Luke 11

Jesus Teaches Prayer

1Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father,
may your name be made holy.
May your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4Forgive us our sins,
because we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us into testing.’”

Ask, Seek, Knock

5Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6because a friend of mine has arrived from a journey and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7The one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him something because he is his friend, because of his shameless persistence he will get up and give him whatever 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, the one who seeks finds, and to the one 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? 13If you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Finger of God

14Jesus was casting out a demon that made a man unable to speak. When the demon went out, the man spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others, testing him, kept seeking a sign from heaven from him. 17But knowing their thoughts, he said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is devastated, and a divided house falls. 18If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then God’s kingdom has come upon you. 21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own courtyard, his possessions are secure. 22But when someone stronger attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and distributes his plunder. 23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Hearing and Keeping God’s Word

24“When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it travels through waterless places seeking rest. When it does not find any, it says, ‘I will return to my house that I left.’ 25When it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and live there, and the person’s final condition becomes worse than the first.” 27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice: “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts that nursed you!” 28But he said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear God’s word and keep it.”

The Sign of Jonah and Light

29As the crowds increased, Jesus began saying, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom—and look, something greater than Solomon is here. 32The people of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation—and look, something greater than Jonah is here. 33“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hidden place or under a basket. Instead, it is put on a stand so that those entering may see the light. 34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35Therefore watch that the light in you is not darkness. 36If your whole body is full of light, with no part dark, it will be completely bright, as when a lamp shines on you with its rays.”

Woes at the Table

37While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him. Jesus entered and reclined at the table. 38The Pharisee was surprised that Jesus had not first washed before the meal. 39The Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40Fools! Did not the one who made the outside also make the inside? 41Instead, give what is inside as alms, and look—everything is clean for you. 42But woe to you Pharisees! You tithe mint, rue, and every herb but pass over justice and the love of God. These you should have practiced without neglecting the others. 43Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.” 45One of the experts in the Law answered, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too.” 46Jesus said, “Woe to you experts in the Law as well! You load people with burdens hard to carry, while you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets, but your ancestors killed them. 48So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your ancestors: they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49For this reason the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and they will kill and persecute some of them,’ 50so that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be charged to this generation, 51from Abel’s blood to Zechariah’s blood, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged to this generation. 52Woe to you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” 53When Jesus left there, the scribes and Pharisees began pressing him hard and provoking him to speak about many things, 54lying in wait to catch something from his mouth.