Luke 11

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."	1 And it happened that, while he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.	2 And he said to them: “When you are praying, say: Father, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread	3 Give us this day our daily bread.
4 and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."	4 And forgive us our sins, since we also forgive all who are indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
5 And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,	5 And he said to them: “Which of you will have a friend and will go to him in the middle of the night, and will say to him: ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,
6 for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,'	6 because a friend of mine has arrived from a journey to me, and I do not have anything to set before him.’
7 and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.'	7 And from within, he would answer by saying: ‘Do not disturb me. The door is closed now, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give it to you.’
8 I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.	8 Yet if he will persevere in knocking, I tell you that, even though he would not get up and give it to him because he is a friend, yet due to his continued insistence, he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.	9 And so I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.	10 For everyone who asks, receives. And whoever seeks, finds. And whoever knocks, it shall be opened to him.
11 What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?	11 So then, who among you, if he asks his father for bread, he would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he would give him a serpent, instead of a fish?
12 Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?	12 Or if he will ask for an egg, he would offer to him a scorpion?
13 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?"	13 Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good things to your sons, how much more will your Father give, from heaven, a spirit of goodness to those who ask him?”
14 He was driving out a demon (that was) mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed.	14 And he was casting out a demon, and the man was mute. But when he had cast out the demon, the mute man spoke, and so the crowds were amazed.
15 Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons."	15 But some of them said, “It is by Beelzebub, the leader of demons, that he casts out demons.”
16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.	16 And others, testing him, required a sign from heaven of him.
17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.	17 But when he perceived their thoughts, he said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself will become desolate, and house will fall upon house.
18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.	18 So then, if Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebub that I cast out demons.
19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges.	19 But if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your own sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.
20 But if it is by the finger of God that (I) drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.	20 Moreover, if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then certainly the kingdom of God has overtaken you.
21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.	21 When a strong armed man guards his entrance, the things that he possesses are at peace.
22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.	22 But if a stronger one, overwhelming him, has defeated him, he will take away all his weapons, in which he trusted, and he will distribute his spoils.
23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.	23 Whoever is not with me, is against me. And whoever does not gather with me, scatters.
24 "When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, 'I shall return to my home from which I came.'	24 When an unclean spirit has departed from a man, he walks through waterless places, seeking rest. And not finding any, he says: ‘I will return to my house, from which I departed.’
25 But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.	25 And when he has arrived, he finds it swept clean and decorated.
26 Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that person is worse than the first."	26 Then he goes, and he takes in seven other spirits with him, more wicked than himself, and they enter and live there. And so, the end of that man is made worse the beginning.”
27 While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed."	27 And it happened that, when he was saying these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you.”
28 He replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."	28 Then he said, “Yes, but moreover: blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
29 While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.	29 Then, as the crowds were quickly gathering, he began to say: “This generation is a wicked generation: it seeks a sign. But no sign will be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.	30 For just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of man be to this generation.
31 At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.	31 The queen of the South will rise up, at the judgment, with the men of this generation, and she will 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 At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.	32 The men of Nineveh will rise up, at the judgment, with this generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah, they repented. And behold, more than Jonah is here.
33 "No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it (under a bushel basket), but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light.	33 No one lights a candle and places it in hiding, nor under a bushel basket, but upon a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.
34 The lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled with light, but when it is bad, then your body is in darkness.	34 Your eye is the light of your body. If your eye is wholesome, your entire body will be filled with light. But if it is wicked, then even your body will be darkened.
35 Take care, then, that the light in you not become darkness.	35 Therefore, take care, lest the light that is within you become darkness.
36 If your whole body is full of light, and no part of it is in darkness, then it will be as full of light as a lamp illuminating you with its brightness."	36 So then, if your entire body becomes filled with light, not having any part in darkness, then it will be entirely light, and, like a shining lamp, it will illuminate you.”
37 After he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat.	37 And as he was speaking, a certain Pharisee asked him to eat with him. And going inside, he sat down to eat.
38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.	38 But the Pharisee began to say, thinking within himself: “Why might it be that he has not washed before eating?”
39 The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.	39 And the Lord said to him: “You Pharisees today clean what is outside the cup and the plate, but what is inside of you is full of plunder and iniquity.
40 You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?	40 Fools! Did not he who made what is outside, indeed also make what is inside?
41 But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.	41 Yet truly, give what is above as alms, and behold, all things are clean for you.
42 Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others.	42 But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you ignore judgment and the charity of God. But these things you ought to have done, without omitting the others.
43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.	43 Woe to you, Pharisees! For you love the first seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplace.
44 Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk."	44 Woe to you! For you are like graves that are not noticeable, so that men walk over them without realizing it.”
45 Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, "Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too."	45 Then one of the experts in the law, in response, said to him, “Teacher, in saying these things, you bring an insult against us as well.”
46 And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.	46 So he said: “And woe to you experts in the law! For you weigh men down with burdens which they are not able to bear, but you yourselves do not touch the weight with even one of your fingers.
47 Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.	47 Woe to you, who build the tombs of the prophets, while it is your fathers who killed them!
48 Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building.	48 Clearly, you are testifying that you consent to the actions of your fathers, because even though they killed them, you build their sepulchers.
49 Therefore, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute'	49 Because of this also, the wisdom of God said: I will send to them Prophets and Apostles, and some of these they will kill or persecute,
50 in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world,	50 so that the blood of all the Prophets, which has been shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation:
51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!	51 from the blood of Abel, even to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. So I say to you: it will be required of this generation!
52 Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter."	52 Woe to you, experts in the law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves do not enter, and those who were entering, you would have prohibited.”
53 When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things,	53 Then, while he was saying these things to them, the Pharisees and the experts in the law began to insist strongly that he restrain his mouth about many things.
54 for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.	54 And waiting to ambush him, they sought something from his mouth that they might seize upon, in order to accuse him.