Matthew 12:35-45

35 "1The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in 2the day of judgment.
37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

The Desire for Signs

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, 3we want to see a sign from You."
39 But He answered and said to them, "4An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40 for just as 5JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will 6the Son of Man be 7three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 "8The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because 9they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, 10something greater than Jonah is here.
42 "11The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, 12something greater than Solomon is here.
43 "13Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
44 "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came '; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
45 "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and 14the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."

Cross References 14

  • 1. Proverbs 10:20, 21; Proverbs 25:11, 12; Matthew 13:52; Colossians 4:6
  • 2. Matthew 10:15
  • 3. Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11, 12; Luke 11:16; John 2:18; John 6:30; 1 Corinthians 1:22
  • 4. Matthew 12:39-42: {Luke 11:29-32;} Matthew 16:4
  • 5. Jonah 1:17
  • 6. Matthew 8:20
  • 7. Matthew 16:21
  • 8. Jonah 1:2
  • 9. Jonah 3:5
  • 10. Matthew 12:6, 42
  • 11. 1 Kings 10:1; 2 Chronicles 9:1
  • 12. Matthew 12:6, 41
  • 13. Matthew 12:43-45: {Luke 11:24-26}
  • 14. Mark 5:9; Luke 11:26; Hebrews 6:4-8; 2 Peter 2:20

Footnotes 10

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