Luke 12
1 In those [times], the myriads of the crowd being gathered together, so that they trod one on another, he began to say to his disciples first, Beware of the leaven 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 which shall not be revealed, nor secret that shall 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 ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light, and what ye have spoken in the ear in chambers shall be proclaimed upon 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 But I say to you, my friends, Fear not those who kill the body and after this 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 shew you whom ye shall fear: Fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, Fear him. (Geenna g1067)
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? and one of them is not forgotten before 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 even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, ye are better 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 But I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, the Son of man will confess him also 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 that shall have denied me before men shall be denied before the angels of God;
But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
10 and whoever shall say a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him; but to him that speaks injuriously against the Holy Spirit it shall 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 But when they bring you before the synagogues and rulers and the authorities, be not careful how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall 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 shall teach you in the hour itself what should be said.
for the Holy Spirit shall teach you at that very moment what you must say."
13 And a person said to him out of the crowd, Teacher, speak to 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 established me [as] a judge or a divider over you?
"Man," He replied, "who has constituted me a judge or arbitrator over you?"
15 And he said to them, Take heed and keep yourselves from all covetousness, for [it is] not because a man is in abundance [that] his life is in his possessions.
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 And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly.
And He spoke a parable to them. "A certain rich man's lands," He said, "yielded abundant crops,
17 And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not [a place] where I shall lay up my fruits.
and he debated within himself, saying, "'What am I to do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.'
18 And he said, This will I do: I will take away my granaries and build greater, and there I will lay up all my produce and my good things;
"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 and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good things laid by for many years; repose thyself, eat, drink, 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, Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall be what thou hast prepared?
"But God said to him, "'Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?'
21 Thus 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 And he said to his disciples, For this cause I say unto you, Be not careful for life, what ye shall eat, nor for the body, what ye shall put on.
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 The life is more than food, and the body than raiment.
For life is a greater gift than food, and the body is a greater gift than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens, that they sow not nor reap; which have neither storehouse nor granary; and God feeds them. How much better are ye than the 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 But which of you by being careful can add to his stature one cubit?
And which of you is able by anxious thought to add a moment to his life?
26 If therefore ye cannot [do] even what is least, why are ye careful 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 neither toil nor spin; but I say unto you, Not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as 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 God thus clothe the grass, which to-day is in the field and to-morrow is cast into [the] oven, how much rather you, O ye 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 And ye, seek not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, and be not in anxiety;
"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 all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that ye have need of 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 his kingdom, and [all] these things shall be added to you.
But make His Kingdom the object of your pursuit, and these things shall be given you in addition.
32 Fear not, little flock, for it has been the good pleasure of your Father to give you the kingdom.
"Dismiss your fears, little flock: your Father finds a pleasure in giving you the Kingdom.
33 Sell what ye possess and give alms; make to yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure which does not fail in the heavens, where thief does not draw near nor moth destroy.
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 also will your heart be.
For where your wealth is stored, there also will your heart be.
35 Let your loins be girded about, and lamps burning;
"Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be alight;
36 and ye like men who wait their own lord whenever he may leave the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.
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 bondmen whom the lord [on] coming shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that he will gird himself and make them recline at table, and coming up will 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 And if he come in the second watch, and come in the third watch, and find [them] thus, blessed are those [bondmen].
And whether it be in the second watch or in the third that He comes and finds them so, blessed are they.
39 But this know, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be dug through.
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 And ye therefore, be ye ready, for in the hour in which ye do not think [it], the Son of man comes.
Be you also ready, for at an hour when you are not expecting Him the Son of Man will come."
41 And Peter said to him, Lord, sayest thou this parable to us, or also to all?
"Master," said Peter, "are you addressing this parable to us, or to all alike?"
42 And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give the measure of corn in season?
"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 bondman whom his lord [on] coming shall find doing thus;
Blessed is that servant whom his Master when He comes shall find so doing.
44 verily I say unto 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 bondman should say in his heart, My lord delays to come, and begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and to 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 the lord of that bondman shall come in a day when he does not expect it, and in an hour he knows not of, and shall cut him in two and appoint his portion with the unbelievers.
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 But that bondman who knew his own lord's will, and had not prepared [himself] nor done his will, shall 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 knew [it] not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. And to every one to whom much has been given, much shall be required from him; and to whom [men] have committed much, they will ask from him the more.
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 have come to cast a fire on the earth; and what will I if already it has been 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 baptised with, and how am I straitened until it shall have been accomplished!
But I have a baptism to undergo; and how am I pent up till it is accomplished!
51 Think ye that I have come to give peace in the earth? Nay, I say to you, 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 henceforth there shall be five in one house divided; three shall be divided 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 father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a 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 And he said also to the crowds, When ye see a cloud rising out of the west, straightway ye 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 And when [ye see] the south wind blow, ye say, There will be 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 Hypocrites, ye know how to judge of the appearance of the earth and of the heaven; how [is it then that] ye do not discern 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 And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
"Why, too, do you not of yourselves arrive at just conclusions?
58 For as thou goest with thine adverse party before a magistrate, strive in the way to be reconciled with him, lest he drag thee away to the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee 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 say unto thee, Thou shalt in no wise come out thence until thou hast paid the very last mite.
Never, I tell you, will you get free till you have paid the last farthing."
