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and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.
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So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.
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For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.
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And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."
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But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.
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And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
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Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
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and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
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Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;
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James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder";
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Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;
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and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
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Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
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But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."
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And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."
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So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan?
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If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
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And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
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And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.
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No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
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"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter;
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but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"--
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because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."
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Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.
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And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."
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But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"
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And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!
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For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."