| 1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2So he said to them, “When you pray, say,‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come.Your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins,for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.’ ” 5Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6for a friend on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him,’ 7and he answers from inside and says, ‘Do not bother me! The door is already shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ 8I tell you, even if he will not get up and give you anything because you are his friend, yet because of your shameless persistence, he will get up and give you as much as you need. 9So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you0x3B seek, and you will find0x3B knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11Now what father among you, when his son asks for bread, will give him a stone0x3B or again, when he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent instead of a fish0x3B 12or again, if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If 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!” |
