LukeChapter 11

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¹One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples asked him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." ²So Jesus told them, "When you pray, say this: 'Father, may your name be honored as holy. May your kingdom come.a ³Give us each day the bread we need for the day. ⁴Forgive us our sins, because we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.'" ⁵Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose one of you goes to a friend at midnight. You say, 'Friend, please lend me three loaves of bread. ⁶It's because a friend of mine has come to me on a trip, and I have nothing to give him to eat.' ⁷And suppose the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' ⁸I tell you, he won't get up and give him the bread just because he is his friend. But because the man keeps on asking, he will get up. He will give him as much as he needs. ⁹So I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. And the door will be opened to the one who knocks. ¹¹Which father among you would give his son a snake if he asked for a fish? ¹²Or if he asked for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? ¹³So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" ¹⁴One day Jesus was driving out a demon that kept a man from talking. When the demon was gone, the man who couldn't talk began to speak. The crowds were amazed. ¹⁵But some of them said, "He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." ¹⁶Others tested Jesus. They demanded that he show them a sign from heaven. ¹⁷Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, "Any kingdom that fights against itself will be ruined. And a family that fights against itself will fall. ¹⁸If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? I say this because you claim I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whose power do your followers drive them out? So they will be your judges.b ²⁰But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. ²¹When a strong man has all his weapons and guards his house, the things he owns are safe. ²²But suppose someone stronger attacks him and beats him. Then he takes away the armor the man trusted in. And he divides up what he took from him. ²³Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters. ²⁴When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through dry places looking for rest. But it doesn't find any. Then it says, 'I will go back to the house I left.'c ²⁵When it comes back, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. In the end, that man is worse off than he was at first." ²⁷As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out. She said, "Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you!"d ²⁸But Jesus answered, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it." ²⁹The crowds kept growing. Jesus said, "The people of today are evil. They ask for a sign. But no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh. In the same way, the Son of Man will be a sign to the people of today. ³¹The Queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with the people of today. She will show they are guilty. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom. And now someone greater than Solomon is here. ³²The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with the people of today. They will show they are guilty. For they repented when Jonah preached. And now someone greater than Jonah is here. ³³No one lights a lamp and then hides it in a cellar or under a basket. Instead, he puts it on a stand. Then those who come in can see the light. ³⁴Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body is full of light. But when your eyes are bad, your body is full of darkness. ³⁵So be careful that the light inside you is not darkness. ³⁶Your whole body may be full of light, with no part of it dark. Then you will shine brightly, as if a lamp were shining on you." ³⁷While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to eat with him. So Jesus went in and took his place at the table.e ³⁸But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not wash before the meal.f ³⁹Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish. But inside you are full of greed and evil. ⁴⁰You foolish people! Didn't the One who made the outside make the inside too? ⁴¹But give to the poor what is inside you. Then everything will be clean for you. ⁴²How terrible for you Pharisees! You give God a tenth of your mint, rue, and every other herb. But you ignore justice and the love of God. You should have done justice and loved God, and still given your tenth. ⁴³How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the most important seats in the synagogues. You love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴How terrible for you! You are like graves that have no markers. People walk over them without even knowing it." ⁴⁵One of the experts in the law said to Jesus, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too." ⁴⁶Jesus answered, "How terrible for you experts in the law too! You put heavy loads on people. But you won't lift one finger to help them carry those loads. ⁴⁷How terrible for you! You build tombs for the prophets. But it was your own ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸So you show that you agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹That is why the wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles. They will kill some of them. They will hurt and chase down others.'g ⁵⁰So the people of today will be held guilty for the blood of all the prophets. This is all the blood spilled since the world was made. ⁵¹It goes from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah. He was killed between the altar and the holy place. Yes, I tell you, the people of today will be held guilty for all of it. ⁵²How terrible for you experts in the law! You have taken away the key that opens the door to knowledge. You yourselves have not gone in. And you have stopped those who were trying to go in." ⁵³When Jesus left there, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to fight against him fiercely. They threw many questions at him about all kinds of things. ⁵⁴They were waiting to trap him in something he might say.