The Lantern

Luke11

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain place praying, as he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him—Lord! teach us to pray, as, John also, taught his disciples.

And he said unto them—Whensoever ye are praying, say—Father! Hallowed be thy name, Come may thy kingdom,

Our needful bread, be giving us, day by day;

And forgive us our sins, for, even we ourselves, forgive every one indebted to us; And bring us not into temptation.

And he said unto them—Who from among you, shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him—Friend! supply me with three loaves,

forasmuch as, a friend of mine, hath come off a journey unto me, and I have not what I can set before him;

and, he, from within, shall answer, and say—Be not disturbing me,—already, the door hath been fastened, and, my children, with me, are, in bed: I cannot rise and give thee?

I say unto you—Even though he will not give him, rising because of his being a friend of his, because, at least, of his importunity, he will rouse himself, and give him as many as he needeth.

I, therefore, unto you, say—Be asking, and it shall be given to you, Be seeking, and ye shall find,—Be knocking, and it shall be opened unto you.

For, whosoever asketh, receiveth, and, he that seeketh, findeth,—and, to him that knocketh, shall it be opened.

But which is the father, from among yourselves, whom the son will ask for, a fish, who, instead of a fish, will give him, a serpent?

Or shall also ask, an egg, who will give him, a scorpion?

If therefore, ye, being, evil, know how to be giving, good gifts, unto your children, how much rather, will, the heavenly Father, give Holy Spirit unto them that ask him!

And he was casting out a demon that was dumb; and it came to pass, when the demon went out, the dumb began speaking. And the multitudes marvelled;

but, some from among them, said—In Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, is he casting out the demons;

and, others, putting him to the test, a sign out of heaven, were seeking from him.

But, he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them—Every kingdom, against itself divided, is laid waste, and, a house, against a house, [divided], falleth;

And, if, even Satan, against himself hath become divided, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye are saying that, in Beelzebul, am I casting out the demons.

But, if, I, in Beelzebul, am casting out the demons, In whom are, your sons, casting them out? Wherefore, they, shall be, your judges.

But, if, with the finger of God, I, am casting out the demons, then doubtless unawares hath come upon you, the kingdom of God.

Whensoever, the mighty one, armed, may be guarding his own dwelling, in peace, are his goods;

But, whensoever, a mightier than he, shall come upon and vanquish him, his panoply, he taketh away, wherein he was trusting, and, his spoils, he distributeth.

He that is not with me, is, against me; and, he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.

Whensoever, the impure spirit, goeth out from the man, it passeth through waterless places, seeking rest; and, not finding it, [then,] it saith, I will return unto my house, whence I came out;—

and, coming, findeth it, [empty,] swept, and adorned.

Then, goeth it, and taketh along with itself, other spirits, more wicked than itself—seven, and, entering in, fixeth its dwelling there; and, the last state of that man, becometh, worse than the first.

Now it came to pass, while he was saying these things, that a certain woman out of the multitude, lifting up her voice, said unto him—Happy the womb that bare thee! And the breasts which thou didst suck!

But, he, said—Yea rather!—Happy they who hear the word of God, and observe it!

And, as the multitudes were thronging together, he began to be saying—This generation, is, a wicked generation: A sign, it is seeking, and, a sign, shall not be given it, save the sign of Jonah.

For, according as, Jonah, became, unto the Ninevites, a sign, so, shall be, the Son of Man also, unto this generation.

The queen of the south, will rise up, in the judgment, with the men of this generation, and will condemn them; because she came out of the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon,—and lo! something more than Solomon, here.

Men of Nineveh, will rise up, in the judgment, with this generation, and will condemn it; because they repented into the proclamation of Jonah,—and lo! something more than Jonah, here.

No one, having lighted, a lamp, into a covered place, a putteth it, nor, under the measure; but upon the lampstand, that they who enter may see, the light.

The lamp of thy body, is thine eye: Whensoever, thine eye, may be, single, even the whole of thy body, is, lighted up; but, whensoever it may be, useless, even thy body, is darkened.

Be looking to it, therefore, lest, the light that is in thee, be, darkness.

If, therefore, thy whole body, is lighted up, not having any part darkened, the whole, shall be lighted up, as whensoever, the lamp, with its radiance, may be giving thee light.

And, when he had spoken, a Pharisee was requesting him that he would dine with him; and, entering, he reclined.

And, the Pharisee, beholding, marvelled that he was not, first, immersed, before the dinner.

And the Lord said unto him: Now, ye, the Pharisees, the outside of the cup and of the tray, do make pure; but, your inward part, is full of plunder and wickedness.

Simple ones! Did not, he who made the outside, the inside also, make?

Notwithstanding, as to the things within, give alms, and lo! everything, is, pure unto you.

But alas for you, the Pharisees! because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and every garden herb, and pass by justice, and the love of God. But, these things, it was binding to do, and, those, not to pass by.

Alas for you, the Pharisees! because ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places!

Alas for you! because ye are as the secret tombs: even the men that are walking above them, know it not.

And, making answer, one of the Lawyers saith unto him, Teacher! these things, saying, us also, dost thou insult!

And, he, said—And, for you, the lawyers, alas! because ye lade men with burdens hard to be borne, and, yourselves, with one of your fingers, touch not the burdens.

Alas for you! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers slew them!

Hence, witnesses, are ye, and find consenting pleasure in the works of your fathers: because, they, indeed, slew them, and, ye, are building, [their tombs].

For this cause, the Wisdom of God hath said—I will send forth, unto them, prophets and apostles,—and, some from among them, will they slay, and, [some] persecute:

That the blood of all the prophets which hath been shed from the foundation of the world, may be sought out, from this generation,—

From the blood of Abel, unto the blood of Zachariah who was destroyed betwixt the altar and the house; Yea! I say unto you—It shall be sought out from this generation.

Alas for you, the lawyers! because ye took away the key of knowledge: yourselves, entered not, and, them who were entering, ye hindered.

And, when, from thence, he came out, the Scribes and the Pharisees began, with vehemence, to be hemming him in, and trying to make him speak off-hand concerning many things,—

lying in wait for him, to catch something out of his mouth.