Luke

12* during which the crowds gathered round by tens of thousands so that they trampled each other, and he began to say to his disciples “First and foremost beware of Pharisee yeast; that is, hypocrisy. 2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be uncovered, or secret that will not be found out; 3 on the contrary, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken into someone’s ear in the closets will be proclaimed on the roofs. 4 And I say to you friends of mine, do not fear those who kill the body and after that are not able to do anything further; 5 but I will let you know whom to fear—fear him who has authority after killing to send to hell: yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Why, sparrows are sold nine for twopence, and not one of them is forgotten before God, 7 but even the hairs of your heads are all counted. Do not fear, you are more important than a great many sparrows. 8 But I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men the Son of Man will in his turn acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but he who repudiates me before men will be disowned before the angels of God; 10 and everyone who says a thing against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 But when they bring you in before synagogues and governments and authorities, do not fret over how you shall make your defense or what it shall be or what you shall say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at the moment what you must say.”

13 And one of the crowd said to him “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him “Man, who has set me as a judge or divider over you?” 15 And he said to them “See that you keep clear of all overreaching, because it is not by having an oversupply that one has his living out of his property.”

16 And he told them a parable: “Once upon a time a rich man’s lands bore a great crop, 17* and he was going over the question to himself ‘What shall I do, because I have nowhere to put my crops when I gather them?’ 18* and he said ‘This is what I will do: pull down my barns and build larger ones, and put all my wheat and the rest of my good things in them, 19* and say to my soul “Soul, you have a great stock of good things laid up for years: rest, eat, drink, be gay”’; 20 but God said to him ‘Silly man, this night your soul is to be called for, and who will have what you have got ready?’ 21* That is what the man is like who lays by for himself and is not rich toward God.”

22* And he said to his disciples “For this reason I tell you, do not fret over your soul what you shall eat, nor over your body what you shall put on; 23 for the soul is more than the food, and the body than the garment. 24 Observe the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap, they who have no storeroom nor barn, and God feeds them: how much more important you are than the birds! 25* And which of you by fretting can add a foot to his height? 26 so if you cannot do even a trifling thing why do you fret about the rest? 27* Observe the lilies, how they neither spin nor weave, but, I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clad like one of these. 28 But if in the field God so attires the plants, that are there today and are thrown in a firepot tomorrow, how much more he will you, little-faiths! 29 And do not you be seeking things to eat and to drink, and do not be nervous; 30 for the nations of the world hunt after all this, but your Father knows that you want this. 31 But do seek his Reign, and you will have this added.

32* “Do not be afraid, little flock; because your Father has been pleased to give you the kingship. 33 Sell your property and give charity: make yourselves purses that do not grow old, an inexhaustible store in heaven where thief does not come near and moth does not spoil; 34 for where your stores are, there your heart too will be. 35 Let your loins be girded and your lamps lighted, 36 and you like men watching for their master, for the time when he comes away from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him at once. 37 Happy are those servants whom the master, when he comes, shall find awake: I tell you verily he will put on an apron and send them to the table and come and wait on them. 38 And if he comes in the second watch and finds them so, and if in the third, happy are they. 39* But be sure of this, that if the man of the house had known at which hour the thief was coming he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 Be ready yourselves, because it will be at the hour when you are not thinking of it that the Son of Man comes.”

41 And Peter said “Sir, are you telling this parable with reference to us ourselves or to everybody?”

42 And the Lord said “Who, then, is the intelligent faithful steward whom the master will set over his help to give them their rations punctually? 43 Happy is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find doing thus: 44 I tell you truly he will set him over all his property. 45 But if that servant says to himself ‘My master is late about coming’ and begins to beat the men and the maids, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that servant’s master will come on a day when he does not expect it and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him up and allot him a part among the faithless; 47 and that servant who knew his master’s wishes and did not get things ready or do in accordance with his wishes will have many strokes of the whip, 48 but the one who did not know and did things that deserve whipping will have few; and everyone to whom much was given will be called on for much, and on him to whom they entrusted most they will make most of a demand.

49 “I came to throw out fire on the earth, and how I wish it was already kindled! 50 And I have a water to plunge in, and what a pressure I am under till it is done! 51 Do you think I have come to give peace on earth? no, I tell you, but disunion. 52 For from now on five in one family will be parted three against two and two against three; 53 they will part so that father will be 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 And to the crowds too he said “When you see a cloud rising in the west, at once you say ‘there is a shower coming,’ and so it does; 55 and when you see the wind in the south you say ‘there will be a scorcher,’ and there is. 56* You hypocrites, you know enough to judge of the face of the earth and the face of the sky, how is it you fail to judge of these times? 57 And why do you not of yourselves decide on the right? 58 While you are going with your antagonist to appear before a magistrate, make it an object to get clear of him on the road, for fear he should drag you to the judge and the judge should hand you over to the officer and the officer should put you in prison: 59 I tell you, you shall not get out from there till you pay the very last copper.”