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.
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.
2 There is nothing that is covered up which will not be uncovered, nor hidden which will not become known.
There is nothing, however covered up, which will not be uncovered, nor anything kept secret which will not become 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 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.
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.
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.
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)
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)
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 copper coins? Yet not one of them has escaped God’s notice.
7 But the very hairs on your heads are all counted. Away with fear: you are more precious than a multitude of sparrows.'
No, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value 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.
Everyone, I tell you, who publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man, also, will acknowledge before God’s angels;
9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
but the person who publicly disowns me will be altogether disowned before God’s angels.
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 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.
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;
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 defence will be, 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 show you at the moment what you ought to 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."
‘Teacher,’ a man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘tell my brother to share the property with me.’
14 "Man," He replied, "who has constituted me a judge or arbitrator over you?"
But Jesus said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or an arbiter between 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."
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.’
16 And He spoke a parable to them. "A certain rich man's lands," He said, "yielded abundant crops,
Then Jesus told them this parable – ‘There was once a rich man whose land was very fertile;
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 began to ask himself “What will I do, for I have nowhere 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;
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;
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.'
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.”
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 the man “Fool! This very night your life is being demanded; and as for all you have prepared – who will have it?”
21 "So is it with him who amasses treasure for himself, but has no riches in God."
So it is with those who lay by wealth for themselves and are not rich to the glory of 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.'
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.
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 than its 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!
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!
25 And which of you is able by anxious thought to add a moment to his life?
But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong your life a moment?
26 If then you are unable to do even a very little thing, why be over-anxious about other matters?
And, if you cannot do even the smallest thing, why be anxious about other things?
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.
Think of the lilies, and how they grow. They neither toil nor spin; yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendour was not robed 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, 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!
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.
And you – do not be always seeking what you can get to eat or what you can get to drink; and do not waver.
30 For though the nations of the world pursue these things, as for you, your Father knows that you need them.
These are the things for which all the nations of the world are seeking, 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.
No, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added for you.
32 "Dismiss your fears, little flock: your Father finds a pleasure in giving you the Kingdom.
So do not be afraid, my little flock, for your Father has been 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 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.
34 For where your wealth is stored, there also will your heart be.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
35 "Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be alight;
Make yourselves ready, with your lamps alight;
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 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.
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.
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.
38 And whether it be in the second watch or in the third that He comes and finds them so, blessed are they.
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.
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.
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.
40 Be you also ready, for at an hour when you are not expecting Him the Son of Man will come."
You must also prepare, for when you are least expecting him the Son of Man will come.’
41 "Master," said Peter, "are you addressing this parable to us, or to all alike?"
‘Master,’ said Peter, ‘are you telling this parable with reference to us or 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?
‘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?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his Master when He comes shall find so doing.
Happy will that servant be whom his master, when he comes home, will find doing this.
44 I tell you truly that He will put him in authority over all His possessions.
His master, I tell you, will put him in charge of the whole of 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 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,
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.
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.
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.
The servant who knows his master’s wishes and yet does not prepare and act accordingly will receive many lashes;
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.
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.
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 on the earth; and what more can I wish, if it is already kindled?
50 But I have a baptism to undergo; and how am I pent up till it is accomplished!
There is a baptism that I must undergo, and how great is my distress until it is over!
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 am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but to cause 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 this time, if there are five people in a house, they will be divided, three against two, and two 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."
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.’
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.
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.
55 And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be burning hot;' and it comes to pass.
And when you see that the wind is in the south, you say “It will be burning hot,” and so it proves.
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 judge of the earth and the sky; how is it, then, that you cannot judge of this time?
57 "Why, too, do you not of yourselves arrive at just conclusions?
Why don’t you yourselves decide what is right?
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.
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.
59 Never, I tell you, will you get free till you have paid the last farthing."
You will not, I tell you, come out until you have paid the very last cent.’
