‏ Luke 12

1Meanwhile when myriads of the multitudes were thronging around him so that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples, first of all. "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisee, which is hypocrisy. 2"There is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed; nothing concealed that shall not be known. 3"So that what you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light; and what you have whispered in the inner chambers shall be proclaimed from the housetops. 4"But I say to you who are my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5"I will warn you whom you ought to fear. Fear him who, after he was after he has killed, has power to throw you into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? Yet not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God! 7"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not! You are of more value than many sparrow! 8"And I tell you that whoever confesses me before men, the Son of man will confess him before the angels of God; 9"and whoever disowns me before men, shall be disowned before the angels of God. 10"If any one shall speak a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him; but he who is blasphemes against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven. 11"And when they are bringing you before the synagogues and the rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you shall answer; or what you shall say; 12"for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that hour what you ought to say."

13Then one of the crowd said to him, "Master, tell my brother to give me my share of our inheritance." 14"Man," said he, "who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15And to the people he said, "Take heed and guard yourselves from all covetousness, for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses." 16Then he spoke to them in a parable. "The ground of a certain rich man bore heavy crops. 17"So he debated with himself saying, ‘What shall I do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.’ 18"And he said to himself. ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build larger ones in which I will store all my wheat and my goods. 19"‘And I will say to 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. ‘Foolish man! This very night your soul is wanted! And these things you have prepared, whose shall they be? 21"So is he that lays up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God."

22Then he said to his disciples. "For this is the reason I say to you. Be not anxious for your life, what you shall eat; nor yet your body what shall you wear. 23"For the life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 24"Consider the ravens; they neither sow nor reap; they have no storehouse nor barn. And yet God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds? 25"And which of you by taking anxious thought can add a cubit to his height? 26"If then you cannot do even that which is least, why are you anxious concerning the rest? 27"Consider the lilies how they grow! They toil not, neither do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28"Now if God so clothe the grass in the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 29"So do not be asking what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, and be not of doubtful mind. 30"For all these things the nations of the world are seeking; but your Father knows that you have need of these things. 31"But seek his kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. 32"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33"Sell what you have and give alms. Provide yourselves with purses which do not grow old, a treasure inexhaustible in the heavens, where no thief draws near, nor does moth destroy. 34"For where your treasure is there will your heart be also. 35"Let your loins be girded about and your lamps burning; 36"and be yourselves like men who are looking for the Lord, on his return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they may at once open the door for him. 37"Happy are those slaves whom their master shall find watching when he comes. I tell you truly that will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and come and serve them. 38"And whether it be in the second watch, or in the third, that he comes, and so finds them, happy are those slaves. 39"However, you know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40"Do you also be ready, for in an hour that you think not the Son of man is coming."

41"Master," said Peter, "are you speaking this parable to us or to all alike?" 42The Lord answered. "Who then is that faithful steward, the wise man whom his Lord will put in charge of the rations in due time? 43"Blessed is that slave whom his master on his coming shall find so doing. 44"Of a truth I tell you that he will put him in charge of his possessions. 45"But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master delays his coming,’ and should begin to beat the men and the maids, and to eat and drink and to get drunk, 46"that slave’s master will arrive on a day when he is not expecting him, and at an hour when he knows not, and will surely scourge him, and appoint him his portion with the unfaithful. 47"The slave who knew his Lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, will be beaten with many lashes, 48"but he who did not know, but did things worthy of a beating, will receive few lashes. To whom much has been given, from him much will be required, and to whom much is entrusted, of him they will ask the more. 49"I came to build a fire upon the earth; what is my desire? 50"Would it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it is accomplished! 51"Do you think that I am come to make peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather dissension. 52"From this time there will be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three; 53"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."

54Then he said to the crowd also. "When you see a cloud rising in the west you at once say, ‘There is going to be a shower,’ and it comes to pass. 55"And when you feel the south winds blowing you say, ‘There will be a hot wind,’ and it comes to pass. 56"Hypocrites! you know how to read the face of the earth and of the sky; but how is it that you do not know how to read the signs of the present time? 57"And why do you not, even yourselves, judge what is right? 58"For as you go before the magistrate with your opponent do your utmost to get quit of him, lest he drag you before the judge, and the judge delivers you over to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison. 59"You shall by no means come out of there until you have paid the very last farthing."