Matthew 12:38-48

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, ¹we wish to see a sign from you."

39 But he answered them, ²"An evil and ³adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For ⁴just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, ⁵so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 ⁶The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ⁷condemn it, for ⁸they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ⁹something greater than Jonah is here.

42 ¹⁰The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, ¹¹something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

43 "When ¹²the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through ¹³waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.

44 Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and ¹⁴the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this ¹⁵evil generation."

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, ¹⁶his mother and his ¹⁷brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.^[a]

48 But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"