Luke 11–12

1One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2So Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.

3Give us each day our daily bread.

4And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

5Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you goes to his friend at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

6because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’

7And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. My door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’

8I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

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

13So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

14One day Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. And when the demon was gone, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed,

15but some of them said, “It is by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, that He drives out demons.”

16And others tested Him by demanding a sign from heaven.

17Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and a house divided against a house will fall.

18If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul.

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

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

21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure.

22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and then he divides up his plunder.

23He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

24When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’

25On its return, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first.”

27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and blessed are the breasts that nursed You!”

28But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

29As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.

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

31The Queen of the South will rise 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 now One greater than Solomon is here.

32The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

33No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or under a basket. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light.

34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body is full of darkness.

35Be careful, then, that the light within you is not darkness.

36So if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining on you.”

37As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited Him to dine with him; so He went in and reclined at the table.

38But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

39Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

40You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well?

41But give as alms the things that are within you, and behold, everything will be clean for you.

42Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.

44Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even noticing.”

45One of the experts in the law told Him, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us as well.”

46“Woe to you as well, experts in the law!” He replied. “For you weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.

47Woe to you! For you build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them.

48So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.

49Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’

50As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world,

51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.

52Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

53As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,

54waiting to catch Him in something He might say.

1In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

3What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.

4I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.

5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!

6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

7And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

8I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.

9But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.

12For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”

13Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”

15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

16Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.

17So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’

18Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods.

19Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

21This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

22Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.

23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

26So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.

28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!

29And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.

30For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

31But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.

32Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.

33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

35Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.

36Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.

38Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed.

39But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

41“Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”

42And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?

43Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

44Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

45But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

46The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

47That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.

48But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.

49I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division.

52From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

54Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens.

55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is.

56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?

57And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

58Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.

59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”