Luke 12
1 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.
In the meantime, when many thousands of the people were gathered together, so much that they trampled on each other, he began to say to his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 There is nothing that is covered up which will not be uncovered, nor hidden which will not become known.
But there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be known.
3 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.
So whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.
4 "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.
I say to you my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that they have no more that they can do.
5 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)
But I will warn you about whom to fear. Fear the one who, after he has killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I say to you, fear him. (Geenna g1067)
6 Are not five sparrows sold for a penny? and yet not one of them is a thing forgotten in God's sight.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God.
7 But the very hairs on your heads are all counted. Away with fear: you are more precious than a multitude of sparrows.'
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear. You are more valuable than many sparrows.
8 "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.
I say to you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God,
9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 "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.
Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
11 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;
When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you will speak in your defense, or what you will say,
12 for the Holy Spirit shall teach you at that very moment what you must say."
for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that hour what you should say.”
13 Just then a man in the crowd appealed to Him. "Rabbi," he said, "tell my brother to give me a share of the inheritance."
Then someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 "Man," He replied, "who has constituted me a judge or arbitrator over you?"
Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or a mediator over you?”
15 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."
He said to them, “Watch that you keep yourselves from all greedy desires, because a person's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions.”
16 And He spoke a parable to them. "A certain rich man's lands," He said, "yielded abundant crops,
Then Jesus told them a parable, saying, “The field of a rich man yielded abundantly,
17 and he debated within himself, saying, "'What am I to do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.'
and he reasoned with himself, saying, 'What will I do, because I do not have a place to store my crops?'
18 "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;
He said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all of my grain and other goods.
19 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.'
I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Rest easy, eat, drink, be merry.”'
20 "But God said to him, "'Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?'
But God said to him, 'Foolish man, tonight your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
21 "So is it with him who amasses treasure for himself, but has no riches in God."
That is what someone is like who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
22 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.'
Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat—or about your body, what you will wear.
23 For life is a greater gift than food, and the body is a greater gift than clothing.
For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.
24 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!
Consider the ravens, that they do not sow or reap. They have no storeroom or barn, but God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
25 And which of you is able by anxious thought to add a moment to his life?
Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his lifespan?
26 If then you are unable to do even a very little thing, why be over-anxious about other matters?
If then you are not able to do such a very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 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.
Consider the lilies—how they grow. They do not labor, neither do they spin. Yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
28 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!
If God so clothes the grass in the field, which exists today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 "Therefore, do not be asking what you are to eat nor what you are to drink; and do not waver between hope and fear.
Do not look for what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not be anxious.
30 For though the nations of the world pursue these things, as for you, your Father knows that you need them.
For all the nations of the world look for these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 But make His Kingdom the object of your pursuit, and these things shall be given you in addition.
But seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32 "Dismiss your fears, little flock: your Father finds a pleasure in giving you the Kingdom.
Do not fear, little flock, because your Father is very pleased to give you the kingdom.
33 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.
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make for yourselves purses which will not wear out—treasure in the heavens that does not run out, where no thief comes near, and no moth destroys.
34 For where your wealth is stored, there also will your heart be.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35 "Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be alight;
Let your long clothing be tucked in at your belt, and let your lamps be kept burning,
36 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.
and be like people looking for their master when he returns from the marriage feast, so that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open the door for him.
37 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.
Blessed are those servants whom the master will find watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will tuck in his long clothing at his belt, and have them sit down at the table, and he will come and serve them.
38 And whether it be in the second watch or in the third that He comes and finds them so, blessed are they.
If the master comes in the second watch of the night, or if even in the third watch, and finds them ready, blessed are those servants.
39 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.
But understand this, that if the master of the house had known the hour the thief was coming he would not have let his house be broken into.
40 Be you also ready, for at an hour when you are not expecting Him the Son of Man will come."
Be ready also, because you do not know the hour when the Son of Man comes.”
41 "Master," said Peter, "are you addressing this parable to us, or to all alike?"
Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable only to us, or also to everyone?”
42 "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?
The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager whom his lord will set over his other servants to give them their portion of food at the right time?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his Master when He comes shall find so doing.
Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing that when he comes.
44 I tell you truly that He will put him in authority over all His possessions.
Truly I say to you that he will set him over all his property.
45 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;
But if that servant says in his heart, 'My lord delays his return,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink, and to become drunk,
46 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.
the lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and appoint a place for him with the unfaithful.
47 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.
That servant, having known his lord's will, and not having prepared or done according to his will, will be beaten with many blows.
48 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.
But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating, he will be beaten with a few blows. But everyone who has been given much, from them much will be required, and the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.
49 "I came to throw fire upon the earth, and what is my desire? Oh that it were even now kindled!
I came to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish that it were already kindled.
50 But I have a baptism to undergo; and how am I pent up till it is accomplished!
But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am distressed until it is completed!
51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? No, I tell you that I came to bring dissension.
Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
52 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;
For from now on there will be five in one house divided—three people against two, and two people against three.
53 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."
They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
54 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.
Jesus was saying to the crowds also, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it happens.
55 And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be burning hot;' and it comes to pass.
When a south wind is blowing, you say, 'There will be a scorching heat,' and it happens.
56 Vain pretenders! You know how to read the aspect of earth and sky. How is it you cannot read this present time?
Hypocrites, you know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the heavens, but how is it that you do not know how to interpret the present time?
57 "Why, too, do you not of yourselves arrive at just conclusions?
Why do you not judge what is right for yourselves?
58 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.
For when you go with your adversary before the magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the matter with him so that he does not drag you to the judge, and so that the judge does not deliver you to the officer, and the officer does not throw you into prison.
59 Never, I tell you, will you get free till you have paid the last farthing."
I say to you, you will never come out from there until you have paid the very last bit of money.”
