Luke 12

1Meanwhile, when the many thousands of the crowd had gathered together, so that they were trampling one another, he began to say first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

2But nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

3Therefore, whatever you said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you spoke into the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

4But I say to you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that have nothing more they can do.

5But I will show you whom to fear: fear the one who, after killing, has authority to throw into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear this one.

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

7But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.

8And I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.

9But the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11But whenever they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you should say in your defense, or what you should say;

12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you must say.

13Then someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14But he said to him, “Man, who appointed me a judge or divider over you?”

15Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed, because a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

16Then he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man produced abundantly.”

17And he reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, since I have nowhere to gather my crops?’

18And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and my goods.’

19And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years. Rest, eat, drink, be merry.’

20But God said to him, ‘Fool! This very night your life is being demanded back from you, and the things you prepared—whose will they be?’

21So is the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

22Then he said to his disciples, “For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will wear.”

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

24Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storeroom nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!

25And which of you, by worrying, is able to add a cubit to his lifespan?

26If, then, you are not able to do even the smallest thing, why are you anxious about the rest?

27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they do not labor or spin; yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these.

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

29And you, do not seek what you may eat and what you may drink, and do not be unsettled.

30For all these things the nations of the world seek, but your Father knows that you need these things.

31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

32Do not fear, little flock, because your Father was pleased to give you the kingdom.

33Sell your possessions and give alms. Make for yourselves money bags that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

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

35Let your waists be girded and your lamps burning,

36And you, be like men waiting for their lord when he returns from the wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him at once.

37Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he comes, will find staying awake. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them.

38Even if he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants.

39But know this: if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

41Then Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or also to everyone?”

42And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom the master will appoint over his household staff to give them their food allowance at the proper time?”

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

44Truly I tell you that he will appoint him over all that he has.

45But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master delays in coming,’ and begins to beat the male servants and the female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

46the 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 cut him in pieces and assign his place with the unfaithful.

47But that servant, who knew his master's will and did not prepare or act according to his will, will be beaten with many blows.

48But the one who did not know, yet did what deserved blows, will receive few. From everyone to whom much was given, much will be required, and from the one to whom they entrusted much, they will ask even more.

49I came to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished.

51Do you think that I came to give peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

52For from now on there will be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three,

53They will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

54He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and so it happens.”

55And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens.

56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to interpret this time?

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

58For as you are going with your accuser before a magistrate, make an effort on the way to be released from him, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

59I tell you, you will certainly not get out of there until you have paid even the last lepton.