Luke 12
1 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.
In the mean time, when the multitude was gathered together in myriads, so that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples first, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 There is nothing, however covered up, which will not be uncovered, nor anything kept secret which will not become known.
But there is nothing covered, that will not be revealed; and hid, that will not be known.
3 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.
Therefore, whatever ye have said in darkness, will be heard in the light; and what ye have spoken in the ear in closets, will be proclaimed upon the house-tops.
4 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.
And I say to you my friends, Fear not those who kill the body, and after this can do nothing more.
5 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)
But I will warn you whom to fear; fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, fear him. (Geenna g1067)
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has escaped God’s notice.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? and not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 No, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8 Everyone, I tell you, who publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man, also, will acknowledge before God’s angels;
And I say to you, Every one that acknowledgeth me before men, him will the Son of man also acknowledge before the angels of God.
9 but the person who publicly disowns me will be altogether disowned before God’s angels.
But he that hath denied me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.
10 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.
And every one that shall speak a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but to him that hath blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
11 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 defense will be, or what you will say;
And when they bring you to the synagogues and the magistrates and the authorities, be not anxious as to how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say;
12 for the Holy Spirit will show you at the moment what you ought to say.”
for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.
13 “Teacher,” a man in the crowd said to Jesus, “tell my brother to share the property with me.”
And one from the multitude said to him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.
14 But Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
But he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 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.”
And he said to them, Take heed and beware of all covetousness; for even when one hath great abundance, his life doth not depend upon his possessions.
16 Then Jesus told them this parable – “There was once a rich man whose land was very fertile;
And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
17 and he began to ask himself ‘What will I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? for I have not where to store my crops.
18 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;
And he said, This will I do; I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I store all my crops and my goods;
19 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.’
and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.
20 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?’
But God said to him, Fool! this night will thy soul he required of thee; and whose will those things be which thou hast laid up?
21 So it is with those who lay by wealth for themselves and are not rich to the glory of God.”
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.
22 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.
And he said to his disciples, Therefore I say to you, Be not anxious for the life, what ye shall eat; nor for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 For life is more than food, and the body than its clothes.
The life is more than its food, and the body than its raiment.
24 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!
Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; which have neither store-house, nor barn; and God feedeth them. Of how much greater value are ye than the birds!
25 But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong your life a moment?
And who of you can by anxious thought add a cubit to his life?
26 And, if you cannot do even the smallest thing, why be anxious about other things?
If then ye cannot do even that which is least, why are ye anxious about the rest?
27 Think of the lilies, and how they grow. They neither toil nor spin; yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendor was not robed like one of these.
Consider the lilies, that they neither spin nor weave; and yet I say to you, Not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.
28 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!
But if God so clothes the herbage in the field, which is to-day, and tomorrow is cast into an oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith!
29 And you – do not be always seeking what you can get to eat or what you can get to drink; and do not waver.
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink; and be not of a doubtful mind.
30 These are the things for which all the nations of the world are seeking, and your Father knows that you need them.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 No, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added for you.
But rather seek his kingdom, and these things will also be given you.
32 So do not be afraid, my little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Fear not, little flock! for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 “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.
Sell what ye have, and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which wax not old, treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, nor moth destroyeth.
34 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 Make yourselves ready, with your lamps alight;
Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning;
36 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.
and be yourselves like men waiting for the return of their lord from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.
37 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.
Happy are those servants, whom their lord when he cometh shall find watching; truly do I say to you, that he will gird himself, and place them at table, and will come and wait on them.
38 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.
And if in the second, or if in the third watch, he cometh and findeth them thus, happy are they.
39 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.
And be sure of this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 You must also prepare, for when you are least expecting him the Son of Man will come.”
Be ye also ready; for at an hour when ye think not the Son of man cometh.
41 “Master,” said Peter, “are you telling this parable with reference to us or to everyone?”
And Peter said to him, Lord, dost thou speak this parable to us, or also to all?
42 “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?
And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful, the wise steward, whom his lord will place over his household, to give the portion of food in due season?
43 Happy will that servant be whom his master, when he comes home, will find doing this.
Happy is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.
44 His master, I tell you, will put him in charge of the whole of his property.
I say to you in truth, that he will place him in charge of all his substance.
45 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,
But if that servant say in his heart, My lord is long in coming; and begin to beat the men-servants and maid-servants, and to eat and drink and be drunken,
46 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.
the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the unfaithful.
47 The servant who knows his master’s wishes and yet does not prepare and act accordingly will receive many lashes;
And that servant who knew his lord's will, and did not make ready, nor do according to his will, will be beaten with many stripes;
48 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.
but he that knew not and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few. And from every one to whom much hath been given, will much be required; and to whom much hath been entrusted, of him will the more be demanded.
49 I came to cast fire on the earth; and what more can I wish, if it is already kindled?
I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I wish, if it hath been already kindled?
50 There is a baptism that I must undergo, and how great is my distress until it is over!
But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how is my soul troubled, till it be accomplished!
51 Do you think that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but to cause division.
Think ye that I came to give peace in the earth? I tell you, nay, but rather division.
52 For from this time, if there are five people in a house, they will be divided, three against two, and two against three.
For from this time forth five in one house will be divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 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.”
They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
54 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.
And he said also to the multitudes, When ye see a cloud rising in the west, ye say at once, A shower is coming; and it is so;
55 And when you see that the wind is in the south, you say ‘It will be burning hot,’ and so it proves.
and when ye perceive the south wind blowing, ye say, It will be hot; and it cometh to pass.
56 Hypocrites! You know how to judge of the earth and the sky; how is it, then, that you cannot judge of this time?
Hypocrites! ye know how to judge of the face of the earth and the sky; but how is it that ye know not how to judge of this time
57 Why don’t you yourselves decide what is right?
And why even of yourselves do ye not judge what is right?
58 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.
When thou art going with thine adversary at law to the magistrate, take pains, while on the way, to be released by him; lest he drag thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
59 You will not, I tell you, come out until you have paid the very last cent.”
I tell thee, Thou wilt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
