Luke 12
1 In the meane time, there gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, so that they trode one another: and he began to say vnto his disciples first, Take heede to your selues of the leauen of the Pharises, which is hypocrisie.
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 For there is nothing couered, that shall not bee reueiled: neither hidde, that shall not be knowen.
There is nothing, however covered up, which will not be uncovered, nor anything kept secret which will not become known.
3 Wherefore whatsoeuer yee haue spoken in darkenesse, it shall be heard in the light: and that which ye haue spoken in the eare, in secret places, shall be preached on the houses.
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 And I say vnto you, my friendes, be not afraide of them that kill the bodie, and after that are not able to doe any more.
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 wil forewarne you, who ye shall feare: feare him which after hee hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say vnto you, him feare. (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 fiue sparowes bought for two farthings, and yet not one of them is forgotten before God?
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has escaped God’s notice.
7 Yea, and all the heares of your head are nombred: feare not therefore: yee are more of value then many sparowes.
No, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 Also I say vnto you, Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men, him shall the Sonne of man confesse also 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 hee that shall denie mee before men, shall be denied before the Angels of God.
but the person who publicly disowns me will be altogether disowned before God’s angels.
10 And whosoeuer shall speake a woorde against the Sonne of man, it shall be forgiuen him: but vnto him, that shall blaspheme ye holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiuen.
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 shall bring you vnto the Synagogues, and vnto the rulers and Princes, take no thought howe, or what thing ye shall answere, or what yee shall speake.
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 Ghost shall teache you in the same houre, what yee ought to say.
for the Holy Spirit will show you at the moment what you ought to say.’
13 And one of the companie said vnto him, Master, bidde my brother deuide the inheritance with me.
‘Teacher,’ a man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘tell my brother to share the property with me.’
14 And he said vnto him, Man, who made me a iudge, or a deuider ouer you?
But Jesus said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or an arbiter between you?’
15 Wherefore he said vnto them, Take heede, and beware of couetousnesse: for though a man haue abundance, yet his life standeth not in his riches.
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 put foorth a parable vnto them, saying, The grounde of a certaine riche man brought foorth fruites plenteously.
Then Jesus told them this parable – ‘There was once a rich man whose land was very fertile;
17 Therefore he thought with himselfe, saying, What shall I doe, because I haue no roume, where I may lay vp my fruites?
and he began to ask himself “What will I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?
18 And he said, This wil I do, I wil pul downe my barnes, and builde greater, and therein will I gather all my fruites, 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 wil say to my soule, Soule, thou hast much goods laide vp for many yeeres: liue at ease, eate, drinke and take thy pastime.
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 vnto him, O foole, this night wil they fetch away thy soule from thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided?
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 he that gathereth riches to himselfe, and is not riche in God.
So it is with those who lay by wealth for themselves and are not rich to the glory of God.’
22 And he spake vnto his disciples, Therefore I say vnto you, Take no thought for your life, what yee shall eate: neither for your body, what yee shall 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 The life is more then meate: and the body more then the raiment.
For life is more than food, and the body than its clothes.
24 Consider the rauens: for they neither sowe nor reape: which neither haue storehouse nor barne, and yet God feedeth them: how much more are yee better then foules?
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 with taking thought, can adde to his stature one cubite?
But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong your life a moment?
26 If yee then bee not able to doe the least thing, why take yee thought for the remnant?
And, if you cannot do even the smallest thing, why be anxious about other things?
27 Consider the lilies howe they growe: they labour not, neither spin they: yet I say vnto you, that Salomon himselfe in all his royaltie 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 If then God so clothe the grasse which is to day in the field, and to morowe is cast into the ouen, howe much more will he clothe you, O yee of litle 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 aske not what yee shall eate, or what ye shall drinke, neither hag you in suspense.
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 all such things the people of the world seeke for: and your Father knoweth that ye haue neede of these things.
These are the things for which all the nations of the world are seeking, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 But rather seeke ye after the kingdome of God, and all these things shalbe cast vpon you.
No, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added for you.
32 Feare not, litle flocke: for it is your Fathers pleasure, to giue you the kingdome.
So do not be afraid, my little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye haue, and giue almes: make you bagges, which waxe not old, a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen, where no theefe commeth, neither mothe corrupteth.
‘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 treasure is, there will your hearts be also.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
35 Let your loynes be gird about and your lights burning,
Make yourselves ready, with your lamps alight;
36 And ye your selues like vnto men that waite for their master, when he will returne from the wedding, that when he commeth and knocketh, they may open vnto him immediatly.
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 seruants, whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking: verely I say vnto you, he will girde himselfe about, and make them to sit downe at table, and will come forth, and serue 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 if he come in the seconde watch, or come in the third watch, and shall finde them so, blessed are those seruants.
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 Nowe vnderstand this, that if the good man of the house had knowen at what houre the theefe would haue come, he would haue watched, and would not haue suffered his house to be digged through.
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 ye also prepared therefore: for the Sonne of man will come at an houre when ye thinke not.
You must also prepare, for when you are least expecting him the Son of Man will come.’
41 Then Peter saide vnto him, Master, tellest thou this parable vnto vs, or euen to all?
‘Master,’ said Peter, ‘are you telling this parable with reference to us or to everyone?’
42 And the Lord saide, Who is a faithfull steward and wise, whom the master shall make ruler ouer his householde, to giue them their portion of meate in season?
‘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 seruant, whom his master when he commeth, shall finde so doing.
Happy will that servant be whom his master, when he comes home, will find doing this.
44 Of a trueth I say vnto you, that he wil make him ruler ouer all that he hath.
His master, I tell you, will put him in charge of the whole of his property.
45 But if that seruant say in his heart, My master doeth deferre his comming, and ginne to smite the seruants, and maydens, and to eate, and drinke, and to be drunken,
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 master of that seruant will come in a day when he thinketh not, and at an houre when he is not ware of, and will cut him off, and giue him his portion with the vnbeleeuers.
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 seruant that knewe his masters will, and prepared not himselfe, neither did according to his will, shalbe beaten with many stripes.
The servant who knows his master’s wishes and yet does not prepare and act accordingly will receive many lashes;
48 But he that knewe it not, and yet did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with fewe stripes: for vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen, of him shalbe much required, and to whom men much commit, the more of him will they aske.
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 am come to put fire on the earth, and what is my desire, if it be already kindled?
I came to cast fire on the earth; and what more can I wish, if it is already kindled?
50 Notwithstanding I must be baptized with a baptisme, and how am I grieued, till it be ended?
There is a baptism that I must undergo, and how great is my distress until it is over!
51 Thinke ye that I am come to giue peace on earth? I tell you, nay, but rather debate.
Do you think that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but to cause division.
52 For from hencefoorth there shall be fiue in one house deuided, 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 The father shalbe deuided against ye sonne, and the sonne against the father: the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother: the mother in lawe against her daughter in lawe, and the daughter in lawe against her mother in lawe.
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 said he to the people, When ye see a cloude rise out of the West, straightway ye say, A shower commeth: 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 ye see the South winde blowe, ye say, that it wilbe hoate: and it commeth to passe.
And when you see that the wind is in the south, you say “It will be burning hot,” and so it proves.
56 Hypocrites, ye can discerne the face of the earth, and of the skie: but why discerne ye not this 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 Yea, and why iudge ye not of your selues what is right?
Why don’t you yourselves decide what is right?
58 While thou goest with thine aduersarie to the ruler, as thou art in the way, giue diligence in the way, that thou mayest be deliuered from him, least he drawe thee to the iudge, and the iudge deliuer thee to the iayler, and the iayler cast thee into 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 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast payed the vtmost mite.
You will not, I tell you, come out until you have paid the very last cent.’
