Luke 12
1 MEANTIME myriads of people collecting, so that they trod on one another, he began to speak to his disciples, Take heed principally of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
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.
2 For there is nothing concealed, that shall not be laid open; nor hid, which shall not be known.
But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
3 Wherefore whatsoever things ye have spoken in darkness, they shall be reported in the light; and what ye have whispered into the ear in the closets, shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.
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.
4 But I say to you my friends, Be not afraid of those who may kill the body, but after that, have nothing farther which they can do.
“I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will point out to you, whom ye should fear: Fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him! (Geenna g1067)
But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehinnom. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Geenna g1067)
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, yet not one of them is forgotten before God?
“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.
7 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered: fear not then, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
8 But I tell you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him will the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
“I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;
9 but he that disowns me before men, shall be disowned before the angels of God.
but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.
10 And every one who shall utter a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but for him who hath blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, there shall be no forgiveness.
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.
11 And when they shall bring you before the synagogues, and magistrates, and the ruling powers, be under no anxiety how or what defence ye shall make, or what ye shall say:
When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer or what you will say;
12 for the Holy Ghost will teach you at that very hour what ye ought to say.
for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”
13 Then spake one of the multitude to him, Master, order my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
One of the multitude said to him, “Rabbi, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But he said to him, Man, who made me a judge and a divider among you?
But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
15 Then said he to them, Beware, and be on your guard against covetousness; for a man’s life doth not depend on the abundance of his possessions.
He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The estate of a certain rich man bore plentifully:
He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
17 and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? for I have not room where I may house my crops.
He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’
18 And he said, I will do this; I will take down my barns, and build them larger, and collect there all my crops, and my good things!
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.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast a multitude of good things in store for many years, be at ease, eat, drink, and be merry!
I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’
20 But God said to him, Thou fool! this night shall they demand thy life from thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?
“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?’
21 Just such is every one who heapeth up treasure for self, and is not rich towards God.
So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
22 Then said he to his disciples, For this reason I tell you, Be under no anxiety about your life, what ye shall eat, nor for your body, how ye shall be clothed.
He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
23 The life is more than food, and the body than raiment.
Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn; yet God feedeth them: how much are ye more excellent than the birds?
Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!
25 Which of you, with all his anxiety, can add one moment to his life?
Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?
26 If therefore ye are unable to do the least thing, why are ye anxious about the others?
If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?
27 Observe the lillies how they grow up, they toil not, nor spin; but I tell you, that Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If God then so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is thrown into the furnace; how much more you, O ye of little faith?
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?
29 So then be not ye inquisitive what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor be agitated with restless anxiety.
“Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
30 For after all these things are the nations of the world seeking; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
31 But seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be given you over.
But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
32 Fear not, little flock! for your Father takes delight in giving you the kingdom.
“Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
33 Sell all your possessions, and give in charity; make yourselves purses that wax not old, a treasure never failing in the heavens, where no thief approaches, nor doth the moth destroy.
Sell what you have and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 Let your loins be firmly girded round, and your lamps burning:
“Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.
36 and ye like men, expecting their master, when he shall return from the marriage; that when he comes and knocks, they may instantly open the door for him.
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.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, when he cometh, shall find watchful: verily I say unto you, that he will gird up himself, and make them sit down at table, and come and wait upon them.
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.
38 And if he come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find them so watchful, blessed are those servants.
They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so.
39 Now this be assured of, that if the master of the family had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through.
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.
40 Therefore be ye also ready, for at an hour that ye think not of, the Son of man cometh.
Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”
41 Then said Peter unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable to us, or also for all?
Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
42 And the Lord said, Who indeed is a faithful steward, and prudent, whom the lord will place over his household, to give them their proportion of provision at the proper season?
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?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so employed.
Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.
44 Verily I say unto you, that he will place him over all his property.
Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
45 But if that servant say in his heart, My master will be a long while ere he comes; and shall begin to beat the men and maid-servants, and to eat and to drink, and to get drunk;
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,
46 the master of that servant will come in a day when he doth not expect him, and at an hour which he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and give him his portion with the unfaithful.
then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.
47 And that servant, who knew his master’s will, and made no preparation for him, nor did according to his pleasure, shall be beaten with many stripes.
That servant who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
48 But he that knew it not, yet did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For of every one to whom much is given, much shall be required from him: and to whom men commit much, they will of him demand abundantly more.
but he who didn’t 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.
49 I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what is my wish? that it may be now kindled.
“I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.
50 But I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how am I distressed in spirit till it is finished!
But I have a immersion to be immersed with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
51 Think ye that I came to bring peace upon earth? No, I tell you; but rather division:
Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.
52 for henceforth five shall be in one house, divided, three against two, and two against three.
For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 The father shall take part against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the step-mother against her daughter-in-law, and the son’s wife against her mother-in-law.
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.”
54 Then said he to the multitudes, When ye see a cloud rising from the west, ye say immediately, There cometh a shower; and it is so.
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.
55 And when the south wind gently blows, ye say, It will be sultry hot; and so it is.
When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.
56 Ye hypocrites! ye know how to discern by experience from the appearance of the earth and of the sky; but how is it that ye do not discern this particular time?
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time?
57 And why even of yourselves do ye not decide what is just?
“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
58 For as thou art going with thy prosecutor to the magistrate, on the way endeavour to make up the matter with him; lest he drag thee before the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
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.
59 I tell thee, thou mayest in no wise come out from thence, until thou hast paid the very last mite.
I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last penny.”
