Luke, 12

1. Meanwhile the people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And he began to speak, first of all to his disciples. 'Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees -- their hypocrisy.

1. In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trod upon one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2. Everything now covered up will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear.

2. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

3. For this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed from the housetops.

3. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4. 'To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.

4. "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, he is the one to fear.

5. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him!

6. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God's sight.

6. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

7. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.

7. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

8. 'I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of human beings, the Son of man will declare himself for him in the presence of God's angels.

8. "And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God;

9. But anyone who disowns me in the presence of human beings will be disowned in the presence of God's angels.

9. but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10. 'Everyone who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but no one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven.

10. And every one who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11. 'When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say,

11. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say;

12. because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.'

12. for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

13. A man in the crowd said to him, 'Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.'

13. One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."

14. He said to him, 'My friend, who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?'

14. But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?"

15. Then he said to them, 'Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life does not consist in possessions, even when someone has more than he needs.'

15. And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

16. Then he told them a parable, 'There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land,

16. And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully;

17. thought to himself, "What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops."

17. and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'

18. Then he said, "This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them,

18. And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

19. and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time."

19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'

20. But God said to him, "Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?"

20. But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

21. So it is when someone stores up treasure for himself instead of becoming rich in the sight of God.'

21. So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

22. Then he said to his disciples, 'That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it.

22. And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on.

23. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

23. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

24. Think of the ravens. They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouses and no barns; yet God feeds them. And how much more you are worth than the birds!

24. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

25. Can any of you, however much you worry, add a single cubit to your span of life?

25. And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life?

26. If a very small thing is beyond your powers, why worry about the rest?

26. If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

27. Think how the flowers grow; they never have to spin or weave; yet, I assure you, not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of them.

27. Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28. Now if that is how God clothes a flower which is growing wild today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he look after you, who have so little faith!

28. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith!

29. But you must not set your hearts on things to eat and things to drink; nor must you worry.

29. And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind.

30. It is the gentiles of this world who set their hearts on all these things. Your Father well knows you need them.

30. For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them.

31. No; set your hearts on his kingdom, and these other things will be given you as well.

31. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well.

32. 'There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.

32. "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33. 'Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it.

33. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

34. For wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will be too.

34. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35. 'See that you have your belts done up and your lamps lit.

35. "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning,

36. Be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks.

36. and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks.

37. Blessed those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. In truth I tell you, he will do up his belt, sit them down at table and wait on them.

37. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.

38. It may be in the second watch that he comes, or in the third, but blessed are those servants if he finds them ready.

38. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!

39. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house.

39. But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.

40. You too must stand ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.'

40. You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour."

41. Peter said, 'Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?'

41. Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"

42. The Lord replied, 'Who, then, is the wise and trustworthy steward whom the master will place over his household to give them at the proper time their allowance of food?

42. And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

43. Blessed that servant if his master's arrival finds him doing exactly that.

43. Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.

44. I tell you truly, he will put him in charge of everything that he owns.

44. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

45. But if the servant says to himself, "My master is taking his time coming," and sets about beating the menservants and the servant-girls, and eating and drinking and getting drunk,

45. But if that servant says to himself, `My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

46. his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.

46. the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful.

47. 'The servant who knows what his master wants, but has got nothing ready and done nothing in accord with those wishes, will be given a great many strokes of the lash.

47. And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating.

48. The one who did not know, but has acted in such a way that he deserves a beating, will be given fewer strokes. When someone is given a great deal, a great deal will be demanded of that person; when someone is entrusted with a great deal, of that person even more will be expected.

48. But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.

49. 'I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!

49. "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!

50. There is a baptism I must still receive, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!

50. I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!

51. 'Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

51. Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division;

52. For from now on, a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three;

52. for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three;

53. father opposed to son, son to father, mother to daughter, daughter to mother, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to mother-in-law.'

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."

54. He said again to the crowds, 'When you see a cloud looming up in the west you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does.

54. He also said to the multitudes, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, `A shower is coming'; and so it happens.

55. And when the wind is from the south you say it's going to be hot, and it is.

55. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat'; and it happens.

56. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these times?

56. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

57. 'Why not judge for yourselves what is upright?

57. "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

58. For example: when you are going to court with your opponent, make an effort to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and the officer have you thrown into prison.

58. As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

59. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny.'

59. I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper."