1 W hen he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

Then He was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.

2 H e said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

3 G ive us day by day our daily bread.

Give us daily our bread '> food for the morrow].

4 F orgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation but rescue us from evil.

5 H e said to them, “Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight, and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

And He said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and will 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 who is on a journey has just come, and I have nothing to put before him;

7 a nd he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you’?

And he from within will answer, Do not disturb me; the door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and supply you ?

8 I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9 “ I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.

So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.

10 F or everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.

For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

11 “ Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?

12 O r if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he?

Or if he asks for an egg, will give 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?”

If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts '> that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!

14 H e was casting out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the multitudes marveled.

Now Jesus was driving out a demon that was dumb; and it occurred that when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke. And the crowds marveled.

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

But some of them said, He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons,

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

While others, to try and test and tempt Him, demanded a sign of Him from heaven.

17 B ut he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. A house divided against itself falls.

But He, aware of their intent and purpose, said to them, Every kingdom split up against itself is doomed and brought to desolation, and so house falls upon house.

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

And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom last? For you say that I expel demons with the help of and by Beelzebub.

19 B ut if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore will they be your judges.

Now if I expel demons with the help of and by Beelzebub, with whose help and by whom do your sons drive them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

20 B ut if I by God’s finger cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come to you.

But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

21 “ When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe.

When the strong man, fully armed, '> from his courtyard] guards his own dwelling, his belongings are undisturbed.

22 B ut when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides his plunder.

But when one stronger than he attacks him and conquers him, he robs him of his whole armor on which he had relied and divides up and distributes all his goods as plunder (spoil).

23 “ He that is not with me is against me. He who doesn’t gather with me scatters.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.

24 T he unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none, he says, ‘I will turn back to my house from which I came out.’

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it roams through waterless places in search of rest (release, refreshment, ease); and finding none it says, I will go back to my house from which I came.

25 W hen he returns, he finds it swept and put in order.

And when it arrives, it finds swept and put in order and furnished and decorated.

26 T hen he goes, and takes seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

And it goes and brings other spirits, seven, more evil than itself, and they enter in, settle down, and dwell there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.

27 I t came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!”

Now it occurred that as He was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, Blessed (happy and to be envied) is the womb that bore You and the breasts that You sucked!

28 B ut he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

But He said, Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it!

29 W hen the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah, the prophet.

Now as the crowds were thronging Him, He began to say, This present generation is a wicked one; it seeks and demands a sign (miracle), but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

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

For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will also the Son of Man be to this age and generation.

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

The queen of the South will arise in the judgment with the people of this age and generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and notice, here is more than Solomon.

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

The men of Nineveh will appear as witnesses at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, here is more than Jonah.

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

No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or crypt or under a bushel measure, but on a lampstand, that those who are coming in may see the light.

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

Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye ( your conscience) is sound and fulfilling its office, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound and is not fulfilling its office, your body is full of darkness.

35 T herefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness.

Be careful, therefore, that the light that is in you is not darkness.

36 I f therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light.”

If then your entire body is illuminated, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its bright rays gives you light.

37 N ow as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. He went in, and sat at the table.

Now while Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited Him to take dinner with him, so He entered and reclined at table.

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

The Pharisee noticed and was astonished that Jesus did not first wash before dinner.

39 T he Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.

But the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside you yourselves are full of greed and robbery and extortion and malice and wickedness.

40 Y ou foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also?

You senseless (foolish, stupid) ones! Did not He Who made the outside make the inside also?

41 B ut give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you.

But give as donations to the poor of those things which are within and behold, everything is purified and clean for you.

42 B ut woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but disregard and neglect 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 best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.

Woe to you, Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted and bowed down to in the marketplaces.

44 W oe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.”

Woe to you! For you are like graves which are not marked or seen, and men walk over them without being aware of it.

45 O ne of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you insult us also.”

One of the experts in the Law answered Him, Teacher, in saying this, You reproach and outrage and affront even us!

46 H e said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.

But He said, Woe to you, the lawyers, also! For you load men with oppressive burdens hard to bear, and you do not personally '> gently] touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

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

Woe to you! For you are rebuilding and repairing the tombs of the prophets, whom your fathers killed (destroyed).

48 S o you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

So you bear witness and give your full approval and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they actually killed them, and you rebuild and repair monuments to them.

49 T herefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute,

For this reason also the wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles, of whom they will put to death and persecute,

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

So that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be charged against and required of this age and generation,

51 f rom the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was slain between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against and required of this age and generation.

52 W oe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”

Woe to you, lawyers (experts in the Mosaic Law)! For you have taken away the key to knowledge; you did not go in yourselves, and you hindered and prevented those who were entering.

53 A s he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him;

As He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be enraged with and set themselves violently against Him and to draw Him out and provoke Him to speak of many things,

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

Secretly watching and plotting and lying in wait for Him, to seize upon something He might say.