Chapter 11

And it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place, that when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples."

And he said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come!

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. '"

And he said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves,

for a friend of mine has just come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

and he from within should answer and say, 'Do not disturb me; the door is now shut, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give to thee'?

"I say to you, although he will not get up and give to him because his is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him all he needs.

And 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.

For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened.

But if one of you asks his father for a loaf, will he hand him a stone? or for a fish, will he for a fish hand him a serpent?

or if he asks for an egg, will he hand him a scorpion?

Therefore, if you, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Good Spirit to those who ask him!" Blasphemy of the Pharisees

And he was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb; and when he had cast out the devil, the dumb man spoke. And the crowds marvelled.

But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of devils, he casts out devils."

And others, to test him, demanded from him a sign from heaven.

But he, seeing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and house will fall upon house.

If, then, Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub.

Now, if I cast devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

But if I cast out devils by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

When the strong man, fully armed, guards his courtyard, his property is undisturbed.

But if a stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he will take away all his weapons that he relied upon, and will divide his spoils.

He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.

"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he roams through waterless places in search of rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house which I left. '

And when he as come to it, he finds the place swept.

Then he goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." The Praise of Mary

Now it came to pass as he was saying these things, that a certain woman from the crowd lifted up her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the breasts that nursed thee."

But he said, "Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it." The Sign of Jonas

And as the crowds were gathering together, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation: it demands a sign, and no sign shall be given it but the sign of Jonas.

For even as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so will also the Son of Man be to this generation.

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, a greater than Solomon is here.

The men of Nineve will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold, a greater than Jonas is here. A Lesson from a Lamp

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or even under the measure, but upon the lamp-stand, that they who enter in may see the light.

The lamp of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be sound, thy whole body will be full of light. But if it be evil, thy body also will be full of darkness.

Take care, therefore, that the light that is in thee is not darkness.

If, then, thy whole body is full of light, having no part in darkness, it will all be illuminated, as when a bright lamp illumines thee." Denunciation of the Pharisees

Now after he had spoken, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. And he went in and reclined at table.

But the Pharisee began to ponder and ask himself why he had not washed before dinner.

But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but within you are full of robbery and wickedness.

Foolish ones! did not he who made the outside make the inside too?

Nevertheless, give that which remains as alms; and behold, all things are clean to you.

"But woe to you Pharisees! because you pay tithes on mint and rue and every herb, and disregard justice and the love of God. But these things you ought to have done, while not leaving the others undone.

Woe to you Pharisees! because you love the front seats in the synagogues and greetings in the market place.

Woe to you! because you are like hidden tombs, over which men walk unaware." Denunciation of the Lawyers

But one of the lawyers, answering, said to him, "Master, in saying these things, thou insultest us also."

But he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! because you load men with oppressive burdens and you yourselves with one of your fingers do not touch the burdens.

Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets, whereas your fathers killed them.

So then you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.

For this reason also the wisdom of God has said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will put to death and persecute,

that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,

from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who was slain between the altar and the temple. ' Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

Woe to you lawyers! because you have taken away the key of knowledge; you have not entered yourselves and those who were entering you have hindered."

After he had said these things to them, the Pharisees and the lawyers began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak on many things,

setting traps for him and plotting to seize upon something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.