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 come streaming towards Him by tens of thousands, so that they were trampling one another under foot. And now He proceeded to say to His disciples first, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is to say, beware of hypocrisy.
2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
There is nothing that is covered up which will not be uncovered, nor hidden 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.
Whatever therefore you have said in the dark, will be heard in the light; and what you have whispered within closed doors will be proclaimed 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.
"But to you who are my friends I say, "'Be not afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do nothing further.
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 warn you whom to fear: fear him who after killing has power to throw into Gehenna: yes, I say to you, fear 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 a penny? and yet not one of them is a thing forgotten in God's sight.
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 the very hairs on your heads are all counted. Away with fear: you are more precious than a multitude 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 tell you that every man who shall have acknowledged me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge 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 he who disowns me before men will be disowned 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.
"Moreover every one who shall speak against the Son of Man, may obtain forgiveness; but he who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never obtain 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 are bringing you before synagogues and magistrates and governors, do not anxiously ponder the manner or matter of your defence, nor what you are to say;
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”
for the Holy Spirit shall teach you at that very moment what you must say."
13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Just then a man in the crowd appealed to Him. "Rabbi," he said, "tell my brother to give me a share of the inheritance."
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
"Man," He replied, "who has constituted me a judge or arbitrator over 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 to the people He said, "Take care, be on your guard against all covetousness, for no one's life consists in the superabundance of his possessions."
16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
And He spoke a parable to them. "A certain rich man's lands," He said, "yielded abundant crops,
17 He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I do not have room to store my crops?’
and he debated within himself, saying, "'What am I to do? for I have no place in which 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.
"And he said to himself, "'This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store up all my harvest and my wealth;
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 life, "'Life, you have ample possessions laid up for many years to come: take your ease, eat, drink, 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 him, "'Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?'
21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
"So is it with him who amasses treasure for himself, but has no riches in 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.
Then turning to His disciples He said, "For this reason I say to you, 'Dismiss all anxious care for your lives, inquiring what you are to eat, and for your bodies, what you are to put on.'
23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
For life is a greater gift than food, and the body is a greater gift than 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!
Observe the ravens. They neither sow nor reap, and have neither store-chamber nor barn. And yet God feeds them. How far more precious are you than the birds!
25 Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?
And which of you is able by anxious thought to add a moment to his life?
26 If then you are not able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?
If then you are unable to do even a very little thing, why be over-anxious about other matters?
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.
Observe the lilies, how they grow. They neither labour nor spin. And yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was as beautifully dressed as 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 so clothes the vegetation in the fields, that blooms to-day and to-morrow will be thrown into the oven, how much more certainly will He clothe you, you men of feeble faith!
29 “Do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
"Therefore, do not be asking what you are to eat nor what you are to drink; and do not waver between hope and fear.
30 For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
For though the nations of the world pursue these things, as for you, your Father knows that you need them.
31 But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
But make His Kingdom the object of your pursuit, and these things shall be given you in addition.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
"Dismiss your fears, little flock: your Father finds a pleasure in giving 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 your possessions and give alms. Provide yourselves with purses that will never wear out, a treasure inexhaustible in Heaven, where no thief can come nor moth consume.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
For where your wealth is stored, there also will your heart be.
35 “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.
"Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be 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 yourselves like men waiting for their master--on the look-out till he shall return from the wedding feast--that, when he comes and knocks, they may open the door instantly.
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.
Blessed are those servants, whom their Master when He comes shall find on the watch. I tell you in solemn truth, that He will tie an apron round Him, and will bid them recline at table while He comes and waits on them.
38 They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so.
And whether it be in the second watch or in the third that He comes and finds them so, blessed 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.
Of this be sure, that if the master of the house had known what time the robber was coming, he would have kept awake and not have allowed his house to be broken into.
40 Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you do not expect him.”
Be you also ready, for at an hour when you are not 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 addressing this parable to us, or to all alike?"
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 Lord, "is the faithful and intelligent steward whom his Master will put in charge of His household to serve out their rations at the proper times?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.
Blessed is that servant whom his Master when He comes shall find so doing.
44 Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
I tell you truly that He will put him in authority over all His possessions.
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 should say in his heart, 'My Master is a long time in coming,' and should begin to beat the menservants and the maids, and to eat and drink, drinking even to excess;
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 is not expecting Him and at an hour that he knows not of, and will punish him severely, and make him share the lot of the unfaithful.
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 that servant who has been told his Master's will and yet made no preparation and did not obey His will, 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.
But he who had not been told it and yet did what deserved the scourge, will receive but few lashes. To whomsoever much has been given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been entrusted, of him a larger amount will be demanded.
49 “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.
"I came to throw fire upon the earth, and what is my desire? Oh that it were even now kindled!
50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
But I have a baptism to undergo; and how am I pent up till it is accomplished!
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.
Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? No, I tell you that I came to bring dissension.
52 For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
For from this time there will be in one house five persons split into parties. Three will form a party against two and two will form a party 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 against son and son against father; mother attacking daughter and daughter her mother, mother-in-law her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law 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.
Then He said to the people also, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'There is to be a shower;' and it comes to pass.
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, 'It will be burning hot;' and it comes to pass.
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?
Vain pretenders! You know how to read the aspect of earth and sky. How is it you cannot read this present time?
57 “Why do not you judge for yourselves what is right?
"Why, too, do you not of yourselves arrive at just conclusions?
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 when, with your opponent, you are going before the magistrate, on the way take pains to get out of his power; for fear that, if he should drag you before the judge, the judge may hand you over to the officer of the court, and the officer lodge you in prison.
59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last penny.”
Never, I tell you, will you get free till you have paid the last farthing."
