Common English Bible CEB
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
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He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."
2 Jesus told them, "When you pray, say: ‘Father, uphold the holiness of your name. Bring in your kingdom.
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And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
3 Give us the bread we need for today.
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Give us each day our daily bread;
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who has wronged us. And don't lead us into temptation.'"
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and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation."
5 He also said to them, “Imagine that one of you has a friend and you go to that friend in the middle of the night. Imagine saying, ‘Friend, loan me three loaves of bread
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And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 because a friend of mine on a journey has arrived and I have nothing to set before him.'
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for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';
7 Imagine further that he answers from within the house, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up to give you anything.'
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and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything'?
8 I assure you, even if he wouldn't get up and help because of his friendship, he will get up and give his friend whatever he needs because of his friend's brashness.
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I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise 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.
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And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 Everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. To everyone who knocks, the door is opened.
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For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 "Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish?
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What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
12 If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion?
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or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you 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?"
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If 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!"
14 Jesus was throwing out a demon that causes muteness. When the demon was gone, the man who couldn't speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed.
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Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled.
15 But some of them said, "He throws out demons with the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons."
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But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Be-el'zebul, the prince of demons";
16 Others were testing him, seeking a sign from heaven.
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while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven.
17 Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland, and a house torn apart by divisions will collapse.
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But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.
18 If Satan is at war with himself, how will his kingdom endure? I ask this because you say that I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul.
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And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul.
19 If I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.
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And if I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
20 But if I throw out demons by the power of God, then God's kingdom has already overtaken you.
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But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are secure.
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When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace;
22 But as soon as a stronger one attacks and overpowers him, the stronger one takes away the armor he had trusted and divides the stolen goods.
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but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil.
23 "Whoever isn't with me is against me, and whoever doesn't gather with me, scatters.
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He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
24 When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn't find any. Then it says, ‘I'll go back to the house I left.'
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"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'
25 When it arrives, it finds the house cleaned up and decorated.
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And when he comes he finds it swept and put in order.
26 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and make their home there. That person is worse off at the end than at the beginning."
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Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first."
27 While Jesus was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd spoke up: "Happy is the mother who gave birth to you and who nursed you."
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As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!"
28 But he said, "Happy rather are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
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But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"
29 When the crowds grew, Jesus said, “This generation is an evil generation. It looks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except Jonah's sign.
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When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Human One will be a sign to this generation.
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For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation.
31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from a distant land to hear Solomon's wisdom. And look, someone greater than Solomon is here.
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The queen of the South will arise at 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 behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
32 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they changed their hearts and lives in response to Jonah's preaching—and one greater than Jonah is here.
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The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
33 "People don't light a lamp and then put it in a closet or under a basket. Rather, they place the lamp on a lampstand so that those who enter the house can see the light.
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"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a bushel, but on a stand, that those who enter may see the light.
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is full of darkness.
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Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.
35 Therefore, see to it that the light in you isn't darkness.
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Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.
36 If your whole body is full of light—with no part darkened—then it will be as full of light as when a lamp shines brightly on you."
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If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light."
37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to share a meal with him, so Jesus went and took his place at the table.
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While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table.
38 When the Pharisee saw that Jesus didn't ritually purify his hands by washing before the meal, he was astonished.
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The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.
39 The Lord said to him, “Now, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your insides are stuffed with greed and wickedness.
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And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.
40 Foolish people! Didn't the one who made the outside also make the inside?
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You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?
41 Therefore, give to those in need from the core of who you are and you will be clean all over.
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But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.
42 “How terrible for you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and garden herbs of all kinds, while neglecting justice and love for God. These you ought to have done without neglecting the others.
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"But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
43 “How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the most prominent seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
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Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places.
44 "How terrible for you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk on them without recognizing it."
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Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it."
45 One of the legal experts responded, "Teacher, when you say these things, you are insulting us too."
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One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also."
46 Jesus said, “How terrible for you legal experts too! You load people down with impossible burdens and you refuse to lift a single finger to help them.
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And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 “How terrible for you! You built memorials to the prophets, whom your ancestors killed.
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Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.
48 In this way, you testify that you approve of your ancestors' deeds. They killed the prophets, and you build memorials!
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So you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.
49 Therefore, God's wisdom has said, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them and they will harass and kill some of them.'
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Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,'
50 As a result, this generation will be charged with the murder of all the prophets since the beginning of time.
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that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,
51 This includes the murder of every prophet—from Abel to Zechariah—who was killed between the altar and the holy place. Yes, I'm telling you, this generation will be charged with it.
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from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation.
52 "How terrible for you legal experts! You snatched away the key of knowledge. You didn't enter yourselves, and you stood in the way of those who were entering."
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Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."
53 As he left there, the legal experts and Pharisees began to resent him deeply and to ask him pointed questions about many things.
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As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things,
54 They plotted against him, trying to trap him in his words.
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lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.