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.
2 But there is
nothing covered
up that will
not be revealed,
nor hidden that
will 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.
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.
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.
6 “Aren’t five
sparrows sold
for two assaria coins? Not one of
them is
forgotten by 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.
8 “I tell you,
everyone who
confesses me
before men, the
Son of Man
will also
confess 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.
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.
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;
12 for the Holy
Spirit will
teach you in
that same hour
what you must
say.”
13 One
of the multitude
said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother
to divide the
inheritance with
me.”
14 But
he said to
him,
“Man, who made
me a judge
or an arbitrator
over you?”
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.”
16 He
spoke a parable
to them, saying,
“The ground of
a certain rich
man produced abundantly.
17 He reasoned
within himself,
saying, ‘What
will I do,
because I don’t
have room to
store my crops?’
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.
19 I will tell
my soul, “Soul,
you have
many goods laid
up for many
years. Take
your 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?’
21 So is he
who lays up
treasure for
himself, and is
not rich toward
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.
23 Life is more
than food, and
the body is
more than
clothing.
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!
25 Which of you
by being anxious
can add a
cubit
to his height?
26 If then
you aren’t able
to do even
the least things,
why are you
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.
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?
29 “Don’t seek what
you will eat
or what you
will drink;
neither be anxious.
30 For the nations
of the world
seek after all
of these things,
but your Father
knows that you
need these
things.
31 But seek God’s
Kingdom, and all
these things
will be added
to you.
32 “Don’t be
afraid, little
flock, for it
is your Father’s
good 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.
34 For where your
treasure is,
there will your
heart be also.
35 “Let your waist
be dressed and
your lamps
burning.
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.
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.
38 They will be
blessed if he
comes in the
second or third
watch and finds
them so.
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.
40 Therefore be
ready also, for
the Son of
Man is coming
in an hour
that you don’t
expect him.”
41 Peter
said to him, “Lord, are you telling
this parable to
us, or
to everybody?”
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?
43 Blessed is that
servant whom his
lord will find
doing so when
he comes.
44 Truly I tell
you that he
will set him
over all that
he has.
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,
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.
47 That servant
who knew his
lord’s will,
and didn’t
prepare nor do
what he wanted,
will 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.
49 “I came to throw
fire on the
earth. I wish
it were
already kindled.
50 But I have
a baptism to
be baptized with,
and how
distressed I am
until it is
accomplished!
51 Do you think
that I have
come to give
peace in the
earth? I tell
you, no, but
rather division.
52 For from now
on, there will
be five in
one house
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.”
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.
55 When a south
wind blows, you
say, ‘There will
be a scorching
heat,’ and it
happens.
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?
57 “Why don’t you
judge for
yourselves 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.
59 I tell you,
you will by
no means get
out of there
until you
have paid the
very last penny.”