^{5 Ref} And he said unto them, `Who of you shall have a friend, and shall go on unto him at midnight, and may say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves,

⁶ seeing a friend of mine came out of the way unto me, and I have not what I shall set before him,

^{7 Ref} and he from within answering may say, Do not give me trouble, already the door hath been shut, and my children with me are in the bed, I am not able, having risen, to give to thee.

^{8 Ref} `I say to you, even if he will not give to him, having risen, because of his being his friend, yet because of his importunity, having risen, he will give him as many as he doth need;

^{9 Ref} and I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you;

^{10 Ref} for every one who is asking doth receive; and he who is seeking doth find; and to him who is knocking it shall be opened.

^{11 Ref} `And of which of you -- the father -- if the son shall ask a loaf, a stone will he present to him? and if a fish, will he instead of a fish, a serpent present to him?

^{12 Ref} and if he may ask an egg, will he present to him a scorpion?

^{13 Ref} If, then, ye, being evil, have known good gifts to be giving to your children, how much more shall the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those asking Him!'