1 I t happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

2 A nd He said to them, “ When you pray, say: ‘ Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.

So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

3 ‘ Give us each day our daily bread.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 ‘ And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” A Friend Comes at Midnight

5 T hen He said to them, “ Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;

And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;

6 f or a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;

for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;

7 a nd from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’

and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?

8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

9 “ So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

10 F or everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

11 N ow suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?

12 O r if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?

Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 I f you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Pharisees’ Blasphemy

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” A House Divided Cannot Stand

14 A nd He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed.

And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.

15 B ut some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

16 O thers, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.

17 B ut He knew their thoughts and said to them, “ Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.

18 I f Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.

19 A nd if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges.

And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

20 B ut if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

21 W hen a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.

22 B ut when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.

But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.

23 H e who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. An Unclean Spirit Returns

24 “ When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

25 A nd when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.

And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.

26 T hen it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Keeping the Word

27 W hile Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “ Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.”

And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”

28 B ut He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” The Sign of Jonah

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Seeking a Sign

29 A s the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “ This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

30 F or just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

31 T he Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

32 T he men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The Lamp of the Body

33 “ No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.

34 T he eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.

35 T hen watch out that the light in you is not darkness.

Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

36 I f therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.” Woes upon the Pharisees

If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers

37 N ow when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table.

And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat.

38 W hen the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.

When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

39 B ut the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.

Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

40 Y ou foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

41 B ut give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

42 “ But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

43 W oe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places.

Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

44 W oe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them. ”

45 O ne of the lawyers said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.”

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

46 B ut He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

47 W oe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.

Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48 S o you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.

In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.

49 F or this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘ I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute,

Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’

50 s o that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation,

that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,

51 f rom the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.’

from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

52 W oe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

53 W hen He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects,

And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,

54 p lotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.

lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.