1 N ow 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.”

Jesus had been praying. One of His followers said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John the Baptist taught his followers.”

2 S o 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.

Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, Your name is holy. May Your holy nation come. What You want done, may it be done on earth as it is in heaven.

3 G ive us day by day our daily bread.

Give us the bread we need everyday.

4 A nd 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

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Do not let us be tempted.’” A Picture-Story about How to Ask

5 A nd 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;

Jesus said to them, “If one of you has a friend and goes to him in the night and says, ‘Friend, give me three loaves of bread,

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

for a friend of mine is on a trip and has stopped at my house. I have no food to give him.’

7 a nd 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’?

The man inside the house will say, ‘Do not trouble me. The door is shut. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you bread.’

8 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

I say to you, he may not get up and give him bread because he is a friend. Yet, if he keeps on asking, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

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.

I say to you, ask, and what you ask for will be given to you. Look, and what you are looking for you will find. Knock, and the door you are knocking on 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, will receive what he asks for. Everyone who looks, will find what he is looking for. Everyone who knocks, will have the door opened to him.

11 I f 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?

“Would any of you fathers give your son a stone if he asked for bread? Or would you give a snake if he asked for a fish?

12 O r if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

Or if he asked for an egg, would you give him a small animal with a sting of poison?

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!” A House Divided Cannot Stand

You are sinful and you know how to give good things to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” A Nation That Cannot Stand

14 A nd 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.

Jesus was putting a demon out of a man who could not speak. When the demon was gone, the man could speak. All the people were surprised and wondered about it.

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

Some of them said, “He puts out demons through Satan, the king of demons.”

16 O thers, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.

Others tried to trap Jesus. They asked for something special to see from heaven.

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

But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided into groups that fight each other will be destroyed. Every family divided into groups that fight each other will not stand.

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

If Satan is divided against himself, how will his nation stand? And yet you say I put out demons through Satan!

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

If I put out demons through Satan, by whose help do your sons put them out? Your own sons will say if you are guilty or not.

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

But if I put out demons by the power of God, then the holy nation of God has come to you.

21 W hen a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.

“When a strong man watches his house and is ready to fight, his things are safe.

22 B ut 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.

When a stronger man comes along, he wins the fight. He takes away all the things to fight with that the man of the house had put his trust in. Then the stronger man takes anything he wants from the house.

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

Whoever is not with Me is against Me. Whoever does not gather with Me is sending them everywhere. A Person Filled with Bad or Good

24 “ 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.’

“When a demon is gone out of a man, it goes through dry places to find rest. If it finds none, it says, ‘I will go back to my house I came from.’

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

When the demon comes back, it finds the house cleaned and looking good.

26 T hen 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

Then the demon goes out and comes back bringing seven demons worse than itself. They go in and live there. In the end that man is worse than at the first.”

27 A nd 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!”

As Jesus was talking, a woman of the group said with a loud voice, “The woman is happy who gave You birth and who fed You.”

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

But He said, “Yes, but those who hear the Word of God and obey it are happy.” Jesus Tells about Jonah

29 A nd 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.

When the people were gathered near Jesus, He said, “The people of this day are sinful. They are looking for something special to see. They will get nothing special to see, except what Jonah the early preacher did.

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

As Jonah was something special to the people of the city of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be to the people of this day also.

31 T he 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.

The queen of the south will stand up on the day men stand before God. She will say the people of this day are guilty because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wise sayings of Solomon. And look, Someone greater than Solomon is here!

32 T he 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

The men of Nineveh will stand up on the day men stand before God. They will say the people of this day are guilty because the men of Nineveh were sorry for their sins and turned from them when Jonah preached. And look, Someone greater than Jonah is here! Jesus Teaches about Light

33 “ 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.

“No man lights a lamp and then hides it under a pail. He puts the light on a lamp-stand so those who come in can see it.

34 T he 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.

The eye is the light of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. When your eye is sinful, your whole body is full of darkness.

35 T herefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

Be careful that the light in you is not dark.

36 I f 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

If your whole body is full of light, with no dark part, then it will shine. It will be as a lamp that gives light.” Jesus Speaks Sharp Words to the Proud Religious Law-Keeper

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

As Jesus was talking, a proud religious law-keeper asked Him to eat with him. Jesus went to the man’s house and took His place at the table.

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

The proud religious law-keeper was surprised and wondered why Jesus had not washed before He ate.

39 T hen 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.

But the Lord said to him, “You proud religious law-keepers make the outside of the cup and plate clean, but inside you are full of stealing and sinning.

40 F oolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

You are foolish. Did not He that made the outside make the inside also?

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

Give yourself as a gift and then you will be clean.

42 “ 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.

“It is bad for you, proud religious law-keepers! You give one-tenth part of your spices. But you give no thought to what is right and to the love of God. You should do both of these.

43 W oe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

“It is bad for you, proud religious law-keepers! For you like to have the important seats in the places of worship. You like to have people speak good-sounding words to you as you are in the center of town where people gather.

44 W oe 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. ”

It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers and you who pretend to be someone you are not! For you are like graves that are hidden. Men walk on graves without knowing they are there.” Jesus Speaks Sharp Words to the Men Who Knew the Law

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

One of the men who knew the Law said to Jesus, “Teacher, You are making us look bad when You speak like this.”

46 A nd 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.

Jesus said, “It is bad for you also, you men who know the Law! For you put heavy loads on the shoulders of men. But you will not even put your finger on one of these loads to help them.

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

It is bad for you! For you make beautiful buildings for the graves of the early preachers your fathers killed.

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

You are saying what your fathers did was good, because they killed the early preachers and you are making their graves.

49 T herefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’

“For this reason the wisdom of God has said, ‘I will send them early preachers and missionaries. Some they will kill and some they will make it very hard for.’

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

The blood of all the early preachers from the beginning of the world is on the people of this day.

51 f rom 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.

It will be from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, the one who died between the altar and the house of God. For sure, I tell you, the people of this day will be guilty for this.

52 “ 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.”

“It is bad for you men who know the Law! For you have locked the door to the house of learning. You are not going in yourselves and you do not allow those to go in who are about to go in.”

53 A nd 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,

As Jesus went away from there, the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers were very angry and tried to make Him say many things.

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

They planned against Jesus and tried to trap Him with something He might say.