11Luke 11

Prayer

1When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray.”Select Luke 11:1

2So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way: ‘Father, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom.Select Luke 11:2

3Give us each day the food we need.Select Luke 11:3

4Forgive our sins, as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And keep us from being tempted.’ ”Select Luke 11:4

5Then Jesus went on to say: Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, “Let me borrow three loaves of bread.Select Luke 11:5

6A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat.”Select Luke 11:6

7And suppose your friend answers, “Don't bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something.”Select Luke 11:7

8He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.Select Luke 11:8

9So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you.Select Luke 11:9

10Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.Select Luke 11:10

11Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish?Select Luke 11:11

12Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg?Select Luke 11:12

13As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.Select Luke 11:13

Jesus and the Ruler of Demons

14Jesus forced a demon out of a man who could not talk. And after the demon had gone out, the man started speaking, and the crowds were amazed.Select Luke 11:14

15But some people said, “He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!”Select Luke 11:15

16Others wanted to put Jesus to the test. So they asked him to show them a sign from God.Select Luke 11:16

17Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said: A kingdom where people fight each other will end up in ruin. And a family that fights will break up.Select Luke 11:17

18If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? Yet you say that I force out demons by the power of Beelzebul.Select Luke 11:18

19If I use his power to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? They are the ones who will judge you.Select Luke 11:19

20But if I use God's power to force out demons, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you.Select Luke 11:20

21When a strong man arms himself and guards his home, everything he owns is safe.Select Luke 11:21

22But if a stronger man comes and defeats him, he will carry off the weapons in which the strong man trusted. Then he will divide with others what he has taken.Select Luke 11:22

23If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the crop with me, you scatter it.Select Luke 11:23

Return of an Evil Spirit

24When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when it doesn't find a place, it says, “I will go back to the home I left.”Select Luke 11:24

25When it gets there and finds the place clean and fixed up,Select Luke 11:25

26it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and that person ends up in worse shape than before.Select Luke 11:26

Being Really Blessed

27While Jesus was still talking, a woman in the crowd spoke up, “The woman who gave birth to you and nursed you is blessed!”Select Luke 11:27

28Jesus replied, “That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God's message!”Select Luke 11:28

A Sign from God

29As crowds were gathering around Jesus, he said: You people of today are evil! You keep looking for a sign from God. But what happened to Jonah is the only sign you will be given.Select Luke 11:29

30Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign to the people of today.Select Luke 11:30

31When the judgment comes, the Queen of the South will stand there with you and condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something far greater than Solomon.Select Luke 11:31

32The people of Nineveh will also stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah.Select Luke 11:32

Light

33No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lampstand, so everyone who comes into the house can see the light.Select Luke 11:33

34Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark.Select Luke 11:34

35So be sure your light isn't darkness.Select Luke 11:35

36If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when a lamp shines brightly on you.Select Luke 11:36

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law of Moses

37When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him home for a meal. Jesus went and sat down to eat.Select Luke 11:37

38The Pharisee was surprised that he did not wash his hands before eating.Select Luke 11:38

39So the Lord said to him: You Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes, but on the inside you are greedy and evil.Select Luke 11:39

40You fools! Didn't God make both the outside and the inside?Select Luke 11:40

41If you would only give what you have to the poor, everything you do would please God.Select Luke 11:41

42You Pharisees are in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your gardens, such as mint and rue. But you cheat people, and you don't love God. You should be fair and kind to others and still give a tenth to God.Select Luke 11:42

43You Pharisees are in for trouble! You love the front seats in the synagogues, and you like to be greeted with honor in the market.Select Luke 11:43

44But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked graves that people walk on without even knowing it.Select Luke 11:44

45A teacher of the Law of Moses spoke up, “Teacher, you said cruel things about us.”Select Luke 11:45

46Jesus replied: You teachers are also in for trouble! You load people down with heavy burdens, but you won't lift a finger to help them carry the loads.Select Luke 11:46

47Yes, you are really in for trouble. You build monuments to honor the prophets your own people murdered long ago.Select Luke 11:47

48You must think that was the right thing for your people to do, or else you would not have built monuments for the prophets they murdered.Select Luke 11:48

49Because of your evil deeds, the Wisdom of God said, “I will send prophets and apostles to you. But you will murder some and mistreat others.”Select Luke 11:49

50You people living today will be punished for all the prophets who have been murdered since the beginning of the world.Select Luke 11:50

51This includes every prophet from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the temple. You people will certainly be punished for all of this.Select Luke 11:51

52You teachers of the Law of Moses are really in for trouble! You carry the keys to the door of knowledge about God. But you never go in, and you keep others from going in.Select Luke 11:52

53Jesus was about to leave, but the teachers and the Pharisees wanted to get even with him. They tried to make him say what he thought about other things,Select Luke 11:53

54so they could catch him saying something wrong.Select Luke 11:54