24“When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but not finding any. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 25When it returns, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
27As he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28But he replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
29As the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. 31The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon—and now, something greater than Solomon is here! 32The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them—and now, something greater than Jonah is here!
33“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. 34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, your body is full of darkness. 35Therefore see to it that the light in you is not darkness. 36If then your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
37As he spoke, a Pharisee invited Jesus to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. 38The Pharisee was astonished when he saw that Jesus did not first wash his hands before the meal. 39But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well? 41But give from your heart to those in need, and then everything will be clean for you.
42“But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and every herb, yet you neglect justice and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others. 43Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces! 44Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it!”
45One of the experts in religious law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too.” 46But Jesus replied, “Woe to you experts in religious law as well! You load people down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch the burdens with even one of your fingers! 47Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48So you testify that you approve of the deeds of your ancestors because they killed the prophets and you build their tombs! 49For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50so that this generation may be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in.”
53When he went out from there, the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly and to ask him hostile questions about many things, 54plotting against him to catch him in something he might say.