Instruction about Prayer

11 It happened that while [a]Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” And He said to them, (A)When you pray, say:

[b]Father, [c]hallowed be Your name.
[d]Your kingdom come.
Give us (B)each day our [e]daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who (C)is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation.’”

And He said to them, [f]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [g]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet (D)because of his [h]shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

“So I say to you, [i](E)ask, and it will be given to you; [j]seek, and you will find; [k]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now [l]which one of you fathers will his son ask for a [m]fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake? 12 Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion? 13 So (F)if you, despite being [n]evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [o]your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Pharisees’ Blasphemy

14 (G)And He was casting out a mute demon; when the demon had gone out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out the demons (H)by (I)Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others, [p]to test Him, (J)were demanding of Him a [q]sign from heaven. 17 (K)But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against [r]itself falls. 18 And if (L)Satan also has been divided against himself, how will his kingdom [s]stand? For you claim that I cast out the demons by (M)Beelzebul. 19 Yet if by (N)Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out the demons by [t]the (O)finger of God, then (P)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When [u]a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are [v]secure. 22 But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, that man takes away his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. 23 (Q)The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.

24 (R)When the unclean spirit comes out of [w]a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it then says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first.”

27 While [x]Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “(S)Blessed is the womb that carried You, and the breasts at which You nursed!” 28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are (T)those who hear the word of God and follow it.”

The Sign of Jonah

29 Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, (U)This generation is a wicked generation; it (V)demands a [y]sign, and so no [z]sign will be given to it except the [aa]sign of Jonah. 30 For just as (W)Jonah became a [ab]sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The (X)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 listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because (Y)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

33 (Z)No one lights a lamp and puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 (AA)Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is [ac]clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is [ad]bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 So watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36 Therefore if your whole body is full of light, without any dark part, it will be wholly illuminated, as when the lamp illuminates you with its light.”

Woes upon the Pharisees

37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee *asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw this, he was surprised that Jesus had not first [ae](AB)ceremonially washed before the [af]meal. 39 But (AC)the Lord said to him, “Now (AD)you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish; but your inside is full of greed and wickedness. 40 (AE)You foolish ones, did He who made the outside not make the inside also? 41 But (AF)give that which is within as a charitable gift, and [ag]then all things are (AG)clean for you.

42 (AH)But woe to you Pharisees! For you (AI)pay tithes of mint, rue, and every kind of garden herb, and yet you [ah]ignore justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you (AJ)love the seat of honor in the synagogues and personal greetings in the marketplaces. 44 (AK)Woe to you! For you are like [ai]unseen tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

45 One of the [aj](AL)lawyers *said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us too.” 46 But He said, “Woe to you (AM)lawyers as well! For (AN)you load people with burdens that are hard to bear, [ak]while you yourselves will not even [al]touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (AO)Woe to you! For you build the [am]tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. 48 So you are witnesses and you approve of the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their [an]tombs. 49 For this reason also, (AP)the wisdom of God said, ‘(AQ)I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will [ao]persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed (AR)since the foundation of the world, may be charged [ap]against this generation, 51 from (AS)the blood of Abel to (AT)the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged [aq]against this generation.’ 52 Woe to you [ar](AU)lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; (AV)you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 When He left that place, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to interrogate Him about many subjects, 54 (AW)plotting against Him (AX)to catch [as]Him in something He might say.

God Knows and Cares

12 Under these circumstances, after [at]so many thousands of [au]people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, (AY)Beware of the [av]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (AZ)But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have [aw]whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on (BA)the housetops.

“Now I say to you, (BB)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: (BC)fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into [ax](BD)hell; yes, I tell you, fear [ay]Him! Are (BE)five sparrows not sold for two [az]assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God. (BF)But even the hairs of your head are all counted. [ba]Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

“Now I say to you, everyone who (BG)confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God; but (BH)the one who denies Me before people will be denied (BI)before the angels of God. 10 (BJ)And everyone who [bb]speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. 11 Now when they bring you before (BK)the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not (BL)worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; 12 for (BM)the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Greed Denounced

13 Now someone [bc]in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, [bd](BN)You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?” 15 But He said to them, (BO)Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to [be]myself, “(BP)You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘(BQ)You fool! This very night [bf](BR)your soul is demanded of you; and (BS)as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ 21 Such is the one who (BT)stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”

22 And He said to His disciples, (BU)For this reason I tell you, [bg]do not worry about your [bh]life, as to what you are to eat; nor for your body, as to what you are to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the (BV)ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor (BW)barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a [bi](BX)day to his [bj]life’s span? 26 Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor [bk]spin; but I tell you, not even (BY)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? (BZ)You of little faith! 29 And do not [bl]seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not (CA)keep worrying. 30 For [bm]all these things are what the nations of the world [bn]eagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But [bo]seek His kingdom, and (CB)these things will be [bp]provided to you. 32 [bq](CC)Do not be afraid, (CD)little flock, because (CE)your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

33 (CF)Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, (CG)an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34 For (CH)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Be in Readiness

35 [br](CI)Be prepared, and keep your (CJ)lamps lit. 36 You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find (CK)on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that (CL)he will [bs]prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 38 (CM)Whether he comes in the [bt]second watch, or even in the [bu]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39 (CN)But [bv]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be (CO)broken into. 40 (CP)You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or (CQ)to everyone else as well?” 42 And (CR)the Lord said, (CS)Who then is the faithful and sensible (CT)steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that (CU)slave whom his [bw]master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and will [bx]cut him in two, and assign [by]him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will (CV)receive many blows, 48 but the one who did not (CW)know it, and committed acts deserving of [bz]a beating, will receive only a few blows. (CX)From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Christ Divides People

49 “I [ca]have come to cast fire upon the earth; and [cb]how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a (CY)baptism [cc]to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 (CZ)Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, (DA)father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

54 And He was also saying to the crowds, (DB)Whenever you see a cloud rising [cd]in the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. 55 And whenever you feel a [ce]south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a (DC)hot day,’ and it turns out that way. 56 You hypocrites! (DD)You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?

57 “And (DE)why do you not even judge by yourselves what is right? 58 For (DF)when you are going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate, on the way, make an effort to [cf]settle with him, so that he does not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid up [cg]the very last [ch](DG)lepton.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:1 Lit He
  2. Luke 11:2 Later mss add phrases from Matt 6:9-13 to make the two passages closely similar
  3. Luke 11:2 I.e., treated as sacred or holy
  4. Luke 11:2 Or May Your...come
  5. Luke 11:3 Or bread for the coming day; or needful bread
  6. Luke 11:5 Lit Which one of you will have...and will go
  7. Luke 11:7 Lit are with me
  8. Luke 11:8 Prob. by continued knocking
  9. Luke 11:9 Or keep asking
  10. Luke 11:9 Or keep seeking
  11. Luke 11:9 Or keep knocking
  12. Luke 11:11 Lit which of you, the father, will the son ask
  13. Luke 11:11 One early ms inserts loaf, he will not give him a stone, will he, or for a
  14. Luke 11:13 I.e., as sinful mankind
  15. Luke 11:13 Lit the Father from heaven
  16. Luke 11:16 Lit testing
  17. Luke 11:16 I.e., confirming miracle
  18. Luke 11:17 Lit a house
  19. Luke 11:18 I.e., remain stable
  20. Luke 11:20 I.e., an undeniable act of God
  21. Luke 11:21 Lit the
  22. Luke 11:21 Lit in peace
  23. Luke 11:24 Lit the
  24. Luke 11:27 Lit He
  25. Luke 11:29 I.e., confirming miracle
  26. Luke 11:29 I.e., confirming miracle
  27. Luke 11:29 I.e., confirming miracle
  28. Luke 11:30 I.e., confirming miracle
  29. Luke 11:34 Or healthy
  30. Luke 11:34 Or evil
  31. Luke 11:38 Lit baptized; here, immersed the hands
  32. Luke 11:38 Or lunch
  33. Luke 11:41 Lit behold
  34. Luke 11:42 Or neglect
  35. Luke 11:44 I.e., unmarked
  36. Luke 11:45 I.e., experts in the Mosaic Law
  37. Luke 11:46 Lit and
  38. Luke 11:46 I.e., to assist them
  39. Luke 11:47 Or monuments to
  40. Luke 11:48 Or monuments
  41. Luke 11:49 Or drive out
  42. Luke 11:50 Or to
  43. Luke 11:51 Or to
  44. Luke 11:52 I.e., experts in the Mosaic Law
  45. Luke 11:54 Lit something out of His mouth
  46. Luke 12:1 Lit myriads
  47. Luke 12:1 Lit the crowd
  48. Luke 12:1 I.e., fermented dough
  49. Luke 12:3 Lit spoken to the ear
  50. Luke 12:5 Gr Gehenna
  51. Luke 12:5 Lit this one
  52. Luke 12:6 A Roman copper coin (singular assarion), about 1/16 of a laborer’s daily wage
  53. Luke 12:7 Or Stop being afraid
  54. Luke 12:10 Lit will speak
  55. Luke 12:13 Lit from
  56. Luke 12:14 Lit Man, who
  57. Luke 12:19 Lit my soul, “Soul, you have...”
  58. Luke 12:20 Lit they are demanding your soul from you
  59. Luke 12:22 Or stop being worried
  60. Luke 12:22 Lit soul
  61. Luke 12:25 Lit cubit (about 18 in. or 45 cm)
  62. Luke 12:25 Or height
  63. Luke 12:27 I.e., spin thread for cloth
  64. Luke 12:29 Or keep seeking
  65. Luke 12:30 Or these things all the nations of the world
  66. Luke 12:30 Or wish for
  67. Luke 12:31 Or continually seek
  68. Luke 12:31 Or added to
  69. Luke 12:32 Or Stop being afraid
  70. Luke 12:35 Lit Have your waist belted
  71. Luke 12:37 Lit belt himself up
  72. Luke 12:38 I.e., 9 p.m. to midnight
  73. Luke 12:38 I.e., midnight to 3 a.m.
  74. Luke 12:39 Lit know
  75. Luke 12:43 Or lord
  76. Luke 12:46 Possibly referring to other extreme punishment
  77. Luke 12:46 Lit his part with
  78. Luke 12:48 Lit blows
  79. Luke 12:49 Or came
  80. Luke 12:49 Lit what do I wish if...?
  81. Luke 12:50 Lit with which to be baptized
  82. Luke 12:54 I.e., from the Mediterranean
  83. Luke 12:55 I.e., from the desert
  84. Luke 12:58 Lit be rid of him
  85. Luke 12:59 Lit even the last
  86. Luke 12:59 The smallest Greek copper coin, about 1/128 of a laborer’s daily wage

The Model Prayer(A)

11 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.”

So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

(B)Our[a] Father [b]in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
[c]Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And (C)forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
[d]But deliver us from the evil one.”

A Friend Comes at Midnight

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; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 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’? I say to you, (D)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(E)

(F)“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; (G)seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 (H)If a son asks for [e]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 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give (I)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(J)

14 (K)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 But some of them said, (L)“He casts out demons by [f]Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

16 Others, testing Him, (M)sought from Him a sign from heaven. 17 (N)But (O)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 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons (P)with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 (Q)When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 But (R)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 [g]spoils. 23 (S)He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

An Unclean Spirit Returns(T)

24 (U)“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 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and (V)the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

Keeping the Word

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

28 But He said, (X)“More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Seeking a Sign(Y)

29 (Z)And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a (AA)sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah [h]the prophet. 30 For as (AB)Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 (AC)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 (AD)greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for (AE)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

The Lamp of the Body(AF)

33 (AG)“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a (AH)basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 (AI)The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is [i]good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is [j]bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 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 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 (AJ)When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

39 (AK)Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but (AL)your inward part is full of [k]greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not (AM)He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 (AN)But rather give alms of [l]such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

42 (AO)“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and (AP)pass by justice and the (AQ)love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 (AR)Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the [m]best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 (AS)Woe to you, [n]scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (AT)For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.

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

46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! (AU)For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (AV)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, (AW)‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 (AX)from the blood of Abel to (AY)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 (AZ)“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 [o]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 lying in wait for Him, [p]and (BA)seeking to catch Him in something He might say, [q]that they might accuse Him.

Beware of Hypocrisy(BB)

12 In (BC)the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, (BD)“Beware of the [r]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (BE)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(BF)

(BG)“And I say to you, (BH)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, (BI)fear Him!

“Are not five sparrows sold for two [s]copper coins? And (BJ)not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men(BK)

(BL)“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me (BM)before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who (BN)denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10 “And (BO)anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

11 (BP)“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will (BQ)teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 But He said to him, (BR)“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, (BS)“Take heed and beware of [t]covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, (BT)“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; (BU)eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night (BV)your soul will be required of you; (BW)then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, (BX)and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry(BY)

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, (BZ)do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and (CA)God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why [u]are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even (CB)Solomon in all his glory was not [v]arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of (CC)little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father (CD)knows that you need these things. 31 (CE)But seek [w]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for (CF)it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 (CG)Sell what you have and give (CH)alms; (CI)provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant(CJ)

35 (CK)“Let your waist be girded and (CL)your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 (CM)Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 (CN)But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would [x]have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 (CO)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?

42 And the Lord said, (CP)“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food [y]in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 (CQ)Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 (CR)But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a (CS)day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And (CT)that servant who (CU)knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 (CV)But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Christ Brings Division(CW)

49 (CX)“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But (CY)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is (CZ)accomplished! 51 (DA)Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, (DB)but rather division. 52 (DC)For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 (DD)Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Discern the Time(DE)

54 Then He also said to the multitudes, (DF)“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the (DG)south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern (DH)this time?

Make Peace with Your Adversary

57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 (DI)When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort (DJ)along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:2 NU omits Our
  2. Luke 11:2 NU omits in heaven
  3. Luke 11:2 NU omits the rest of v. 2.
  4. Luke 11:4 NU omits But deliver us from the evil one
  5. Luke 11:11 NU omits bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for
  6. Luke 11:15 NU, M Beelzebul
  7. Luke 11:22 plunder
  8. Luke 11:29 NU omits the prophet
  9. Luke 11:34 Clear, or healthy
  10. Luke 11:34 Evil, or unhealthy
  11. Luke 11:39 Lit. eager grasping or robbery
  12. Luke 11:41 Or what is inside
  13. Luke 11:43 Or places of honor
  14. Luke 11:44 NU omits scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites
  15. Luke 11:53 NU And when He left there
  16. Luke 11:54 NU omits and seeking
  17. Luke 11:54 NU omits that they might accuse Him
  18. Luke 12:1 yeast
  19. Luke 12:6 Gr. assarion, a coin worth about 1⁄16 of a denarius
  20. Luke 12:15 NU all covetousness
  21. Luke 12:26 do you worry
  22. Luke 12:27 clothed
  23. Luke 12:31 NU His kingdom, and these things
  24. Luke 12:39 NU not have allowed
  25. Luke 12:42 at the right time