Luke Chapter 11
Showing all 54 verses for Luke Chapter 11.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. "
"One day after Jesus finished praying somewhere by himself, one of his followers asked him to teach them how to pray, just as John the Baptist had taught his own followers a way of praying."
I am speaking as Jesus: when you don't know how to put your deepest needs into words, ask - that's exactly what my own friend did, and I didn't turn him away. Prayer isn't a performance for experts; it's a conversation anyone can learn.
"And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. "
"Jesus told them: when you pray, say this - Father in heaven, may your name be honoured, may your kingdom arrive, may what you want done be done, here on earth just as it is in heaven."
I am speaking as Jesus: I taught you to start prayer by getting your priorities straight - honouring what's good, wanting things to be set right - before you ask for anything for yourself. Put the bigger picture first and your own worries get proper perspective.
"Give us day by day our daily bread. "
"Give us the food we need for each day, day by day."
I am speaking as Jesus: I taught you to ask only for today's bread, not tomorrow's stockpile. Letting go of the need to hoard and control everything in advance is how you stop anxiety about the future eating your present.
"And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. "
"Forgive us for the wrong we've done, since we also forgive everyone who owes us anything; and don't let us be led into testing, but keep us safe from evil."
I am speaking as Jesus: I tied being forgiven to forgiving others, because carrying resentment poisons you more than the person you're angry at. Let go of what's owed to you, and ask for the same release for yourself.
"And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; "
"Jesus said: imagine you go to a friend's house at midnight and say, 'Lend me three loaves of bread.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I told this story about an inconvenient, badly-timed request because real needs don't wait for convenient moments. Don't let embarrassment or bad timing stop you asking for what you or others genuinely need.
"For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? "
"You say: a friend of mine has just arrived from a journey, and I have nothing to feed him."
I am speaking as Jesus: I gave the friend a genuine, pressing need, not a trivial want, because real prayer usually comes from real necessity. Don't be embarrassed by urgent needs - they're exactly what deserve to be brought forward.
"And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. "
"And the friend inside answers, 'Don't bother me - the door's already locked and my children are in bed with me; I can't get up and give you anything.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I gave the friend a completely reasonable excuse, because I want you to see that people's reluctance isn't usually cruelty - it's just inconvenience. Don't assume no is the final answer; understand it, then try again.
"I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. "
"I tell you, even if he won't get up just because they're friends, he'll get up and give him what he needs because of his sheer persistence in asking."
I am speaking as Jesus: I'm telling you that persistence matters - don't stop asking for what you need just because the first attempt gets no response. Keep showing up for the things that matter to you.
"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. "
"So I tell you: ask, and you'll receive; search, and you'll find; knock, and the door will be opened to you."
I am speaking as Jesus: I gave you three actions, not one - asking is just the start; sometimes you have to search and even knock persistently. Don't expect good things to arrive without you reaching for them.
"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. "
"Because everyone who asks receives, everyone who searches finds, and to everyone who knocks, the door opens."
I am speaking as Jesus: I made this promise universal - for everyone, not a select few. Trust that genuine, persistent effort towards something good is never wasted, whoever you are.
"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? "
"If a son asks his father for a fish, would the father hand him a snake instead?"
I am speaking as Jesus: I used the picture of a parent giving something harmful instead of something helpful to question any fear that asking for what you need will backfire. Trust that what's genuinely good for you is what you'll be given, not something dressed up to look like it.
"Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? "
"Or if he asks for an egg, would the father give him a scorpion instead?"
I am speaking as Jesus: I gave you a second image of a dangerous fake standing in for something good, to reassure you that what you're offered when you ask sincerely is trustworthy, not a trick.
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? "
"So if you, who aren't perfect, still know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
I am speaking as Jesus: I told you that even imperfect people manage to be generous to their children, so trust that what you're really being offered when you ask isn't just a favour granted but a presence given - something that changes you rather than just solves one problem.
"And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. "
"Jesus was driving out a demon that made a man unable to speak. Once the demon left, the man could talk, and the crowds were amazed."
I am speaking as Jesus: I freed a man who couldn't speak for himself, because restoring someone's voice matters as much as any other kind of healing. Notice who around you has been silenced, and help give them back their voice.
"But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. "
"But some of the people said, 'He's driving out demons because he's in league with Beelzebub, the chief of the demons.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I was accused of doing good through evil power simply because good news threatened people's assumptions. Don't be surprised when your best actions get reinterpreted unfairly by people who feel threatened by them - stay the course anyway.
"And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. "
"And others, testing him, demanded he show them some miraculous sign from heaven."
I am speaking as Jesus: people kept demanding more proof even after seeing real change happen in front of them. Recognise when you're the one demanding endless proof instead of honestly responding to what's already clear - that's a way of avoiding change, not seeking truth.
"But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. "
"But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking, said to them: 'Any kingdom split by internal conflict is heading for ruin, and a family divided against itself will collapse.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I pointed out something everyone already knows - division destroys. Watch for the ways you let inner conflict or contradiction undermine your own life and relationships, and choose consistency instead.
"If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. "
"So if Satan is fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? Yet you're claiming I drive out demons by Beelzebub's power."
I am speaking as Jesus: I answered an unfair accusation not with anger but with clear reasoning. When you're falsely accused, don't panic - calm, logical honesty is often the strongest response, and it exposes the flaw in the accusation itself.
"And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. "
"And if I'm driving out demons by Beelzebub, then by whose power do your own followers drive them out? So they will be the ones who judge you on this."
I am speaking as Jesus: I pointed out that my critics judged me by a standard they didn't apply to their own people. Check whether you're judging someone by a rule you don't actually hold yourself to - that inconsistency is worth noticing and correcting.
"But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. "
"But if I am driving out demons by the power of God, then the kingdom of God has already arrived among you."
I am speaking as Jesus: I said that real change happening right in front of you is evidence that something greater is already at work, not something to wait for later. Look for the good breaking into your life now rather than only hoping for it someday.
"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: "
"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his belongings are safe."
I am speaking as Jesus: I described a guarded house that seems secure, because I want you to recognise that what controls you can look unshakeable right up until something stronger confronts it.
"But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. "
"But when someone even stronger attacks and beats him, he takes away the weapons he trusted in and divides up everything he had."
I am speaking as Jesus: I described overpowering a heavily armed guard, because real freedom sometimes means confronting what has a firm grip on your life head-on, not tiptoeing around it. Don't assume what controls you is unbeatable.
"He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scaftereth. "
"Whoever isn't with me is against me, and whoever doesn't gather with me is scattering."
I am speaking as Jesus: I said there's no truly neutral position when something genuinely matters - standing back isn't harmless, it has an effect either way. Decide what you actually stand for and act on it, rather than staying uncommitted.
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. "
"When an unclean spirit leaves someone, it wanders through dry, empty places looking for rest and finds none. So it says, 'I'll go back to the home I left.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I described something harmful that doesn't just vanish but keeps looking for a way back. Don't assume a bad habit or influence is gone for good just because it's currently absent - stay alert.
"And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. "
"When it returns and finds the place swept clean and tidy, it moves back in."
I am speaking as Jesus: I pictured a house made tidy but left empty, because clearing something out isn't the same as filling your life with something good. An empty space still needs to be filled with the right thing, not just kept swept.
"Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. "
"Then it goes and brings seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they all move in - leaving that person worse off than before."
I am speaking as Jesus: I warned that clearing out a harmful habit or influence isn't enough on its own - if you leave the space empty, something worse can move back in. Fill what you free up with something genuinely good, not just absence.
"And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. "
"As he was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, 'Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you!'"
I am speaking as Jesus: a woman praised me through my mother, and I didn't reject her admiration - I redirected it somewhere more useful for her own life. Take genuine praise graciously, but always point people towards what actually matters.
"But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. "
"But Jesus replied, 'No - more than that, blessed are those who hear God's word and actually live by it.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I told the woman that hearing and actually living out good teaching matters more than any special connection or status. What makes your life meaningful isn't your background or birth - it's what you actually do with truth once you hear it.
"And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. "
"As the crowds pressed in, Jesus said, 'This generation is a wicked one - they keep demanding a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of Jonah.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I refused to perform on demand for people who just wanted a spectacle. Look for meaning that changes how you live, not just entertainment or proof that costs you nothing.
"For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. "
"Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation."
I am speaking as Jesus: I compared myself to a sign meant to prompt real change of heart, not just curiosity. Let what you encounter of real truth actually change your direction, not just satisfy your interest.
"The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. "
"The Queen of the South will stand up at the judgement against the people of this generation and condemn them, because she travelled from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom - and someone greater than Solomon is here now."
I am speaking as Jesus: I praised a foreign queen who travelled far for wisdom, to show that effort and openness matter more than proximity or privilege. Don't let easy access to something valuable make you take it for granted - engage with it properly.
"The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. "
"The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgement against this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them - and someone greater than Jonah is here now."
I am speaking as Jesus: I pointed to a city of outsiders who changed course the moment they heard the truth, to show that no one is too far gone to turn things around. Whatever chance you're given to change for the better, take it seriously.
"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. "
"No one lights a lamp and then hides it away or puts it under a basket - they put it on a stand, so that people coming in can see the light."
I am speaking as Jesus: I said a lamp is only good when it's out where people can see by it. Don't hide the good in you out of caution or fear - let it be genuinely useful to the people around you.
"The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. "
"Your eye is like a lamp for your body - when your eye is healthy and focused, your whole body is full of light; but when it's unhealthy, your whole body is full of darkness."
I am speaking as Jesus: I compared your outlook to an eye that lets light into your whole body - what you fix your attention on shapes everything else about you. Keep your focus honest and generous, not distorted by greed or self-interest.
"Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. "
"So make sure the light inside you isn't actually darkness."
I am speaking as Jesus: I warned that you can be mistaken about your own inner light, so check yourself honestly rather than assuming you're fine. Real clarity takes ongoing, honest self-examination.
"If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. "
"And if your whole body is full of light, with no dark part left in it, it will be as bright all through as when a lamp's glow lights you up."
I am speaking as Jesus: I described what full inner light looks like, because I want you to know it's genuinely possible, not just a fantasy. Pursue real clarity and integrity, and it will show in everything you do.
"And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. "
"As Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat at his house, and Jesus went in and took his place at the table."
I am speaking as Jesus: I accepted a dinner invitation from someone whose group had been accusing me, because sitting down together doesn't mean agreeing with everything - it keeps the conversation open. Don't cut off people who disagree with you; stay willing to share a table with them.
"And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. "
"The Pharisee was surprised to notice that Jesus hadn't performed the ritual hand-washing before the meal."
I am speaking as Jesus: the host was startled that I skipped a custom that had become more about appearances than substance. Notice when you're judging people, or yourself, by surface-level rules rather than what actually matters underneath.
"And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the plaster; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. "
"The Lord said to him, 'Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I called out people who scrubbed the outside of a cup while leaving what's inside filthy. Check your actual character and motives, not just how put-together you look to others - that's where real change has to happen.
"Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? "
"You fools! Didn't the one who made the outside also make the inside?"
I am speaking as Jesus: I pointed out that the same maker made both your outside and your inside, so caring about only one half is missing the point. Pursue integrity that runs all the way through you, not just a polished surface.
"But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. "
"Instead, give what you have to those in need, and then everything will be clean for you."
I am speaking as Jesus: I told them that generosity towards people in need is what actually makes you clean inside, not ritual. If you want to feel right with yourself, give something real to someone who needs it.
"But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. "
"But woe to you Pharisees! You carefully tithe even garden herbs like mint and rue, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have done both - practised justice without dropping the small stuff either."
I am speaking as Jesus: I criticised people obsessing over tiny details while ignoring justice and love, the things that actually matter most. Don't let easy, minor good deeds become a substitute for the harder work of treating people fairly and lovingly.
"Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. "
"Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats in the synagogues and being greeted with respect in the marketplaces."
I am speaking as Jesus: I called out people who used their position to chase honour and attention. Watch for when you start caring more about being noticed and respected than about actually doing good - that craving for status can quietly take over.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. "
"Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves that people walk over without even realising it."
I am speaking as Jesus: I compared corrupting influence to invisible graves people unknowingly walk over. Be honest and visible about your flaws rather than hiding them behind respectability, because hidden corruption harms people who trust you without warning.
"Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. "
"One of the experts in religious law spoke up and said to him, 'Teacher, when you say these things, you're insulting us too.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: a man realised my words applied to him too and said so honestly instead of pretending otherwise. When criticism lands close to home, admitting it applies to you, even uncomfortably, is more honest than deflecting it.
"And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. "
"Jesus said, 'Woe to you lawyers too! You load people down with burdens that are hard to bear, but you yourselves won't lift even a finger to help carry them.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I criticised leaders who piled heavy demands on others while doing nothing to help carry them. If you ask something difficult of others, be willing to share in that difficulty yourself, not just dictate it from a distance.
"Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. "
"Woe to you! You build monuments for the prophets - the very ones your ancestors killed."
I am speaking as Jesus: I pointed out the contradiction of honouring long-dead truth-tellers while resisting the living one in front of you. Don't let admiration for past wisdom become a way of avoiding the uncomfortable truth being spoken to you right now.
"Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. "
"So you actually testify that you approve of what your ancestors did: they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs."
I am speaking as Jesus: I said that honouring the dead while repeating their ancestors' resistance to truth doesn't actually change anything. Check whether your gestures of respect are backed up by a genuinely changed attitude, not just appearances.
"Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: "
"That's why the wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and messengers, and some of them they will kill and persecute.'"
I am speaking as Jesus: I described a repeated pattern of sending truth-tellers who get rejected. Recognise that resisting hard truths is an old, recurring human habit, and choose to be someone who listens instead of continuing that pattern.
"That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; "
"So that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the world began, will be charged against this generation."
I am speaking as Jesus: I warned that continuing an old, harmful pattern makes you accountable for it, not just your ancestors. Take responsibility for breaking cycles of harm you've inherited, rather than simply carrying them forward.
"From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. "
"From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the temple - yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation."
I am speaking as Jesus: I named a whole history of rejecting truth-tellers, all the way back to the very first murder. Recognise the patterns of resisting hard truths that have repeated for generations, and be the one who breaks the pattern instead of continuing it.
"Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. "
"Woe to you lawyers! You have taken away the key that opens up understanding. You didn't go in yourselves, and you stopped others who were trying to enter."
I am speaking as Jesus: I accused people entrusted with understanding of locking the door instead of opening it for others. If you have knowledge or influence, use it to help people find their own way to truth and freedom, never to keep them out or dependent on you.
"And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: "
"As Jesus said these things, the scribes and Pharisees began pressing him fiercely and firing questions at him about many subjects."
I am speaking as Jesus: I spoke hard truths knowing it would provoke people to press me harder. Telling the truth sometimes costs you peace with powerful people - be ready for that cost, and stay honest anyway.
"Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. "
"They were laying traps for him, trying to catch him saying something they could use against him."
I am speaking as Jesus: I knew people were trying to twist my words against me, and I kept speaking honestly anyway rather than growing guarded or silent. Don't let the fear of being misused stop you from speaking the truth as you see it.