New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

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

2So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

2He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say, Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come.

3Give us day by day our daily bread.

3Give us each day our daily bread.

4And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

4And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation."

5And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;

5He also said to them: "Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

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

6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don't have anything to offer him.'

7and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?

7Then he will answer from inside and say, 'Don't bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can't get up to give you anything.'

8I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

8I tell you, even though he won't get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend's shameless boldness, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

9"So I say to 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, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

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

11If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?

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

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

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

13If 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!”

13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

14And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.

14Now he was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon came out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed.

15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

15But some of them said, "He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

16Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.

16And others, as a test, were demanding of him a sign from heaven.

17But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.

17Knowing their thoughts, he told them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls.

18If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.

18If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul.

19And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

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

20But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

20If 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 own palace, his goods are in peace.

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

22But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.

22But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder.

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

23Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

24“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

24"When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, 'I'll go back to my house that I came from.'

25And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.

25Returning, it finds the house swept and put in order.

26Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person's last condition is worse than the first."

27And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”

27As he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!"

28But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

28He said, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it."

29And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

29As the crowds were increasing, he began saying: "This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

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

30For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

31The queen of the South will rise up in 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 indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

31The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look--something greater than Solomon is here.

32The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

32The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's preaching, and look--something greater than Jonah is here.

33“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.

33"No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light.

34The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.

34Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness.

35Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

35Take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness.

36If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

36If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you."

37And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat.

37As he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went in and reclined at the table.

38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

38When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner.

39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

39But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil.

40Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

40Fools! Didn't he who made the outside make the inside too?

41But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

41But give from what is within to the poor, and then everything is clean for you.

42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

42"But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

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

43"Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

44"Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don't know it."

45Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

45One of the experts in the law answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too."

46And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

46Then he said: "Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don't touch these burdens with one of your fingers.

47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

47"Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.

48Therefore, you are witnesses that you approve the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.

49Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’

49Because of this, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,'

50that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,

50so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world--

51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. "Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.

52“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

52"Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were trying to go in."

53And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,

53When he left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely and to cross-examine him about many things;

54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

54they were lying in wait for him to trap him in something he said.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.