Luke 12
1 Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
At that time, when thousands of the people had come together, in such numbers that they were crushing one another, he said first to his disciples, Have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees, which is deceit.
2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
But nothing is covered up, which will not come to light, or secret, which will not be made clear.
3 Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
So, whatever you have said in the dark, will come to men's hearing in the light, and what you have said secretly inside the house, will be made public from the house-tops.
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
And I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to death, and are able to do no more than that.
5 But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna (Geenna g1067). Yes, I tell you, fear him.
But I will make clear to you of whom you are to be in fear: of him who after death has power to send you to hell; yes, truly I say, Have fear of him. (Geenna g1067)
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.
Are not five sparrows given in exchange for two farthings? and God has every one of them in mind.
7 But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore do not be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Have no fear: you are of more value than a flock of sparrows.
8 “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;
And I say to you that to everyone who gives witness to me before men, the Son of man will give witness before the angels of God.
9 but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.
But if anyone says before men that he has no knowledge of me, I will say that I have no knowledge of him before the angels of God.
10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
And if anyone says a word against the Son of man, he will have forgiveness: but for him who says evil words against the Holy Spirit, there will be no forgiveness.
11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you will answer or what you will say;
And when they take you before the Synagogues and the authorities and the rulers, take no thought about what answers you will give, or what you will say:
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”
For the Holy Spirit will make clear to you in that very hour what to say.
13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
And one of the people said to him, Master, give an order to my brother to make division of the heritage with me.
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
But he said, Man, who made me a judge or a maker of decisions for you?
15 He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
And he said to them, Take care to keep yourselves free from the desire for property; for a man's life is not made up of the number of things which he has.
16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
And he said to them, in a story, The land of a certain man of great wealth was very fertile:
17 He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I do not have room to store my crops?’
And he said to himself, What is to be done? for I have no place in which to put all my fruit.
18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
And he said, This I will do: I will take down my store-houses and make greater ones, and there I will put all my grain and my goods.
19 I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’
And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have a great amount of goods in store, enough for a number of years; be at rest, take food and wine and be happy.
20 “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
But God said to him, You foolish one, tonight I will take your soul from you, and who then will be the owner of all the things which you have got together?
21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
So that is what comes to the man who gets wealth for himself, and has not wealth in the eyes of God.
22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
And he said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about what food you will take, or for your body, how it may be clothed.
23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
Is not life more than food, and the body than its clothing?
24 Consider the ravens: they do not sow, they do not reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!
Give thought to the ravens; they do not put seeds into the earth, or get together grain; they have no store-houses or buildings; and God gives them their food: of how much greater value are you than the birds!
25 Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?
And which of you by taking thought is able to make himself any taller?
26 If then you are not able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?
If, then, you are not able to do even that which is least, why are you troubled about the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Give thought to the flowers: they do no work, they make no thread; and still I say to you, Even Solomon, in all his glory, was not clothed like one of these.
28 But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?
But if God gives such clothing to the grass in the field, which today is living, and tomorrow will be burned in the oven, how much more will he give clothing to you, O men of little faith?
29 “Do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
And do not give overmuch thought to your food and drink, and let not your mind be full of doubts.
30 For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
For the nations of the world go in search of all these things: but your Father has knowledge that you have need of them.
31 But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
But let your chief care be for his kingdom, and these other things will be given to you in addition.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Have no fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell what you have and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
Give what property you have in exchange for money, and give the money to the poor; make for yourselves money-bags which will not get old, wealth stored up in heaven which will be yours for ever, where thieves will not come nor worms put it to destruction.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
For where your wealth is, there will your heart be.
35 “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.
Be ready, dressed as for a journey, with your lights burning.
36 Be like men watching for their lord when he returns from the wedding feast, that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him.
And be like men who are looking for their lord, when he comes back from the bride-feast; so that when he comes to the door, it will be open to him quickly.
37 Blessed are those servants whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them.
Happy are those servants who are watching when the lord comes; truly I say to you, he will make himself their servant and, placing them at the table, he will come out and give them food.
38 They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so.
And if he comes in the second division of the night or in the third, and they are watching for him, happy are those servants.
39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
But be certain of this, that if the master of the house had had knowledge of the time when the thief was coming, he would have been watching, and would not have let his house be broken into.
40 Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you do not expect him.”
So be ready: for the Son of man is coming at a time when you are not looking for him.
41 Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
And Peter said to him, Lord, are these words said to us only, or to all men?
42 The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?
And the Lord said, Who then is the wise and responsible servant whom his lord will put in control of his family, to give them their food at the right time?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.
Happy is that servant who, when his lord comes, is doing so.
44 Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
Truly I say to you, he will put him in control of all his goods.
45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and to be drunken,
But if that servant says to himself, My lord is a long time coming; and goes about giving blows to the men-servants and the women-servants, feasting and taking overmuch wine;
46 then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he is not expecting him and in an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.
The lord of that servant will come at a time when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not ready for him, and he will have him cut in two and will give him his part in the fate of those who have no faith;
47 That servant who knew his lord’s will, and did not prepare nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
And the servant who had knowledge of his lord's desires and was not ready for him and did not do as he was ordered, will be given a great number of blows;
48 but he who did not know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.
But he who, without knowledge, did things for which punishment is given, will get only a small number of blows. The man to whom much is given, will have to give much; if much is given into his care, of him more will be requested.
49 “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.
I came to send a fire on the earth, and it may even now have been lighted.
50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
But there is a baptism which I have to undergo; and how am I kept back till it is complete!
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.
Is it your opinion that I have come to give peace on earth? I say to you, No, but division:
52 For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
For from this time, a family of five in one house will be on opposite sides, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
They will be at war, the father against his son, and the son against his father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.
54 He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.
Then he said to the people, When you see a cloud coming up in the west, straight away you say, There will be rain; and so it is.
55 When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.
And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, There will be heat; and so it is.
56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not interpret this time?
O false ones! the face of the earth and the heaven is clear to you; how is it that the signs of these times are not as clear to you?
57 “Why do not you judge for yourselves what is right?
And why are you, in your hearts, unable to be judges of what is right?
58 For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
For if anyone has a cause at law against you, and you are going with him before the ruler, make an attempt, on the way, to come to an agreement with him, for if you do not, he may take you before the judge and the judge will give you up to the police, and they will put you in prison.
59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last penny.”
I say to you, You will not come out of it till you have made payment to the very last farthing.
