24 At hearing this, the Pharisees said: “This fellow does not expel the demons except by means of Be·elʹze·bub,* the ruler of the demons.”+ 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself comes to ruin, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 In the same way, if Satan expels Satan, he has become divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? 27 Moreover, if I expel the demons by means of Be·elʹze·bub, by whom do your sons expel them? This is why they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons, the Kingdom of God has really overtaken you.+ 29 Or how can anyone invade the house of a strong man and seize his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Only then can he plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not on my side is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.+

22 Also, the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying: “He has Be·elʹze·bub,* and he expels the demons by means of the ruler of the demons.”+ 23 So after calling them to him, he spoke to them with illustrations: “How can Satan expel Satan? 24 If a kingdom becomes divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand;+ 25 and if a house becomes divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 Also, if Satan has risen up against himself and has become divided, he cannot stand but is coming to an end. 27 In fact, no one who enters the house of a strong man is able to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Only then can he plunder his house.