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; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 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.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[a] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.(A)

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;(B) 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[b] 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!”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:8 Or yet to preserve his good name
  2. Luke 11:11 Some manuscripts for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for

And He said to them, [a]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 [b]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 (A)because of his [c]shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

“So I say to you, [d](B)ask, and it will be given to you; [e]seek, and you will find; [f]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 [g]which one of you fathers will his son ask for a [h]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 (C)if you, despite being [i]evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [j]your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:5 Lit Which one of you will have...and will go
  2. Luke 11:7 Lit are with me
  3. Luke 11:8 Prob. by continued knocking
  4. Luke 11:9 Or keep asking
  5. Luke 11:9 Or keep seeking
  6. Luke 11:9 Or keep knocking
  7. Luke 11:11 Lit which of you, the father, will the son ask
  8. Luke 11:11 One early ms inserts loaf, he will not give him a stone, will he, or for a
  9. Luke 11:13 I.e., as sinful mankind
  10. Luke 11:13 Lit the Father from heaven

Perseverance in Prayer

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, for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 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.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.(A)

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.(B) 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 asked for[a] a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asked for an egg, would 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[b] to those who ask him!”

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Footnotes

  1. 11.11 Other ancient authorities add bread, will give a stone? Or if your child asks for
  2. 11.13 Other ancient authorities read the Father give the Holy Spirit from heaven

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, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 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’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything (A)because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence[a] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, (B)ask, and (C)it will be given to you; (D)seek, and you will find; (E)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[b] 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, (F)who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father (G)give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:8 Or persistence
  2. Luke 11:11 Some manuscripts insert bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

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