< Luke 12 >

1 Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
In the mean time great multitudes of people being gathered together about Him, so that they trode upon one another, He began to say to his disciples, Beware of the leaven of the pharisees, which is hypocrisy: for there is nothing concealed,
2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
which shall not be discovered; nor hidden which shall not be known.
3 Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Therefore whatsoever ye have said in darkness shall be heard in the light: and what ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.
4 “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Now I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them, that can only kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
5 But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Geenna g1067)
But I will shew you whom ye should fear, ---Fear Him, who after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear Him. (Geenna g1067)
6 “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.
Are not five sparrows sold for two assaries, and not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
Nay the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Be not therefore afraid; ye are of more worth than many sparrows.
8 “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;
But I say unto you, Whosoever shall own me before men, the Son of man will also own him before the angels of God.
9 but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.
But he, that disowneth me before men, shall be disowned before the angels of God.
10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it may be forgiven him; but unto him, that blasphemeth the holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven.
11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer or what you will say;
And when they bring you before the synagogues, and magistrates, and powers, be not solicitous how or what defence to make, or what to say:
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”
for the holy Spirit shall teach you at that very time what ye ought to say.
13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
And one among the multitude said to Him, Master, speak to my brother to divide the inheritance with me: but He said unto him,
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
Man, who set me over you as a judge or divider?
15 He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
And He said unto them, See to it that ye beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of his possessions.
16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
And He spake a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’
and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do? for I have not room to lay up my corn.
18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
And he said, This I will do: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will bestow all my products and my goods.
19 I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast plenty of goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
So is he that heapeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.
22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
And He said to his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor for the body, what ye shall put on:
23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
the life is more than food, and the body than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap; they have neither store-house nor barn, and yet God feedeth them: how much more worth are ye than the fowls?
25 Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?
And which of you by all his thought can add one moment to his life?
26 If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?
If then ye cannot do even the lest, why are ye so anxious about the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Consider the lilies, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I tell you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?
Now if God so clothe the grass which is to day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 “Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
And seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; neither be ye in careful suspense:
30 For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
for all these things the nations of the world seek after; but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
Seek ye therefore the kingdom of God, and all these shall be super-added unto you.
32 “Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell what you have and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
Sell what ye have, and give alms: provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a never-failing treasure in the heavens, where no thief approacheth nor moth corrupteth:
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.
Let your loins be girt, and your lights burning, and
36 Be like men watching for their lord when he returns from the wedding feast, that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him.
ye yourselves like men waiting for their lord's return from a wedding, that they may immediately open the door to him, when he comes and knocks.
37 Blessed are those servants whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them.
Happy are those servants, whom the master when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down, and will come and serve them.
38 They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so.
And if he come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find them so, happy indeed are those servants.
39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
And this ye know, that if the master of a house had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broke open:
40 Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”
therefore be ye also ready; for the Son of man cometh at a season that ye think not of.
41 Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
Then said Peter unto Him, Lord, dost thou speak this parable to us only, or to all others likewise?
42 The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?
And the Lord said, Who is indeed that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his family to give out the measure of food in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.
Happy is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.
44 Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
Verily I tell you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and to be drunken,
But if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and begin to beat the men and maid-servants, and drink, and to be drunken:
46 then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.
the lord of that servant will come on a day in which he does not expect him, and at a time which he is not aware of; and will cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the unfaithful.
47 That servant who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
And that servant, who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself to do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;
48 but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.
but he that knew it not, and did things deserving stripes, shall be beaten with few: for to whomsoever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will demand the more.
49 “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.
I am come to send fire on the earth, and how do I desire that it were already kindled?
50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
for I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am straitened till it be accomplished?
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.
Do ye think that I am come to give peace on the earth? I tell you, nay; but rather division.
52 For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
For from this time there shall be five in one family divided, three against two and two against three:
53 They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
the father will be against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
54 He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.
He said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rising from the west, ye presently say, there is a shower coming, and so it proves:
55 When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.
and when ye observe the south-wind blowing, ye say there will be heat, and it cometh to pass.
56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time?
Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of the earth and of the heavens, and why do ye not discern the present time?
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
and why do ye not even of yourselves judge what is right?
58 For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
When thou art going with thine adversary to the magistrate, endeavour while thou art in the way to be discharged, least he force thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer carry thee to prison.
59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last penny.”
I tell thee, thou shalt not come out from thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

< Luke 12 >