Luke 12
1 At that time, when thousands of the people had come together, in such numbers that they were crushing one another, he said first to his disciples, Have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees, which is deceit.
Meanwhile the people had gathered in thousands, so that they trod upon 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 But nothing is covered up, which will not come to light, or secret, which will not be made clear.
There is nothing, however covered up, which will not be uncovered, nor anything kept secret which will not become known.
3 So, whatever you have said in the dark, will come to men's hearing in the light, and what you have said secretly inside the house, will be made public from the house-tops.
Hence 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 upon the housetops.
4 And I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to death, and are able to do no more than that.
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 But I will make clear to you of whom you are to be in fear: of him who after death has power to send you to hell; yes, truly I say, Have fear of 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 the Pit. Yes, I say, be afraid of him. (Geenna g1067)
6 Are not five sparrows given in exchange for two farthings? and God has every one of them in mind.
Are not five sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them has escaped God’s notice.
7 But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Have no fear: you are of more value than a flock of sparrows.
No, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 And I say to you that to everyone who gives witness to me before men, the Son of man will give witness before the angels of God.
Every one, I tell you, who shall acknowledge me before his fellow men, the Son of Man, also, will acknowledge before God’s angels;
9 But if anyone says before men that he has no knowledge of me, I will say that I have no knowledge of him before the angels of God.
but he, who disowns me before his fellow men, will be altogether disowned before God’s angels.
10 And if anyone says a word against the Son of man, he will have forgiveness: but for him who says evil words against the Holy Spirit, there will be no forgiveness.
Every one who shall say anything against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but for him who slanders the Holy Spirit there will be no forgiveness.
11 And when they take you before the Synagogues and the authorities and the rulers, take no thought about what answers you will give, or what you will 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 will make clear to you in that very hour what to say.
for the Holy Spirit will show you at the moment what you ought to say.”
13 And one of the people said to him, Master, give an order to my brother to make division of the heritage with me.
“Teacher,” a man in the crowd said to Jesus, “tell my brother to share the property with me.”
14 But he said, Man, who made me a judge or a maker of decisions for you?
But Jesus said to him: “Man, who made me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
15 And he said to them, Take care to keep yourselves free from the desire for property; for a man's life is not made up of the number of things which he has.
And then he added: “Take care to keep yourselves free from every form of covetousness; for even in the height of his prosperity a man’s true Life does not depend on what he has.”
16 And he said to them, in a story, The land of a certain man of great wealth was very fertile:
Then Jesus told them this parable — “There was once a rich man whose land was very fertile;
17 And he said to himself, What is to be done? for I have no place in which to put all my fruit.
and he began to ask himself ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?
18 And he said, This I will do: I will take down my store-houses and make greater ones, and there I will put all my grain and my goods.
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 soul, Soul, you have a great amount of goods in store, enough for a number of years; be at rest, take food and wine and be happy.
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, You foolish one, tonight I will take your soul from you, and who then will be the owner of all the things which you have got together?
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 that is what comes to the man who gets wealth for himself, and has not wealth in the eyes of God.
So it is with those who lay by wealth for themselves and are not rich to the glory of God.”
22 And he said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about what food you will take, or for your body, how it may be clothed.
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; nor yet about your body — what you can get to wear.
23 Is not life more than food, and the body than its clothing?
For life is more than food, and the body than its clothes.
24 Give thought to the ravens; they do not put seeds into the earth, or get together grain; they have no store-houses or buildings; and God gives them their food: of how much greater value 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 by taking thought is able to make himself any taller?
But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong his life a moment?
26 If, then, you are not able to do even that which is least, why are you troubled about the rest?
And, if you cannot do even the smallest thing, why be anxious about other things?
27 Give thought to the flowers: they do no work, they make no thread; and still I say to you, Even Solomon, in all his glory, was not clothed like 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 gives such clothing to the grass in the field, which today is living, and tomorrow will be burned in the oven, how much more will he give clothing to you, O men of little faith?
If, even in the field, God so clothes the grass which is living to-day and to-morrow will be thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith!
29 And do not give overmuch thought to your food and drink, and let not your mind be full of doubts.
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 the nations of the world go in search of all these things: but your Father has knowledge that you have need of 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 let your chief care be for his kingdom, and these other things will be given to you in addition.
No, seek his Kingdom, and these things shall be added for you.
32 Have no fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
So do not be afraid, my little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.
33 Give what property you have in exchange for money, and give the money to the poor; make for yourselves money-bags which will not get old, wealth stored up in heaven which will be yours for ever, where thieves will not come nor worms put it to destruction.
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, there will your heart be.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
35 Be ready, dressed as for a journey, with your lights burning.
Make yourselves ready, with your lamps alight;
36 And be like men who are looking for their lord, when he comes back from the bride-feast; so that when he comes to the door, it will be open to him quickly.
and be like men 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 Happy are those servants who are watching when the lord comes; truly I say to you, he will make himself their servant and, placing them at the table, he will come out and give them food.
Happy are those servants whom, on his return, the Master will find watching. I tell you that he will make himself ready, and bid them take their places at table, and will come and wait upon them.
38 And if he comes in the second division of the night or in the third, and they are watching for him, happy are those servants.
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 But be certain of this, that if the master of the house had had knowledge of the time when the thief was coming, he would have been watching, and would not have let his house 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 So be ready: for the Son of man is coming at a time when you are not looking for him.
Do you also prepare, for when you are least expecting him the Son of Man will come.”
41 And Peter said to him, Lord, are these words said to us only, or to all men?
“Master,” said Peter, “are you telling this parable with reference to us or to every one?”
42 And the Lord said, Who then is the wise and responsible servant whom his lord will put in control of his family, to give them their food at the right time?
“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 Happy is that servant who, when his lord comes, is doing so.
Happy will that servant be whom his master, when he comes home, shall find doing this.
44 Truly I say to you, he will put him in control of all his goods.
His master, I tell you, will put him in charge of the whole of his property.
45 But if that servant says to himself, My lord is a long time coming; and goes about giving blows to the men-servants and the women-servants, feasting and taking overmuch wine;
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 The lord of that servant will come at a time when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not ready for him, and he will have him cut in two and will give him his part in the fate of those who have no faith;
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 the servant who had knowledge of his lord's desires and was not ready for him and did not do as he was ordered, will be given a great number of blows;
The servant who knows his master’s wishes and yet does not prepare and act accordingly will receive many lashes;
48 But he who, without knowledge, did things for which punishment is given, will get only a small number of blows. The man to whom much is given, will have to give much; if much is given into his care, of him more will be requested.
while one who does not know his master’s wishes, but acts so as to deserve a flogging, will receive but few. From every one 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 send a fire on the earth, and it may even now have been lighted.
I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what more can I wish, if it is already kindled?
50 But there is a baptism which I have to undergo; and how am I kept back till it is complete!
There is a baptism that I must undergo, and how great is my distress until it is over!
51 Is it your opinion that I have come to give peace on earth? I say to you, No, but division:
Do you think that I am here to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but to cause division.
52 For from this time, a family of five in one house will be on opposite sides, three against two and two 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 They will be at war, the father against his son, and the son against his father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against 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, When you see a cloud coming up in the west, straight away you say, There will be rain; and so it is.
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, There will be heat; and so it is.
And when you see that the wind is in the south, you say ‘It will be burning hot,’ and so it proves.
56 O false ones! the face of the earth and the heaven is clear to you; how is it that the signs of these times are not as clear to you?
Hypocrites! You know how to judge of the earth and the sky; how is it, then, that you cannot judge of this time?
57 And why are you, in your hearts, unable to be judges of what is right?
Why do not you yourselves decide what is right?
58 For if anyone has a cause at law against you, and you are going with him before the ruler, make an attempt, on the way, to come to an agreement with him, for if you do not, he may take you before the judge and the judge will give you up to the police, and they will put 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; for fear that he should 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 I say to you, You will not come out of it till you have made payment to the very last farthing.
You will not, I tell you, come out until you have paid the very last farthing.”
