1 And it came to pass that, while He was praying {proseuchomenon: engaged in petition} in a certain place, when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord {Kyrios, Revered Teacher}, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 And He {Iesous, Teaching Lord} said to them, “Whenever you pray, say: Father {Pater, Listening Father}, let Your name be sanctified {hagiazo: set apart as holy}. Let Your kingdom come.”
3 Give us each day {kath hemeran: per day} our daily bread {epiousion: necessary for existence}.
4 And forgive {aphes: grant release from obligation} us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted {opheilonti: under obligation} to us; and do not bring us into temptation.
5 And He {Iesous, Instructing Disciples} said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend {philon: trusted companion}, lend me three loaves {artous: household bread}?’”
6 Because a friend of mine has arrived from a journey {hodou: travel distance} to me, and I have nothing to set {paratheso: place before guest} before him.
7 And that person from within will answer and say, “Do not cause me troubles {kopous: burdensome efforts}; the door is already closed, and my children {paidia: young dependents} are in bed with me. I cannot rise to give you.”
8 I {Iesous, Faithful Instructor} say to you, even if he will not get up and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence {anaideian: relentless asking} he will rise and give him as much as he needs.
9 And I {Iesous, Compassionate Teacher} say to you: Keep asking {aiteite: earnest petition}, and it will be granted to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who keeps asking {aiton: continuous petition} receives, the one who keeps seeking finds, and for the one who keeps knocking {krouonti: persistent appeal} it will be opened.
11 Which father among you {patera: household head}, if his son asks for a fish {ichthyn: daily food}, will give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he also asks {aitesei: sincere request} for an egg {ōon: everyday food}, will he give him a scorpion?
13 If you, therefore, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father {Pater, Loving Provider} from heaven give the Holy Spirit {Pneuma Hagion, Breath of Life} to those who ask Him?
14 And He {Iesous, Spirit Deliverer} was casting out a mute demon, and it happened that when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds marveled {ethaumasan: filled with wonder}.
15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul {Beelzeboul: demonic ruler} the ruler of the demons, He {Iesous: Contested Deliverer} casts out the demons.”
16 But others, tempting Him {Iesous, Tested Messiah}, were seeking a sign {semeion: divine confirmation} from heaven.
17 But He {autos: Divine Discerner}, knowing their thoughts {dianoemata: inner reasoning}, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house against a house falls.”
18 But if even Satan {Satanas: chief adversary} has been divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out the demons {daimonia: hostile spirits} by Beelzeboul.
19 But if I {Iesous, True Exorcist} cast out demons {daimonia: unclean spirits} by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they themselves will be your judges.
20 But if I cast out the demons by the finger of God {Theos, Divine Power}, then the kingdom {basileia: divine reign} of God has arrived upon you.
21 Whenever the strong man {ischyros: one with power} has been fully armed {kathoplismenos: equipped for defense}, he guards his own courtyard, and his possessions are in peace.
22 But when a stronger one {ischyroteros: dominant opponent} comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes away his full armor {panoplian: complete protection} in which he had trusted, and he distributes his spoils.
23 Whoever is not with Me {Iesous, Unifying Lord} is set against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters {skorpizei: drives apart}.
24 Whenever the unclean {akatharton: ritually impure} spirit comes out of a person, it passes through dry places seeking rest {anapausin: cessation from activity}, and finding none, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came out.”
25 And when it comes, it finds it swept {sesaromenon: thoroughly cleaned} and set in order {kekosmemenon: carefully arranged}.
26 Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits {pneumata: hostile spiritual forces} more wicked than itself, and when they have entered, they live there, and the last state {eschata: final condition} of that person becomes worse than the first.
27 Now it happened, as He {Iesous, Teaching Rabbi} was saying these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifted up her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb {koilia: maternal body source} that carried You, and the breasts which You nursed.”
28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God {Theos, Supreme Revealer} and keep {phylassontes: faithful obedience} it.”
29 But as the crowds were assembling, He {Iesous, Discerning Judge} began to say, “This generation is an evil generation {ponera: morally corrupt}; it seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”
30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man {huios tou anthropou, Messianic Title} be to this generation {genea: contemporary group}.
31 The queen of the South will be raised in the judgment with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends {peraton: farthest regions} of the earth to hear the wisdom {sophia: deep insight} of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment {krisei: divine verdict} with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation {kerygma: urgent summons}; and behold, One greater than Jonah is here.
33 No one lights a lamp and places it into a hidden place {krypten: concealed recess} or under the basket, but sets it on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light {phengos: radiant brightness}.
34 The lamp of the body is the eye; whenever your eye is single {haplous: clear, undivided}, your whole body is full of light; but whenever it is evil {poneros: harmful, corrupt}, your body is full of darkness.
35 Therefore watch {skopei: maintain alertness}, lest the light in you be darkness{skotos: moral obscurity}.
36 If therefore your body is wholly full of light {photeinon: shining brightness}, not having any part dark {skoteinon: hidden darkness}, it will be completely full of light, as when the lamp by its brilliance gives you light.
37 But while He {Iesous, Teacher in Discourse} was speaking, a Pharisee asked Him to dine with him; and after He entered, He reclined {anapipto: customary meal posture} at the table.
38 But the Pharisee was amazed when he saw that He {Iesous, Heart-Focused Rabbi} did not first wash before the meal {aristou: midday meal}.
39 But the Lord {Kyrios, Divine Teacher} said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter, but the inside of you is full of greed {harpages: violent selfishness} and wickedness.”
40 Fools {aphrones: lacking discernment}! Did not He {Theos, Creator of Both} who made the outside also make the inside?
41 But give as alms what is within {enonta: what is inside}, and behold, all things are clean {kathara: ceremonially clean} for you.
42 But woe to you, Pharisees, because you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and you neglect justice {krisis: righteous judgment} and the love of God {Theos, Supreme Authority}. These things you ought to have done, and not to have neglected the others.
43 Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the chief seat {protokathedrian: place of precedence} in the synagogues and the greetings {aspasmous: respectful welcomes} in the marketplaces.
44 Woe to you, for you are like unseen tombs {mnemeia: memorial tombs}, and the people who walk {peripatountes: continual walkers} over them do not know it.
45 But one of the lawyers, having answered, said to Him {Iesous, Confronting Teacher}, “Teacher, by saying these things You also insult {hybrizo: treat with contempt} us.”
46 But He {Iesous, Righteous Judge} said, “Woe to you, lawyers also! For you load people with burdens {phortia: heavy responsibilities} hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch those burdens with even one of your fingers {daktulon: small effort}.”
47 Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets {propheton: God’s messengers}, but your fathers killed {apekteinan: decisive killing} them.
48 Therefore, you are witnesses {martyres: ones who testify} and you approve the deeds {ergois: carried-out works} of your fathers, because they themselves killed them, but you build their tombs.
49 Because of this, the wisdom of God {Theos, Wise Sender} said, “I will send prophets and apostles {apostolous: sent ones} to them, and from among them they will kill and persecute.”
50 In order that the blood of all the prophets, which has been poured out {ekkechymenon: violently shed} from the foundation {kataboles: world beginning} of the world, may be required of this generation.