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Then He said to them, "Supposeone of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me threeloaves;
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for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I havenothing to setbefore him';
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and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother* me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot*get up and give you anything.'
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"I tell you, eventhough he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet1because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
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"So I say to you, 2ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
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"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
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"Nowsupposeone of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snakeinstead of a fish, will he?
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"Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?
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"3If you then, beingevil, knowhow to givegoodgifts to your children, howmuchmore will your heavenly*Fathergive the HolySpirit to those who ask Him?"
Pharisees' Blasphemy
144And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mutemanspoke; and the crowds were amazed.
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But some of them said, "He casts out demons5by 6Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."