saves asked His apprentices to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.
10For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.
11And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”
12But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.
13Then He-Who-Is-Saves went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him.
14He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,
15and to have authority to drive out demons.
16These are the twelve He appointed: Heard (whom He named Stone),
17Heel-Grabber son of He-Who-Is-Has-Given and his brother He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor (whom He named Sons-of-Thunder, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),
18Manly, Horse-Lover, Son-of-the-Plowman, Gift-of-He-Who-Is, Twin, Heel-Grabber son of Successor, Breast, Heard the Zealot,
19and Praised Man-of-Kerioth, who betrayed He-Who-Is-Saves.
20Then He-Who-Is-Saves went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.
21When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
22And the scribes who had come down from Foundation-of-Peace were saying, “He is possessed by Baal-of-the-Lofty-Dwelling,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”
23So He-Who-Is-Saves called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can The-Adversary drive out The-Adversary?
24If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.
25If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand.
26And if The-Adversary is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come.
27Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
28Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter.
29But whoever blasphemes against the Devoted Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.”
30He-Who-Is-Saves made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31Then He-Who-Is-Saves’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to summon Him,
32and a crowd was sitting around Him. “Look,” He was told, “Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for You.”
33But He-Who-Is-Saves replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
34Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”