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.
Meanwhile the people had gathered in thousands, so that they trod on one another, when Jesus, addressing himself to his disciples, began by saying to them, ‘Be on your guard against the leaven – that is, the hypocrisy – of the Pharisees.
2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
There is nothing, however covered up, which will not be uncovered, nor anything kept secret which will not become known.
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 all that you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear, within closed doors, will be proclaimed on the housetops.
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.
To you who are my friends I say, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but after that can do no more.
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.
I will show you of whom you should be afraid. Be afraid of him who, after killing you, has the power to fling you into Gehenna. Yes, I say, be afraid 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 sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has escaped God’s notice.
7 But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore do not be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
No, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;
Everyone, I tell you, who publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man, also, will acknowledge before God’s angels;
9 but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.
but the person who publicly disowns me will be altogether disowned before God’s angels.
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.
Everyone who will say anything against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but for the person who slanders 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;
Whenever they take you before the synagogue Courts or the magistrates or other authorities, do not be anxious as to how you will defend yourselves, or what your defence will be, 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 show you at the moment what you ought to say.’
13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
‘Teacher,’ a man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘tell my brother to share the property with me.’
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
But Jesus said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or an arbiter between 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 then he added, ‘Take care to keep yourselves free from every form of covetousness; for even in the height of their prosperity a person’s true life does not depend on what they have.’
16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
Then Jesus told them this parable – ‘There was once a rich man whose land 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 began to ask himself “What will I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?
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.
This is what I will do,” he said; “I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them;
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 myself, Now you have plenty of good things put by for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”
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 the man “Fool! This very night your life is being demanded; and as for all you have prepared – who will have it?”
21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
So it is with those who lay by wealth for themselves and are not rich to the glory 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 Jesus said to his disciples, ‘That is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about the life here – what you can get to eat; or about your body – what you can get to wear.
23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
For life is more than food, and the body than its clothes.
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!
Think of the ravens – they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn; and yet God feeds them! And how much more precious are you than birds!
25 Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?
But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong your life a moment?
26 If then you are not able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?
And, if you cannot do even the smallest thing, why be anxious about other things?
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.
Think of the lilies, and how they grow. They neither toil nor spin; yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendour was not robed 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?
If, even in the field, God so clothes the grass which is living today and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith!
29 “Do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
And you – do not be always seeking what you can get to eat or what you can get to drink; and do not waver.
30 For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
These are the things for which all the nations of the world are seeking, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
No, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added for you.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
So do not be afraid, my little flock, for your Father has been pleased 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.
‘Sell what belongs to you, and give in charity. Make yourselves purses that will not wear out – an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, or moth works ruin.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
35 “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.
Make yourselves ready, with your lamps alight;
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 servants who are waiting for their Master’s return from his wedding, so that, when he comes and knocks, they may open the door for him at once.
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 whom, on his return, the Master will find watching. I tell you that he will make himself ready, and have them take their places at the table, and will come and serve them.
38 They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so.
Whether it is late at night, or in the early morning that he comes, if he finds all as it should be, then happy are they.
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.
This you do know, that, had the owner of the house known at what time the thief was coming, he would have been on the watch, 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.”
You must also prepare, for when you are least expecting him the Son of Man will come.’
41 Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
‘Master,’ said Peter, ‘are you telling this parable with reference to us or to everyone?’
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?
‘Who, then,’ replied the Master, ‘is that trustworthy steward, the careful man, who will be placed by his master over his establishment, to give them their rations at the proper time?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.
Happy will that servant be whom his master, when he comes home, will find doing this.
44 Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
His master, I tell you, will put him in charge of the whole of his property.
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 should that servant say to himself “My master is a long time coming,” and begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,
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.
that servant’s master will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour of which he is unaware, and will flog him severely and assign him his place among the untrustworthy.
47 That servant who knew his lord’s will, and did not prepare nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
The servant who knows his master’s wishes and yet does not prepare and act accordingly will receive many lashes;
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.
while one who does not know his master’s wishes, but acts so as to deserve a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone to whom much has been given much will be expected, and from the man to whom much has been entrusted the more will be demanded.
49 “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.
I came to cast fire on the earth; and what more can I wish, if it is already kindled?
50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
There is a baptism that I must undergo, and how great is my distress until it is over!
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.
Do you think that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but to cause 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, if there are five people in a house, they will be divided, 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.”
Father will be opposed to son and son to father, mother to daughter and daughter to mother, mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law to her 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.
And to the people Jesus said, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once “There is a storm coming,” and come it does.
55 When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.
And when you see that the wind is in the south, you say “It will be burning hot,” and so it proves.
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?
Hypocrites! You know how to judge of the earth and the sky; how is it, then, that you cannot judge of this time?
57 “Why do not you judge for yourselves what is right?
Why don’t you yourselves decide 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.
When, for instance, you are going with your opponent before a magistrate, on your way to the court do your best to be quit of him; otherwise he might drag you before the judge, then the judge will hand you over to the bailiff of the court, and the bailiff throw you into prison.
59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last penny.”
You will not, I tell you, come out until you have paid the very last cent.’
