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Luke 11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 11

The Lord’s Prayer.(A) 1 [a]He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”[b] 2 [c]He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come.
3     Give us each day our daily bread[d]
4     and forgive us our sins
    for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
    and do not subject us to the final test.”

Further Teachings on Prayer.(B) 5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ 7 and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

The Answer to Prayer.(C) 9 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.(D) 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12 Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit[e] to those who ask him?”

Jesus and Beelzebul.(E) 14 He was driving out a demon [that was] mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.”(F) 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.(G) 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people[f] drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that [I] drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.(H) 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger[g] than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(I)

The Return of the Unclean Spirit.(J) 24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ 25 But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that person is worse than the first.”(K)

True Blessedness.[h] 27 While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.”(L) 28 He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Demand for a Sign.[i] 29 While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them,(M) “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.(N) 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.(O) 32 At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.(P)

The Simile of Light. 33 “No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it [under a bushel basket], but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light.(Q) 34 The lamp of the body is your eye.(R) When your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled with light, but when it is bad, then your body is in darkness. 35 Take care, then, that the light in you not become darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light, and no part of it is in darkness, then it will be as full of light as a lamp illuminating you with its brightness.”

Denunciation of the Pharisees and Scholars of the Law.[j] 37 (S)After he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat.(T) 38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.(U) 39 The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!(V) Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. 40 You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? 41 But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you. 42 Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others.(W) 43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.(X) 44 Woe to you! You are like unseen graves[k] over which people unknowingly walk.”(Y)

45 Then one of the scholars of the law[l] said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”(Z) 46 And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them. 47 (AA)Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48 Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. 49 (AB)Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles;[m] some of them they will kill and persecute’ 50 in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah[n] who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!(AC) 52 Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”(AD) 53 When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things,(AE) 54 for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.(AF)

Footnotes

  1. 11:1–13 Luke presents three episodes concerned with prayer. The first (Lk 11:1–4) recounts Jesus teaching his disciples the Christian communal prayer, the “Our Father”; the second (Lk 11:5–8), the importance of persistence in prayer; the third (Lk 11:9–13), the effectiveness of prayer.
  2. 11:1–4 The Matthean form of the “Our Father” occurs in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 6:9–15); the shorter Lucan version is presented while Jesus is at prayer (see note on Lk 3:21) and his disciples ask him to teach them to pray just as John taught his disciples to pray. In answer to their question, Jesus presents them with an example of a Christian communal prayer that stresses the fatherhood of God and acknowledges him as the one to whom the Christian disciple owes daily sustenance (Lk 11:3), forgiveness (Lk 11:4), and deliverance from the final trial (Lk 11:4). See also notes on Mt 6:9–13.
  3. 11:2 Your kingdom come: in place of this petition, some early church Fathers record: “May your holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us,” a petition that may reflect the use of the “Our Father” in a baptismal liturgy.
  4. 11:3–4 Daily bread: see note on Mt 6:11. The final test: see note on Mt 6:13.
  5. 11:13 The holy Spirit: this is a Lucan editorial alteration of a traditional saying of Jesus (see Mt 7:11). Luke presents the gift of the holy Spirit as the response of the Father to the prayer of the Christian disciple.
  6. 11:19 Your own people: the Greek reads “your sons.” Other Jewish exorcists (see Acts 19:13–20), who recognize that the power of God is active in the exorcism, would themselves convict the accusers of Jesus. See also note on Mt 12:27.
  7. 11:22 One stronger: i.e., Jesus. Cf. Lk 3:16 where John the Baptist identifies Jesus as “mightier than I.”
  8. 11:27–28 The beatitude in Lk 11:28 should not be interpreted as a rebuke of the mother of Jesus; see note on Lk 8:21. Rather, it emphasizes (like Lk 2:35) that attentiveness to God’s word is more important than biological relationship to Jesus.
  9. 11:29–32 The “sign of Jonah” in Luke is the preaching of the need for repentance by a prophet who comes from afar. Cf. Mt 12:38–42 (and see notes there) where the “sign of Jonah” is interpreted by Jesus as his death and resurrection.
  10. 11:37–54 This denunciation of the Pharisees (Lk 11:39–44) and the scholars of the law (Lk 11:45–52) is set by Luke in the context of Jesus’ dining at the home of a Pharisee. Controversies with or reprimands of Pharisees are regularly set by Luke within the context of Jesus’ eating with Pharisees (see Lk 5:29–39; 7:36–50; 14:1–24). A different compilation of similar sayings is found in Mt 23 (see also notes there).
  11. 11:44 Unseen graves: contact with the dead or with human bones or graves (see Nm 19:16) brought ritual impurity. Jesus presents the Pharisees as those who insidiously lead others astray through their seeming attention to the law.
  12. 11:45 Scholars of the law: see note on Lk 10:25.
  13. 11:49 I will send to them prophets and apostles: Jesus connects the mission of the church (apostles) with the mission of the Old Testament prophets who often suffered the rebuke of their contemporaries.
  14. 11:51 From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah: the murder of Abel is the first murder recounted in the Old Testament (Gn 4:8). The Zechariah mentioned here may be the Zechariah whose murder is recounted in 2 Chr 24:20–22, the last murder presented in the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament.
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Luke 11
Good News Translation

Jesus' Teaching on Prayer(A)

11 One day 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 taught his disciples.”

2 Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this:

‘Father:
    May your holy name be honored;
    may your Kingdom come.
3 Give us day by day the food we need.[a]
4 Forgive us our sins,
    for we forgive everyone who does us wrong.
    And do not bring us to hard testing.’”

5 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Suppose one of you should go to a friend's house at midnight and say, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine who is on a trip has just come to my house, and I don't have any food for him!’ 7 And suppose your friend should answer from inside, ‘Don't bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.’ 8 Well, what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking. 9 And so I say to you: Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For those who ask will receive, and those who seek will find, and the door will be opened to anyone who knocks. 11 Would any of you who are fathers give your son a snake when he asks for fish? 12 Or would you give him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul(B)

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that could not talk; and when the demon went out, the man began to talk. The crowds were amazed, 15 (C)but some of the people said, “It is Beelzebul, the chief of the demons, who gives him the power to drive them out.”

16 (D)Others wanted to trap Jesus, so they asked him to perform a miracle to show that God approved of him. 17 But Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, “Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long; a family divided against itself falls apart. 18 So if Satan's kingdom has groups fighting each other, how can it last? You say that I drive out demons because Beelzebul gives me the power to do so. 19 If this is how I drive them out, how do your followers drive them out? Your own followers prove that you are wrong! 20 No, it is rather by means of God's power that I drive out demons, and this proves that the Kingdom of God has already come to you.

21 “When a strong man, with all his weapons ready, guards his own house, all his belongings are safe. 22 But when a stronger man attacks him and defeats him, he carries away all the weapons the owner was depending on and divides up what he stole.

23 (E)“Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering.

The Return of the Evil Spirit(F)

24 “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house.’ 25 So it goes back and finds the house clean and all fixed up. 26 Then it goes out and brings seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in worse shape than at the beginning.”

True Happiness

27 When Jesus had said this, a woman spoke up from the crowd and said to him, “How happy is the woman who bore you and nursed you!”

28 But Jesus answered, “Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

The Demand for a Miracle(G)

29 (H)As the people crowded around Jesus, he went on to say, “How evil are the people of this day! They ask for a miracle, but none will be given them except the miracle of Jonah. 30 (I)In the same way that the prophet Jonah was a sign for the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this day. 31 (J)On the Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will stand up and accuse the people of today, because she traveled all the way from her country to listen to King Solomon's wise teaching; and there is something here, I tell you, greater than Solomon. 32 (K)On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand up and accuse you, because they turned from their sins when they heard Jonah preach; and I assure you that there is something here greater than Jonah!

The Light of the Body(L)

33 (M)“No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a bowl;[b] instead, it is put on the lampstand, so that people may see the light as they come in. 34 Your eyes are like a lamp for the body. When your eyes are sound, your whole body is full of light; but when your eyes are no good, your whole body will be in darkness. 35 Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be bright all over, as when a lamp shines on you with its brightness.”

Jesus Accuses the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law(N)

37 When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and sat down to eat. 38 The Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus had not washed before eating. 39 So the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of your cup and plate, but inside you are full of violence and evil. 40 Fools! Did not God, who made the outside, also make the inside? 41 But give what is in your cups and plates to the poor, and everything will be ritually clean for you.

42 (O)“How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others.

43 “How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the reserved seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 How terrible for you! You are like unmarked graves which people walk on without knowing it.”

45 One of the teachers of the Law said to him, “Teacher, when you say this, you insult us too!”

46 Jesus answered, “How terrible also for you teachers of the Law! You put onto people's backs loads which are hard to carry, but you yourselves will not stretch out a finger to help them carry those loads. 47 How terrible for you! You make fine tombs for the prophets—the very prophets your ancestors murdered. 48 You yourselves admit, then, that you approve of what your ancestors did; they murdered the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 For this reason the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and messengers; they will kill some of them and persecute others.’ 50 So the people of this time will be punished for the murder of all the prophets killed since the creation of the world, 51 (P)from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the Holy Place. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will be punished for them all!

52 “How terrible for you teachers of the Law! You have kept the key that opens the door to the house of knowledge; you yourselves will not go in, and you stop those who are trying to go in!”

53 When Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to criticize him bitterly and ask him questions about many things, 54 trying to lay traps for him and catch him saying something wrong.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:3 the food we need; or food for the next day.
  2. Luke 11:33 Some manuscripts do not have or puts it under a bowl.
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Luke 11
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

The Lord’s Prayer

11 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father,[a] hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come.[b]
3     Give us each day our daily bread.[c]
4     And forgive us our sins,
        for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
    And do not bring us to the time of trial.”[d]

Perseverance in Prayer

5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for[e] a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit[f] to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists[g] cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

True Blessedness

27 While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

The Sign of Jonah

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! 32 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!

The Light of the Body

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar,[h] but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.”

Jesus Denounces Pharisees and Lawyers

37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. 38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.”

45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too.” 46 And he said, “Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48 So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile toward him and to cross-examine him about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:2 Other ancient authorities read Our Father in heaven
  2. Luke 11:2 A few ancient authorities read Your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us. Other ancient authorities add Your will be done, on earth as in heaven
  3. Luke 11:3 Or our bread for tomorrow
  4. Luke 11:4 Or us into temptation. Other ancient authorities add but rescue us from the evil one (or from evil)
  5. Luke 11:11 Other ancient authorities add bread, will give a stone; or if your child asks for
  6. Luke 11:13 Other ancient authorities read the Father give the Holy Spirit from heaven
  7. Luke 11:19 Gk sons
  8. Luke 11:33 Other ancient authorities add or under the bushel basket
Listen to Luke 11
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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

  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
Listen to Luke 11
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Luke 11
New International Version

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer(A)(B)

11 One day Jesus was praying(C) in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord,(D) teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

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

“‘Father,[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom(E) come.[b]
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c](F)
And lead us not into temptation.[d]’”(G)

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.(H)

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;(I) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul(J)(K)

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.(L) 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul,(M) the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”(N) 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.(O)

17 Jesus knew their thoughts(P) and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan(Q) is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God,(R) then the kingdom of God(S) has come upon you.

21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(T)

24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”(U)

27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”(V)

28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God(W) and obey it.”(X)

The Sign of Jonah(Y)

29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign,(Z) but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.(AA) 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom;(AB) and now something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah;(AC) and now something greater than Jonah is here.

The Lamp of the Body(AD)

33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.(AE) 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,[g] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,[h] your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.(AF) 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.(AG)

39 Then the Lord(AH) said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.(AI) 40 You foolish people!(AJ) Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor,(AK) and everything will be clean for you.(AL)

42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth(AM) of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.(AN) You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.(AO)

43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.(AP)

44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves,(AQ) which people walk over without knowing it.”

45 One of the experts in the law(AR) answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.(AS)

47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.(AT) 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom(AU) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’(AV) 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel(AW) to the blood of Zechariah,(AX) who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.(AY)

52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”(AZ)

53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts Our Father in heaven
  2. Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
  3. Luke 11:4 Greek everyone who is indebted to us
  4. Luke 11:4 Some manuscripts temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
  5. Luke 11:8 Or yet to preserve his good name
  6. Luke 11:11 Some manuscripts for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for
  7. Luke 11:34 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
  8. Luke 11:34 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
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