Holy Bible: Easy-To-Read Version

Luke 11:34-48 Holy Bible: Easy-To-Read Version (ETR)

34. The only source of light for the body is the eye. When you look at people and want to help them, you are full of light. But when you look at people in a selfish way, you are full of darkness.

35. So be careful! Don’t let the light in you become darkness.

36. If you are full of light, and there is no part of you that is dark, then you will be all bright, as though you have the light of a lamp shining on you.”

37. After Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him. So he went and took a place at the table.

38. But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Jesus did not wash his hands first before the meal.

39. The Lord said to him, “The washing you Pharisees do is like cleaning only the outside of a cup or a dish. But what is inside you? You want only to cheat and hurt people.

40. You are foolish! The same one who made what is outside also made what is inside.

41. So pay attention to what is inside. Give to the people who need help. Then you will be fully clean.

42. “But it will be bad for you Pharisees! You give God a tenth of the food you get, even your mint, your rue, and every other little plant in your garden. But you forget to be fair to others and to love God. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things.

43. “It will be bad for you Pharisees because you love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. And you love for people to show respect to you in the marketplaces.

44. It will be bad for you, because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it.”

45. One of the experts in the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, when you say these things about the Pharisees, you are criticizing our group too.”

46. Jesus answered, “It will be bad for you, you experts in the law! You make strict rules that are very hard for people to obey. You try to force others to obey your rules. But you yourselves don’t even try to follow any of those rules.

47. It will be bad for you, because you build tombs for the prophets. But these are the same prophets your ancestors killed!

48. And now you show all people that you agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for the prophets!