If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

“No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.

If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”

Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee *asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table.

But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.

“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.

And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!

“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.

the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,

but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;

for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?

Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’

and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’

And they could make no reply to this.

and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.

I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions.

And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him.

“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.

Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.

But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’

Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,

Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”

Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;

And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:

they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,

now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”

And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.

When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.

He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?

saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.

saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection),

Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.

Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.”

as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near.

Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.

for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.”

And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.

Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,

But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”

Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him.

Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.

and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.

No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.

[Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]

And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”

And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.

Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.

Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.

But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.

Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”