Luke 11

1As he was praying in a certain place, when he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples."

2He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, let your name be hallowed. Let your kingdom come.'"

3Give us each day our daily bread.

4And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation.

5He said to them, "Which of you will have a friend and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves'?"

6Because my friend came to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.

7And he from within will answer, "Do not trouble me; the door is already shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you."

8I tell you, even though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessness he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

9And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

10For everyone who asks receives, and whoever seeks finds, and it will be opened to whoever knocks.

11Which of you fathers will give his son a serpent instead of a fish if he asks for a fish?

12Or even if he asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?

13If you then, evil though you are, 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?

14He was driving out a mute demon. When the demon had departed, the mute man spoke, and the crowds marveled.

15But some of them said, "By Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, he casts out the demons."

16But others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven.

17But he, perceiving their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against a house falls."

18If Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

19But if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

20But if by the finger of God I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

21When the strong man, armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are at peace.

22But when one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes away his full armor in which he had trusted, and distributes his spoils.

23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

24When the unclean spirit departs from a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none, it says, “I will return to my house from which I left.”

25And when it comes, it finds it swept and adorned.

26Then he went and took seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they entered and dwelt there. That man's final condition became worse than the first.

27As he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you nursed!"

28But he said, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it."

29As the crowds gathered thickly to him, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah."

30For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation also.

31The queen of the south will rise in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and see, something greater than Solomon is here.

32The men of Nineveh will rise in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

33No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hidden place, nor under a bushel, but on the lampstand, so that those entering may see the light.

34The lamp of the body is your eye; when your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is evil, your body is full of darkness.

35Therefore take care that the light in you is not darkness.

36If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark at all, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp by its bright shining illuminates you.

37While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to eat with him; and entering, he reclined.

38When the Pharisee saw that he had not first washed before dinner, he marveled.

39The Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and platter, but what is inside you is full of extortion and wickedness.”

40Foolish ones, did not the one who made the outside also make the inside?

41But give alms from what lies within, and behold, all things are clean for you.

42But woe to you Pharisees, for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, yet neglect justice and the love of God. These you needed to practice, without overlooking those others.

43Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the chief seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.

44Woe to you, for you are like unseen graves, and the men who walk over them do not know it.

45One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, by saying these things you also reproach us."

46But he said, “Woe to you lawyers as well, for you load people with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves do not touch those burdens with one of your fingers.”

47Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, but your fathers killed them.

48So you are witnesses and approve your fathers' deeds, because they indeed killed them, but you build their tombs.

49For this reason God's wisdom also said, "I will send prophets and apostles to them, and some of them they will kill and persecute."

50so that the blood of all the prophets, poured out from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation.

51From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple—yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

52Woe to you lawyers, because you removed the key to knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and those entering you hindered.

53And when he departed from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to press him fiercely and to provoke him to speak about many things.

54They were lying in ambush for him to catch something from his mouth.