Luke 11
Revised Standard Version
The Lord’s Prayer
11 He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread;[a] 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
Perseverance in Prayer
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 because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him 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, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Jesus and Beelzebul
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Be-el′zebul, the prince of demons”; 16 while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, 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 Be-el′zebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Be-el′zebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; 22 but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. 23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
The Return of the Unclean Spirit
24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless 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 brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”
True Blessedness
27 As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
The Sign of Jonah
29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin′eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at 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 behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nin′eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
The Light of the Body
33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a bushel, but on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness. 35 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, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
Jesus Denounces Pharisees and Lawyers
37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places. 44 Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it.”
45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; 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 that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechari′ah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of 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 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say.
Footnotes
- Luke 11:3 Or our bread for the morrow
- Luke 11:11 Other ancient authorities insert bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for
Luke 11
New Matthew Bible
He teaches his disciples to pray, drives out a devil, and rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees. They require signs and tokens. He eats with the Pharisee, and reproves the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites.
11 And it happened as he was praying in a certain place that when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. 2 And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, even in earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give us our daily bread evermore. 4 And forgive us our sins, for even we forgive every person that trespasses against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
5 And he said to them, If any of you had a friend, and went to him at midnight and said to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 because a friend of mine has come from a journey to me and I have nothing to set before him, 7 and the man inside were to answer and say, Don’t trouble me; the door is now shut, and my servants are with me in the chamber; I cannot rise and give them to you – 8 I say to you, though he would not arise and give him a loaf because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he would rise and give him as many as he needed. 9 And so I say to you: ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For everyone that asks, receives, and he that seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 If the son asks for bread from any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, will he give him a serpent for a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then who are evil can give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father of heaven give a holy spirit to those who desire it of him?
14 And he was a casting out a devil that was dumb. And it followed, when the devil was gone out, the dumb man spoke. And the people were filled with wonder. 15 But some of them said, He casts out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. 16 And others challenged him, seeking from him a sign from heaven.
17 But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, Every kingdom divided within itself will be brought to desolation, and one house will fall upon another. 18 So if Satan is divided within himself, how shall his kingdom endure? For you say that I cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub. 19 If I cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, without question the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 When a strong man armed guards his house, that which he possesses is in peace. 22 But when one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him his weapons in which he trusted, and divides up his goods. 23 He who is not with me, is against me. And he who does not gather with me, scatters.
24 When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through waterless places, seeking rest. And when he finds none, he says, I will return again to my house from which I came out. 25 And when he comes back, he finds it swept and set in order. 26 Then he goes and gets seven other spirits worse than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the end of that man is worse than the beginning.
27 And it happened, as he spoke those things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to him, Happy is the womb that bore you, and the paps that gave you suck. 28 But he said, Yea, happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
29 When the people were gathered thick together, he began and said, This is an evil nation. They seek a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of man be to this nation. 31 The queen of the south will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the end of the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn them, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.
33 No man lights a candle and puts it in a concealed place, nor under a bushel, but on a candlestick, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 The light of your body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is single, then is all your body full of light. But if your eye is bad, then shall all your body be full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in you be not darkness. 36 For if all your body is lighted, having no part dark, then shall all be full of light, even as when a candle lights you with its brightness.
37 And as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him, and Jesus went in and sat down to food. 38 When the Pharisee saw that, he was shocked that he had not first washed before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward parts are full of greed and wickedness. 40 O foolish men, did not he who made the outside also make that which is within? 41 But rather give alms of what you have, and behold, all is clean to you. 42 But woe is to you Pharisees. For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, but pass over justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, but yet not have left the others undone.
43 Woe to you, Pharisees, for you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves that are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.
45 Then one of the wise men of the law answered and said to him, Teacher, by so saying, you put us to rebuke also.
46 Then he said, Woe is to you also, doctors of the law. For you load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves do not touch the packs with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! You build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them; 48 truly you bear witness that you accept the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their sepulchres. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God spoke: I will send them prophets and apostles, and some they will slay, and some persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the beginning of the world, may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple. Truly I say to you, it shall be required of this nation.
52 Woe to you, doctors of the law, for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter in, and those who came in, you opposed.
53 When he spoke this way to them, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to hound him, and to stop his mouth with many questions, 54 laying wait for him, and attempting to catch something out of his mouth that they could use to accuse him.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.