Luke 11
Darby Translation
11 And it came to pass as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Father, thy name be hallowed; thy kingdom come;
3 give us our needed bread for each day;
4 and remit us our sins, for we also remit to every one indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.
5 And he said to them, Who among you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, let me have three loaves,
6 since a friend of mine on a journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him;
7 and he within answering should say, Do not disturb me; the door is already shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise up to give [it] thee?
8 —I say to you, Although he will not get up and give [them] to him because he is his friend, because of his shamelessness, at any rate, he will rise and give him as many as he wants.
9 And *I* say to you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
10 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened.
11 But of whom of you that is a father shall a son ask bread, and [the father] shall give him a stone? or also a fish, and instead of a fish shall give him a serpent?
12 or if also he shall ask an egg, shall give him a scorpion?
13 If therefore *ye*, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much rather shall the Father who is of heaven give [the] Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
14 And he was casting out a demon, and it was dumb; and it came to pass, the demon being gone out, the dumb [man] spoke. And the crowds wondered.
15 But some from among them said, By Beelzebub the prince of the demons casts he out demons.
16 And others tempting [him] sought from him a sign out of heaven.
17 But *he*, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation: and a house set against a house falls;
18 and if also Satan is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom subsist? because ye say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub.
19 But if *I* by Beelzebub cast out demons, your sons—by whom do they cast [them] out? For this reason *they* shall be your judges.
20 But if by the finger of God I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God is come upon you.
21 When the strong [man] armed keeps his own house, his goods are in peace;
22 but when the stronger than he coming upon [him] overcomes him, he takes away his panoply in which he trusted, and he will divide the spoil [he has taken] from him.
23 He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters.
24 When the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he goes through dry places seeking rest; and not finding [any] he says, I will return to my house whence I came out.
25 And having come, he finds it swept and adorned.
26 Then he goes and takes seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first.
27 And it came to pass as he spake these things, a certain woman, lifting up her voice out of the crowd, said to him, Blessed is the womb that has borne thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
28 But *he* said, Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep [it].
29 But as the crowds thronged together, he began to say, This generation is a wicked generation: it seeks a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it but the sign of Jonas.
30 For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, thus shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
31 A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, more than Solomon is here.
32 Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, more than Jonas is here.
33 But no one having lit a lamp sets it in secret, nor under the corn-measure, but on the lamp-stand, that they who enter in may see the light.
34 The lamp of the body is thine eye: when thine eye is simple, thy whole body also is light; but when it is wicked, thy body also is dark.
35 See therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36 If therefore thy whole body [is] light, not having any part dark, it shall be all light as when the lamp lights thee with its brightness.
37 But as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him that he would dine with him; and entering in he placed himself at table.
38 But the Pharisee seeing [it] wondered that he had not first washed before dinner.
39 But the Lord said to him, Now do ye Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inward [parts] are full of plunder and wickedness.
40 Fools, has not he who has made the outside made the inside also?
41 But rather give alms of what ye have, and behold, all things are clean to you.
42 But woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgment and the love of God: these ye ought to have done, and not have left those aside.
43 Woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye love the first seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market-places.
44 Woe unto you, for ye are as the sepulchres which appear not, and the men walking over them do not know [it].
45 And one of the doctors of the law answering says to him, Teacher, in saying these things thou insultest us also.
46 And he said, To you also woe, doctors of the law, for ye lay upon men burdens heavy to bear, and yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 Woe unto you, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them.
48 Ye bear witness then, and consent to the works of your fathers; for *they* killed them, and *ye* build [their sepulchres].
49 For this reason also the wisdom of God has said, I will send to them prophets and apostles, and of these shall they kill and drive out by persecution,
50 that the blood of all the prophets which has been poured out from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,
51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yea, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52 Woe unto you, the doctors of the law, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; yourselves have not entered in, and those who were entering in ye have hindered.
53 And as he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him urgently, and to make him speak of many things;
54 watching him, [and seeking] to catch something out of his mouth, [that they might accuse him].
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
Christian Standard Bible
The Lord’s 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)
Ask, Search, Knock
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.’ 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 shameless boldness,[g] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.(L)
9 “So(M) I say to you, ask,(N) and it will be given to you. Seek,(O) and you will find. Knock,(P) and the door will be opened to you. 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, if his son[h] 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 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.(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, by whom do your sons(AF) drive them out? 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 upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers(AI) him, he takes from him all his weapons[i](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 person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest,(AP) and not finding rest, it then[j] says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ 25 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 person’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, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!” (AT)
28 He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God(AU) and keep it.”(AV)
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.[k](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 stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, 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,[l] 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 healthy, 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.”
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[m](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,[n](BP) and then everything is clean(BQ) for you.
42 “But woe(BR) to you Pharisees! You give a tenth[o](BS) of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass[p] justice(BT) and love for God.[q](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![r] 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, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.(CA)
47 “Woe to you! You build tombs[s] for the prophets,(CB) and your fathers killed(CC) them. 48 Therefore, you are witnesses(CD) that you approve[t](CE) the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.[u] 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[v](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.[w]
52 “Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge.(CM) You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered(CN) those who were trying to go in.”
53 When he left there,[x] 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.[y](CQ)
Footnotes
- 11:2 Other mss read Our Father in heaven
- 11:2 Other mss add Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
- 11:3 Or our bread for tomorrow
- 11:4 Or everyone who wrongs us
- 11:4 Other mss add But deliver us from the evil one
- 11:5 Lit Who of you
- 11:8 Or persistence
- 11:11 Other mss read son asks for bread, would give him a stone? Or if he
- 11:22 Gk panoplia, the armor and weapons of a foot soldier; Eph 6:11,13
- 11:24 Other mss omit then
- 11:29 Other mss add the prophet
- 11:33 Other mss omit or under a basket
- 11:38 Lit he did not first wash
- 11:41 Or But donate from the heart as charity
- 11:42 Or a tithe
- 11:42 Or neglect
- 11:42 Lit the justice and the love of God
- 11:44 Other mss add scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
- 11:47 Or graves
- 11:48 Lit witnesses and approve
- 11:48 Other mss omit their monuments
- 11:50 Lit so that the blood of all... world may be required of this generation,
- 11:51 Lit you, it will be required of this generation
- 11:53 Other mss read And as he was saying these things to them
- 11:54 Other mss add so that they might bring charges against him
Luke 11
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Jesus gives a model prayer
11 One day it happened that Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach us how to pray, as John used to teach his disciples.”
2-4 “When you pray,” returned Jesus, “you should say, ‘Father, may your name be honoured—may your kingdom come! Give us each day the bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we forgive anyone who owes anything to us; and keep us clear of temptation.’”
The willingness of the Father to answer prayer
5-8 Then he added, “If any of you has a friend, and goes to him in the middle of the night and says, ‘Lend me three loaves, my dear fellow, for a friend of mine has just arrived after a journey and I have no food to put in front of him’; and then he answers from inside the house, ‘Don’t bother me with your troubles. The front door is locked and my children and I have gone to bed. I simply cannot get up now and give you anything!’ Yet, I tell you, that even if he won’t get up and give him what he wants simply because he is his friend, yet if he persists, he will rouse himself and give him everything he needs.”
9-10 And so I tell you, ask and it will be given you, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. The one who asks will always receive; the one who is searching will always find, and the door is opened to the man who knocks.”
11-13 “Some of you are fathers, and if your son asks you for some fish, would you give him a snake instead, or if he asks you for an egg, would you make him a present of a scorpion? So, if you, for all your evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more likely is it that your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Jesus shows the absurdity of “his being in league with the devil”
14 Another time, Jesus was expelling an evil spirit which was preventing a man from speaking, and as soon as the evil spirit left him, the dumb man found his speech, to the amazement of the crowds.
15 But some of them said, “He expels these spirits because he is in league with Beelzebub, the chief of the evil spirits.”
16-20 Others among them, to test him, tried to get a sign from Heaven out of him. But he knew what they were thinking and told them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is doomed and a disunited household will collapse. And if Satan disagrees with Satan, how does his kingdom continue?—for I know you are saying that I expel evil spirits because I am in league with Beelzebub. But if I do expel devils because I am an ally of Beelzebub, who is your own sons’ ally when they do the same thing? They can settle that question for you. But if it is by the finger of God that I am expelling evil spirits, ‘then the kingdom of God has swept over you unawares’!
21-22 “When a strong man armed to the teeth guards his own house, his property is in peace. But when a stronger man comes and conquers him, he removes all the arms on which he pinned his faith and divides the spoils among his friends.
23 “Anyone who is not with me is against me, and the man who does not gather with me is really scattering.
The danger of a spiritual vacuum in a man’s soul
24-26 “When the evil spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places looking for rest, and when it fails to find any, it says, ‘I will go back to my house from which I came.’ When it arrives, it finds it cleaned and all in order. Then it goes and collects seven other spirits more evil than itself to keep it company, and they all go in and make themselves at home. The last state of that man is worse than the first.”
Jesus brings sentimentality down to earth
27 And while he was still saying this, a woman in the crowd called out and said, “Oh, what a blessing for a woman to have brought you into the world and nursed you!”
28 But Jesus replied, “Yes, but a far greater blessing to hear the word of God and obey it.”
His scathing judgment in his contemporary generation
29-32 Then as the people crowded closely around him, he continued, “This is an evil generation! It looks for a sign and it will be given no sign except that of Jonah. Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign to this generation. When the judgment comes, the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and she will condemn them. For she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and there is more than the wisdom of Solomon with you now! The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it. For they did repent when Jonah preached to them, and there is something more than Jonah’s preaching with you now!”
The need for complete sincerity
33 “No one takes a lamp and puts it in a cupboard or under a bucket, but on a lamp-stand, so that those who come in can see the light.”
34-36 “The lamp of your body is your eye. When your eye is sound, your whole body is full of light, but when your eye is evil, your whole body is full of darkness. So be very careful that your light never becomes darkness. For if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in shadow, it will all be radiant—it will be like having a bright lamp to give you light.”
37-44 While he was talking, a Pharisee invited him to dinner. So he went into his house and sat down at table. The Pharisee noticed with some surprise that he did not wash before the meal. But the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are fond of cleaning the outside of your cups and dishes, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and wickedness! Have you no sense? Don’t you realise that the one who made the outside is the maker of the inside as well? If you would only make the inside clean by doing good to others, the outside things become clean as a matter of course! But alas for you Pharisees, for you pay out your tithe of mint and rue and every little herb, and lose sight of the justice and love of God. Yet these are the things you ought to have been concerned with—it need not mean leaving the lesser duties undone. Yes, alas for you Pharisees, who love the front seats in the synagogues and having men bow down to you in public! Alas for you, for you are like unmarked graves—men walk over your corruption without knowing it is there.”
Jesus denounces the learned for obscuring the truth
45-51 Then one of the experts in the Law said to him, “Master, when you say things like this, you are insulting us as well.” And he returned, “Yes, and I do blame you experts in the Law! For you pile up back-breaking burdens for men to bear, but you yourselves will not raise a finger to lift them. Alas for you, for you build memorial tombs for the prophets—the very men whom your fathers murdered. You show clearly enough how you approve your father’s actions. They did the actual killing and you put up a memorial to it. That is why the wisdom of God has said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will kill and some they will persecute!’ So that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the earth, from Abel to Zachariah who died between the altar and the sanctuary, shall be charged to this generation!
52 “Alas for you experts in the Law, for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You have never gone in yourselves and you have hindered everyone else who was at the door!”
53-54 And when he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began to regard him with bitter animosity and tried to draw him out on a great many subjects, waiting to pounce on some incriminating remark.
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