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

2 He said to them, "When you pray, say,

‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be kept holy.

May your Kingdom come.

May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 Forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

Bring us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’"

5 He said to them, "Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,’ 7 and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you’? 8 I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

9 "I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.

11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

14 He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the multitudes marveled. 15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons." 16 Others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. A house divided against itself falls. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 But if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I by God’s finger cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come to you.

21 "When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides his plunder.

23 "He who is not with me is against me. He who doesn’t gather with me scatters.

24 The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will turn back to my house from which I came out.’ 25 When he returns, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first."

27 It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!"

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

29 When the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will also be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and will condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.

33 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness. 36 If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light."

37 Now as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. He went in and sat at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner. 39 The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. 40 You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you. 42 But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it."

45 One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you insult us also."

46 He said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute, 50 that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered."

53 As he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him, 54 lying in wait for him, and seeking to catch him in something he might say, that they might accuse him.

1 And it came to pass as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples.2 And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Father, thy name be hallowed; thy kingdom come;3 give us our needed bread for each day;4 and remit us our sins, for we also remit to every one indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.5 And he said to them, Who among you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, let me have three loaves,6 since a friend of mine on a journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him;7 and he within answering should say, Do not disturb me; the door is already shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise up to give {it} thee?8 -I say to you, Although he will not get up and give {them} to him because he is his friend, because of his shamelessness, at any rate, he will rise and give him as many as he wants.9 And *I* say to you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.10 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened.11 But of whom of you that is a father shall a son ask bread, and {the father} shall give him a stone? or also a fish, and instead of a fish shall give him a serpent?12 or if also he shall ask an egg, shall give him a scorpion?13 If therefore *ye*, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much rather shall the Father who is of heaven give {the} Holy Spirit to them that ask him?14 And he was casting out a demon, and it was dumb; and it came to pass, the demon being gone out, the dumb {man} spoke. And the crowds wondered.15 But some from among them said, By Beelzebub the prince of the demons casts he out demons.16 And others tempting {him} sought from him a sign out of heaven.17 But *he*, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation: and a house set against a house falls;18 and if also Satan is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom subsist? because ye say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub.19 But if *I* by Beelzebub cast out demons, your sons-by whom do they cast {them} out? For this reason *they* shall be your judges.20 But if by the finger of God I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God is come upon you.21 When the strong {man} armed keeps his own house, his goods are in peace;22 but when the stronger than he coming upon {him} overcomes him, he takes away his panoply in which he trusted, and he will divide the spoil {he has taken} from him.23 He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters.24 When the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he goes through dry places seeking rest; and not finding {any} he says, I will return to my house whence I came out.25 And having come, he finds it swept and adorned.26 Then he goes and takes seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first.27 And it came to pass as he spake these things, a certain woman, lifting up her voice out of the crowd, said to him, Blessed is the womb that has borne thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.28 But *he* said, Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep {it}.29 But as the crowds thronged together, he began to say, This generation is a wicked generation: it seeks a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it but the sign of Jonas.30 For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, thus shall also the Son of man be to this generation.31 A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, more than Solomon is here.32 Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, more than Jonas is here.33 But no one having lit a lamp sets it in secret, nor under the corn-measure, but on the lamp-stand, that they who enter in may see the light.34 The lamp of the body is thine eye: when thine eye is simple, thy whole body also is light; but when it is wicked, thy body also is dark.35 See therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.36 If therefore thy whole body {is} light, not having any part dark, it shall be all light as when the lamp lights thee with its brightness.37 But as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him that he would dine with him; and entering in he placed himself at table.38 But the Pharisee seeing {it} wondered that he had not first washed before dinner.39 But the Lord said to him, Now do ye Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inward {parts} are full of plunder and wickedness.40 Fools, has not he who has made the outside made the inside also?41 But rather give alms of what ye have, and behold, all things are clean to you.42 But woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgment and the love of God: these ye ought to have done, and not have left those aside.43 Woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye love the first seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market-places.44 Woe unto you, for ye are as the sepulchres which appear not, and the men walking over them do not know {it}.45 And one of the doctors of the law answering says to him, Teacher, in saying these things thou insultest us also.46 And he said, To you also woe, doctors of the law, for ye lay upon men burdens heavy to bear, and yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.47 Woe unto you, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them.48 Ye bear witness then, and consent to the works of your fathers; for *they* killed them, and *ye* build {their sepulchres}.49 For this reason also the wisdom of God has said, I will send to them prophets and apostles, and of these shall they kill and drive out by persecution,50 that the blood of all the prophets which has been poured out from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yea, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.52 Woe unto you, the doctors of the law, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; yourselves have not entered in, and those who were entering in ye have hindered.53 And as he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him urgently, and to make him speak of many things;54 watching him, {and seeking} to catch something out of his mouth, {that they might accuse him}.