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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, "`Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;
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for a friend of mine has just come to my house from a distance, and I have nothing for him to eat'?
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"And he from indoors shall answer, "`Do not pester me. The door is now barred, and I am here in bed with my children. I cannot get up and give you bread.'
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"I tell you that even if he will not rise and give him the loaves because he is his friend, at any rate because of his persistency he will rouse himself and give him as many as he requires.
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"So I say to you, `Ask, and what you ask for shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.'
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For every one who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door shall be opened.
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And what father is there among you, who, if his son asks for a slice of bread, will offer him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish offer him a snake?
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or if he asks for an egg, will offer him a scorpion?
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If you then, with all your human frailty, know how to give your children gifts that are good for them, how much more certainly will your Father who is in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
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On once occasion He was expelling a dumb demon; and when the demon was gone out the dumb man could speak, and the people were astonished.
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But some among them said, "It is by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of the demons, that he expels the demons."