New Testament in a Year
Jesus Teaches About Prayer(A)
11 One time Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his ·followers [disciples] said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his ·followers [disciples].”
2 Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father, ·may your name always be kept holy [T hallowed be your name].
May your kingdom come [C soon or fully].
3 Give us ·the food we need for each day [T our daily bread].
4 Forgive us for our sins,
·because [as] we forgive everyone who ·has done wrong to us [sins against us; L is indebted to us; C sin is pictured as a debt owed].
And ·do not cause us to be tempted [or do not subject us to testing; T lead us not into temptation].’”[a]
Continue to Ask(B)
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house at midnight and said to him, ‘Friend, loan me three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine has come ·into town [L from the road] to visit me, but I have nothing ·for him to eat [to offer him; L to set before him].’ 7 Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already ·locked [shut], and my children ·and I are [L are with me] in bed [C a small Palestinian home where everyone slept in one room]. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, [L even] if friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread, ·your boldness will make him [your shameless persistence will make him; or in order not to be shamed before the community he will] get up and give you whatever you need. 9 So I tell you, ·ask [keep on asking], and God will give to you. ·Search [Keep on searching/seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep on knocking], and the door will open for you. 10 ·Yes, [L For; Because] everyone who asks will receive. The one who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened. 11 If your ·children ask [or son asks] for[b] a fish, which of you fathers would give them a snake instead? 12 Or, if ·your children ask [or he asks] for an egg, would you give them a scorpion? 13 Even though you are ·bad [sinful; evil], you know how to give good ·things [L gifts] to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Jesus’ Power Is from God(C)
14 One time Jesus was ·sending [driving; casting] out a demon ·who could not talk [or who was making a man mute]. When the demon came out, the man who had been unable to speak, then spoke. The ·people were [crowd was] amazed. 15 But some of them said, “Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul [C another name for Satan], the ruler of demons, to ·force [drive; cast] demons out of people.”
16 Other people, wanting to test Jesus, asked him to give them a sign from heaven. 17 But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom that is ·divided against [at war with] itself ·will be destroyed [is doomed/heading for ruin]. And a ·family [L house] that is ·divided against [at war with] itself will ·not continue [L fall]. 18 So if Satan is divided against himself, ·his kingdom will not continue [L how will his kingdom stand?]. [L For] You say that I use the power of Beelzebul [v. 15] to ·force [drive; cast] out demons. 19 But if I use the power of Beelzebul to ·force [drive; cast] out demons, what power do your ·people [own exorcists; followers; L sons] use to ·force [drive; cast] demons out? So they will ·be your judges. 20 But if I use the ·power [L finger] of God to ·force [drive; cast] out demons, then the kingdom of God has ·come to [arrived among] you.
21 “When a strong person ·with many weapons [fully armed] guards his own ·house [villa; or palace; C a large building with a courtyard], his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger comes and ·defeats [overpowers; conquers] him, the stronger one will take away the ·weapons [armor] ·the first man trusted [on which he relied] and will ·give away the possessions [L divide his plunder].
23 “Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not ·work [L gather] with me ·is working against me [scatters; C the metaphor is probably to gathering or scattering a flock; John 10:12].
The Empty Person(D)
24 “When an ·evil [defiling; L unclean; 4:33] spirit comes out of a person, it ·travels [wanders] through ·dry [waterless; arid] places, looking for a place to rest. But when it finds no place, it says, ‘I will go back to the house [C meaning the person] I left.’ 25 And when it comes back, it finds that house swept clean and ·made neat [in order; fixed up]. 26 Then ·the evil spirit [L it] goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So ·the person has even more trouble than before [L the last state of that person is worse than the first].”
People Who Are Truly Blessed
27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, “Blessed is the ·mother who gave birth to you [L the womb that bore you] and [L the breasts that] nursed you.”
28 But Jesus said, “·No [L Rather; On the contrary], blessed are those who hear the ·teaching [word] of God and ·obey [practice; keep] it.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.