According to Luke 12:1-59
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Leaven of the Pharisees (1-3)
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Fear God, not men (4-7)
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Acknowledging union with Christ (8-12)
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Illustration of the foolish rich man (13-21)
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Stop being anxious (22-34)
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Little flock (32)
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Watchfulness (35-40)
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The faithful steward and an unfaithful steward (41-48)
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Not peace, but division (49-53)
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Need to examine the times (54-56)
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Settling disputes (57-59)
12 In the meantime, when a crowd of so many thousands had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, he started by saying first to his disciples: “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.+
2 But there is nothing carefully concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not become known.+
3 Therefore, whatever you say in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you whisper in private rooms will be preached from the housetops.
4 Moreover, I say to you, my friends,+ do not fear those who kill the body and after this are not able to do anything more.+
5 But I will show you whom to fear: Fear the One who after killing has authority to throw into Ge·henʹna.*+ Yes, I tell you, fear this One.+
6 Five sparrows sell for two coins of small value,* do they not? Yet not one of them is forgotten* by God.+
7 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.+ Have no fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.+
8 “I say to you, everyone who acknowledges me before men,+ the Son of man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.+
9 But whoever disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.+
10 And everyone who says a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven.+
11 When they bring you in before public assemblies,* government officials, and authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak in defense or what you will say,+
12 for the holy spirit will teach you in that very hour the things you should say.”+
13 Then someone in the crowd said to him: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 He said to him: “Man, who appointed me judge or arbitrator between you two?”
15 Then he said to them: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of greed,*+ because even when a person has an abundance, his life does not result from the things he possesses.”+
16 With that he told them an illustration, saying: “The land of a rich man produced well.
17 So he began reasoning within himself, ‘What should I do now that I have nowhere to gather my crops?’
18 Then he said, ‘I will do this:+ I will tear down my storehouses and build bigger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and all my goods,
19 and I will say to myself:* “You* have many good things stored up for many years; take it easy, eat, drink, enjoy yourself.”’
20 But God said to him, ‘Unreasonable one, this night they are demanding your life* from you. Who, then, is to have the things you stored up?’+
21 So it goes with the man who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”+
22 Then he said to his disciples: “That is why I say to you, stop being anxious about your lives* as to what you will eat or about your bodies as to what you will wear.+
23 For the life* is worth more than food and the body more than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens: They neither sow seed nor reap; they have neither barn nor storehouse; yet God feeds them.+ Are you not worth much more than birds?+
25 Who of you by being anxious can add a cubit* to his life span?
26 If, therefore, you cannot do such a small thing, why be anxious about the remaining things?+
27 Consider how the lilies grow: They neither toil nor spin; but I tell you that not even Solʹo·mon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.+
28 Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation in the field that today exists and tomorrow is cast into an oven, how much more will he clothe you, you with little faith!
29 So stop seeking what you will eat and what you will drink, and stop being in anxious suspense;+
30 for all these are the things the nations of the world are eagerly pursuing, but your Father knows you need these things.+
31 Instead, keep seeking his Kingdom, and these things will be added to you.+
32 “Have no fear, little flock,+ for your Father has approved of giving you the Kingdom.+
33 Sell your belongings and give gifts of mercy.*+ Make money pouches that do not wear out, a never-failing treasure in the heavens,+ where no thief gets near and no moth consumes.
34 For where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also.
35 “Be dressed and ready*+ and have your lamps burning,+
36 and you should be like men waiting for their master to return+ from the marriage,+ so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him.
37 Happy are those slaves whom the master on coming finds watching! Truly I say to you, he will dress* himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them.
38 And if he comes in the second watch,* even if in the third,* and finds them ready, happy are they!
39 But know this, if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into.+
40 You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”+
41 Then Peter said: “Lord, are you telling this illustration just to us or also to everyone?”
42 And the Lord said: “Who really is the faithful steward,* the discreet one,* whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants* to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time?+
43 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so!
44 I tell you truthfully, he will appoint him over all his belongings.
45 But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk,+
46 the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting him and at an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones.
47 Then that slave who understood the will of his master but did not get ready or do what he asked* will be beaten with many strokes.+
48 But the one who did not understand and yet did things deserving of strokes will be beaten with few. Indeed, everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him, and the one who was put in charge of much will have more than usual demanded of him.+
49 “I came to start a fire on the earth, and what more is there for me to wish if it has already been lit?
50 Indeed, I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how I am distressed until it is finished!+
51 Do you think I came to give peace on the earth? No, I tell you, 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 mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”+
54 Then he also said to the crowds: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, at once you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and it happens.
55 And when you see that a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘There will be a heat wave,’ and it occurs.
56 Hypocrites, you know how to examine the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to examine this particular time?+
57 Why do you not judge also for yourselves what is righteous?
58 For example, when you are going with your legal opponent to a ruler, while on the way, get to work to settle the dispute with him so that he may not summon you before the judge, and the judge deliver you to the court officer, and the court officer throw you into prison.+
59 I tell you, you will certainly not get out of there until you pay over your last small coin.”*
Footnotes
^ Or “overlooked.”
^ Or “before synagogues.”
^ Or “covetousness.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Or “Soul, you.”
^ Or “soul.”
^ Or “souls.”
^ Or “the soul.”
^ Lit., “Let your loins be girded.”
^ Or “gird.”
^ From midnight to about 3:00 a.m.
^ From about 9:00 p.m. to midnight.
^ Or “house manager.”
^ Or “wise one.”
^ Or “household servants.”
^ Or “do according to his will.”
