The People Ask for a Miracle^(A)

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and ·teachers of the law [scribes] answered Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want to see ·you work a miracle as a sign [^La sign from you].”

³⁹ Jesus answered, “Evil and sinful people [^LAn evil and adulterous/unfaithful generation] are the ones who ·want to see [seek after; ask for; demand] ·a miracle for a sign [^La sign]. But no sign will be given to them, except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ [^LFor just as] Jonah was in the stomach of the ·big fish [sea monster; sea creature] for three days and three nights [Jon. 1:17]. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the ·grave [^Lheart of the earth] three days and three nights. ⁴¹ On the judgment day the ·people [or men] from Nineveh will stand up with ·you people who live now [this generation], and they will ·show that you are guilty [condemn you]. [^LBecause] When Jonah preached to them, they ·were sorry and changed their lives [repented]. And ·I tell you that [^Llook; ^Tbehold] ·someone [or something; ^Ceither Jesus or the Kingdom of God] greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² On the judgment day, the Queen of the South will ·stand [rise] up with ·you people who live today [this generation]. She will ·show that you are guilty [condemn you], because she came from ·far away [the ends of the earth] to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching [1 Kin. 10:1–13]. And ·I tell you that [^Llook; ^Tbehold] ·someone [or something] greater than Solomon is here.

The Leaders Ask for a Miracle^(A)

¹¹ The Pharisees came to Jesus and began to ·ask him questions [argue/dispute with him]. ·Hoping to trap [Trying to test] him, they asked Jesus for a ·miracle [sign] from ·God [^Lheaven; ^Cpossibly a sign in the sky, but more likely a Jewish way of saying “from God”]. ¹² Jesus ·sighed [groaned] deeply and said, “Why ·do you people [^Ldoes this generation] ask for a miracle as a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to ·you [this generation].”

¹⁶ Other people, wanting to test Jesus, asked him to give them a sign from heaven.

The Empty Person^(A)

²⁴ “When an ·evil [defiling; ^Lunclean; 4:33] spirit comes out of a person, it ·travels [wanders] through ·dry [waterless; arid] places, looking for a place to rest. But when it finds no place, it says, ‘I will go back to the house [^Cmeaning the person] I left.’ ²⁵ And when it comes back, it finds that house swept clean and ·made neat [in order; fixed up]. ²⁶ Then ·the evil spirit [^Lit] goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So ·the person has even more trouble than before [^Lthe last state of that person is worse than the first].”

People Who Are Truly Blessed

²⁷ As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, “Blessed is the ·mother who gave birth to you [^Lthe womb that bore you] and [^Lthe breasts that] nursed you.”

²⁸ But Jesus said, “·No [^LRather; On the contrary], blessed are those who hear the ·teaching [word] of God and ·obey [practice; keep] it.”

The People Want a Miracle^(B)

²⁹ As the crowd grew larger, Jesus ·said [began to say], “·The people who live today are evil [^LThis generation is an evil/wicked generation]. They ·want to see [seek] a ·miracle for a sign [^Lsign], but no sign will be given them, except the sign of Jonah [Matt. 12:39–40]. ³⁰ As Jonah was a sign for those people who lived in Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign for ·the people of this time [this generation]. ³¹ ·On the judgment day [At the judgment] the Queen of the South [^Cthe Queen of Sheba] will stand up with the people ·who live now [of this generation]. She will ·show they are guilty [condemn them], because she came from ·far away [^Lthe ends of the earth] to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching [1 Kin. 10:1–13]. And ·I tell you that [^Llook; ^Tbehold] ·someone [or something; ^Ceither Jesus or his message of the Kingdom of God] greater than Solomon is here. ³² ·On the judgment day [At the judgment] the ·people [or men; ^Cthe Greek term usually refers to males] of Nineveh will stand up with ·the people who live now [this generation], and they will ·show that you are guilty [condemn it]. [^LBecause] When Jonah preached to them, they ·were sorry and changed their lives [repented]. And I tell you that ·someone [or something; v. 31] greater than Jonah is here.