Luke 11
English Standard Version
The Lord's Prayer
11 Now Jesus[a] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, (A)as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, (B)“When you pray, say:
(C)“Father, (D)hallowed be (E)your name.
(F)Your kingdom come.
3 (G)Give us (H)each day our daily bread,[b]
4 and (I)forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And (J)lead us not into temptation.”
5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything (K)because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence[c] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, (L)ask, and (M)it will be given to you; (N)seek, and you will find; (O)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 What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, (P)who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father (Q)give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Jesus and Beelzebul
14 (R)Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons (S)by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, (T)to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 (U)But he, (V)knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, (W)by whom do (X)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by (Y)the finger of God that I cast out demons, then (Z)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 (AA)but when one stronger than he attacks him and (AB)overcomes him, he takes away his (AC)armor in which he trusted and (AD)divides his spoil. 23 (AE)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
24 (AF)“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through (AG)waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And (AH)the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
True Blessedness
27 As he said these things, (AI)a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, (AJ)“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, (AK)“Blessed rather are those (AL)who hear the word of God and (AM)keep it!”
The Sign of Jonah
29 (AN)When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, (AO)“This generation is an evil generation. (AP)It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as (AQ)Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 (AR)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and (AS)condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, (AT)something greater than Solomon is here. 32 (AU)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and (AV)condemn it, for (AW)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, (AX)something greater than Jonah is here.
The Light in You
33 (AY)“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is (AZ)the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is (BA)bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 (BB)Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, (BC)as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 While Jesus[e] was speaking, (BD)a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see (BE)that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, (BF)“Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of (BG)greed and wickedness. 40 (BH)You fools! (BI)Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But (BJ)give as alms those things that are within, and behold, (BK)everything is clean for you.
42 (BL)“But woe to you Pharisees! For (BM)you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect (BN)justice and (BO)the love of God. (BP)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For (BQ)you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! (BR)For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”
45 One of (BS)the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you (BT)lawyers also! For (BU)you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (BV)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 (BW)So you are witnesses and you (BX)consent to the deeds of (BY)your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also (BZ)the Wisdom of God said, (CA)‘I will send them (CB)prophets and apostles, (CC)some of whom they will (CD)kill and persecute,’ 50 so that (CE)the blood of all the prophets, shed (CF)from the foundation of the world, may be (CG)charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of (CH)Abel to the blood of (CI)Zechariah, who perished between (CJ)the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be (CK)required of this generation. 52 Woe to you (CL)lawyers! (CM)For you have taken away the key of (CN)knowledge. You (CO)did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 (CP)lying in wait for him, (CQ)to catch him in something he might say.
Footnotes
- Luke 11:1 Greek he
- Luke 11:3 Or our bread for tomorrow
- Luke 11:8 Or persistence
- Luke 11:11 Some manuscripts insert bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for
- Luke 11:37 Greek he
Luke 11
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Model Prayer
11 He was praying(A) in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”(B)
2 He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say:(C)
Father,[a](D)
Your name(E) be honored as holy.(F)
Your kingdom come.[b](G)
3 Give us each day our daily bread.[c](H)
4 And forgive us our sins,(I)
for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us.[d](J)
And do not bring us into temptation.”[e](K)
Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking
5 He also said to them: “Suppose one of you[f] has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’[g] 7 Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s persistence,[h] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.(L)
9 “So(M) I say to you, keep asking,[i](N) and it will be given to you. Keep searching,[j](O) and you will find. Keep knocking,[k](P) and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son[l] asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil,(Q) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father(R) give[m] the Holy Spirit(S) to those who ask Him?”
A House Divided
14 Now(T) He was driving out a demon(U) that was mute.[n](V) When the demon came out, the man who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul,(W) the ruler(X) of the demons!”(Y) 16 And others, as a test,(Z) were demanding of Him a sign(AA) from heaven.
17 Knowing their thoughts,(AB) He told them: “Every kingdom divided(AC) against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. 18 If Satan(AD) also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom(AE) stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons[o](AF) drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges. 20 If I drive out demons by the finger of God,(AG) then the kingdom of God(AH) has come to you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure.[p] 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers(AI) him, he takes from him all his weapons[q](AJ) he trusted(AK) in, and divides up his plunder.(AL) 23 Anyone who is not with Me is against Me,(AM) and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.
An Unclean Spirit’s Return
24 “When(AN) an unclean spirit(AO) comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest,(AP) and not finding rest, it then[r] says, ‘I’ll go back to my house where I came from.’ 25 And returning, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits(AQ) more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first.”(AR)
True Blessedness
27 As He was saying these things, a woman from the crowd(AS) raised her voice and said to Him, “The womb that bore You and the one who nursed You(AT) are blessed!”
28 He said, “Even more, those who hear the word of God(AU) and keep it(AV) are blessed!”
The Sign of Jonah
29 As the crowds were increasing, He began saying: “This generation(AW) is an evil generation.(AX) It demands a sign,(AY) but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.[s](AZ) 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man(BA) will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south(BB) will rise up at the judgment(BC) with the men of this generation and condemn(BD) them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon,(BE) and look—something greater than Solomon is here! 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation, and look—something greater than Jonah is here!
The Lamp of the Body
33 “No(BF) one lights a lamp(BG) and puts it in the cellar or under a basket,[t] but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of the body.(BH) When your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad,(BI) your body is also full of darkness. 35 Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”[u]
Religious Hypocrisy Denounced
37 As He was speaking, a Pharisee(BJ) asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that He did not first perform the ritual washing[v](BK) before dinner.(BL) 39 But the Lord said to him: “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed(BM) and evil.(BN) 40 Fools!(BO) Didn’t He who made the outside make the inside too? 41 But give from what is within to the poor,[w](BP) and then everything is clean(BQ) for you.
42 “But woe(BR) to you Pharisees! You give a tenth[x](BS) of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass[y] justice(BT) and love for God.[z](BU) These things you should have done without neglecting the others.
43 “Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat(BV) in the synagogues(BW) and greetings in the marketplaces.
44 “Woe to you![aa] You are like unmarked graves;(BX) the people who walk over them don’t know it.”
45 One of the experts in the law(BY) answered Him, “Teacher, when You say these things You insult us too.”
46 Then He said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens(BZ) that are hard to carry, yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.(CA)
47 “Woe to you! You build monuments[ab] to the prophets,(CB) and your fathers killed(CC) them. 48 Therefore, you are witnesses(CD) that you approve[ac](CE) the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.[ad] 49 Because of this, the wisdom of God(CF) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles,(CG) and some of them they will kill and persecute,’(CH) 50 so that this generation(CI) may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world[ae](CJ)— 51 from the blood of Abel(CK) to the blood of Zechariah,(CL) who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.
“Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.[af]
52 “Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge!(CM) You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered(CN) those who were going in.”
53 When He left there,[ag] the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose(CO) Him fiercely and to cross-examine Him about many things; 54 they were lying in wait(CP) for Him to trap Him in something He said.[ah](CQ)
Footnotes
- Luke 11:2 Other mss read Our Father in heaven
- Luke 11:2 Other mss add Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
- Luke 11:3 Or our bread for tomorrow
- Luke 11:4 Or everyone who wrongs us
- Luke 11:4 Other mss add But deliver us from the evil one
- Luke 11:5 Lit Who of you
- Luke 11:6 Lit I have nothing to set before him
- Luke 11:8 Or annoying persistence, or shamelessness
- Luke 11:9 Or you, ask
- Luke 11:9 Or Search
- Luke 11:9 Or Knock
- Luke 11:11 Other mss read son asks for bread, would give him a stone? Or if he
- Luke 11:13 Lit the Father from heaven will give
- Luke 11:14 A demon that caused the man to be mute
- Luke 11:19 Your exorcists
- Luke 11:21 Lit his possessions are in peace
- Luke 11:22 Gk panoplia, the armor and weapons of a foot soldier; Eph 6:11,13
- Luke 11:24 Other mss omit then
- Luke 11:29 Other mss add the prophet
- Luke 11:33 Other mss omit or under a basket
- Luke 11:36 Or shines on you with its rays
- Luke 11:38 Lit He did not first wash
- Luke 11:41 Or But donate from the heart as charity
- Luke 11:42 Or a tithe
- Luke 11:42 Or neglect
- Luke 11:42 Lit the justice and the love of God
- Luke 11:44 Other mss read you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
- Luke 11:47 Or graves
- Luke 11:48 Lit witnesses and approve
- Luke 11:48 Other mss omit their monuments
- Luke 11:50 Lit so that the blood of all . . . world may be required of this generation,
- Luke 11:51 Lit you, it will be required of this generation
- Luke 11:53 Other mss read And as He was saying these things to them
- Luke 11:54 Other mss add so that they might bring charges against Him
Luke 11
New King James Version
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.”
2 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.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 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
5 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 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 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 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)
9 (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.
Footnotes
- Luke 11:2 NU omits Our
- Luke 11:2 NU omits in heaven
- Luke 11:2 NU omits the rest of v. 2.
- Luke 11:4 NU omits But deliver us from the evil one
- Luke 11:11 NU omits bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for
- Luke 11:15 NU, M Beelzebul
- Luke 11:22 plunder
- Luke 11:29 NU omits the prophet
- Luke 11:34 Clear, or healthy
- Luke 11:34 Evil, or unhealthy
- Luke 11:39 Lit. eager grasping or robbery
- Luke 11:41 Or what is inside
- Luke 11:43 Or places of honor
- Luke 11:44 NU omits scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites
- Luke 11:53 NU And when He left there
- Luke 11:54 NU omits and seeking
- Luke 11:54 NU omits that they might accuse Him
Luke 11
New Living Translation
Teaching about Prayer
11 Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:[a]
“Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
3 Give us each day the food we need,[b]
4 and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.[c]”
5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.[d]
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “You fathers—if your children ask[e] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people 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.”
Jesus and the Prince of Demons
14 One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed, 15 but some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan,[f] the prince of demons.” 16 Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 18 You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? 19 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God,[g] then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— 22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
23 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
24 “When an evil[h] spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”
28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
The Sign of Jonah
29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. 30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man[i] will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.
31 “The queen of Sheba[j] will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. 32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.
Receiving the Light
33 “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket.[k] Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.
34 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”
Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders
37 As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table.[l] 38 His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.
42 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[m] but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
43 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. 44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.”
45 “Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”
46 “Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. 47 What sorrow awaits you! For you build monuments for the prophets your own ancestors killed long ago. 48 But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments! 49 This is what God in his wisdom said about you:[n] ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’
50 “As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world— 51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation.
52 “What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”
53 As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions. 54 They wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him.
Footnotes
- 11:2 Some manuscripts add additional phrases from the Lord’s Prayer as it reads in Matt 6:9-13.
- 11:3 Or Give us each day our food for the day; or Give us each day our food for tomorrow.
- 11:4 Or And keep us from being tested.
- 11:8 Or in order to avoid shame, or so his reputation won’t be damaged.
- 11:11 Some manuscripts add for bread, do you give them a stone? Or [if they ask].
- 11:15 Greek Beelzeboul; also in 11:18, 19. Other manuscripts read Beezeboul; Latin version reads Beelzebub.
- 11:20 Greek by the finger of God.
- 11:24 Greek unclean.
- 11:30 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 11:31 Greek The queen of the south.
- 11:33 Some manuscripts do not include or puts it under a basket.
- 11:37 Or and reclined.
- 11:42 Greek tithe the mint, the rue, and every herb.
- 11:49 Greek Therefore, the wisdom of God said.
Luke 11
New American Standard Bible
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.” 2 And He said to them, “(A)When you pray, say:
‘[b]Father, [c]hallowed be Your name.
[d]Your kingdom come.
3 Give us (B)each day our [e]daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who (C)is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation.’”
5 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, 6 because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him’; 7 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.’ 8 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.
9 “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.
Footnotes
- Luke 11:1 Lit He
- Luke 11:2 Later mss add phrases from Matt 6:9-13 to make the two passages closely similar
- Luke 11:2 I.e., treated as sacred or holy
- Luke 11:2 Or May Your...come
- Luke 11:3 Or bread for the coming day; or needful bread
- Luke 11:5 Lit Which one of you will have...and will go
- Luke 11:7 Lit are with me
- Luke 11:8 Prob. by continued knocking
- Luke 11:9 Or keep asking
- Luke 11:9 Or keep seeking
- Luke 11:9 Or keep knocking
- Luke 11:11 Lit which of you, the father, will the son ask
- Luke 11:11 One early ms inserts loaf, he will not give him a stone, will he, or for a
- Luke 11:13 I.e., as sinful mankind
- Luke 11:13 Lit the Father from heaven
- Luke 11:16 Lit testing
- Luke 11:16 I.e., confirming miracle
- Luke 11:17 Lit a house
- Luke 11:18 I.e., remain stable
- Luke 11:20 I.e., an undeniable act of God
- Luke 11:21 Lit the
- Luke 11:21 Lit in peace
- Luke 11:24 Lit the
- Luke 11:27 Lit He
- Luke 11:29 I.e., confirming miracle
- Luke 11:29 I.e., confirming miracle
- Luke 11:29 I.e., confirming miracle
- Luke 11:30 I.e., confirming miracle
- Luke 11:34 Or healthy
- Luke 11:34 Or evil
- Luke 11:38 Lit baptized; here, immersed the hands
- Luke 11:38 Or lunch
- Luke 11:41 Lit behold
- Luke 11:42 Or neglect
- Luke 11:44 I.e., unmarked
- Luke 11:45 I.e., experts in the Mosaic Law
- Luke 11:46 Lit and
- Luke 11:46 I.e., to assist them
- Luke 11:47 Or monuments to
- Luke 11:48 Or monuments
- Luke 11:49 Or drive out
- Luke 11:50 Or to
- Luke 11:51 Or to
- Luke 11:52 I.e., experts in the Mosaic Law
- Luke 11:54 Lit something out of His mouth
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
