Matthew 12:44

Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ ¹  When it returns, ²  it finds the house ³  empty, swept clean, and put in order. ⁴ 

Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

"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.

Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and clean.

it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant.

Then he says, I will go back into my house from which I came out; and when he comes, he sees that there is no one in it, but that it has been made fair and clean.

Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

"Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ ¹  When it returns, ²  it finds the house ³  empty, swept clean, and put in order. ⁴ 

¹ tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”

² tn Grk “comes.”

³ tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.

⁴ sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.