Luke 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, “BewareoftheyeastofthePharisees,whichishypocrisy.2Butthereisnothingcoveredupthatwillnotberevealed,norhiddenthatwillnotbeknown.3Thereforewhateveryouhavesaidinthedarknesswillbeheardinthelight.Whatyouhavespokenintheearintheinnerroomswillbeproclaimedonthehousetops.
Luke 12:4 ¶ “Itellyou,myfriends,don’tbeafraidofthosewhokillthebody,andafterthathavenomorethattheycando.5ButIwillwarnyouwhomyoushouldfear.Fearhimwhoafterhehaskilled,haspowertocastintoGehinnom.{or, Hell}Yes,Itellyou,fearhim.
Luke 12:6 ¶ “Aren’tfivesparrowssoldfortwoassariacoins{An assarion was a small copper coin worth about an hour’s wages for an agricultural laborer.}?NotoneofthemisforgottenbyGod.7Buttheveryhairsofyourheadareallcounted.Thereforedon’tbeafraid.Youareofmorevaluethanmanysparrows.
Luke 12:8 ¶ “Itellyou,everyonewhoconfessesmebeforemen,theSonofManwillalsoconfessbeforetheangelsofGod;9buthewhodeniesmeinthepresenceofmenwillbedeniedinthepresenceofGod’sangels.10EveryonewhospeaksawordagainsttheSonofManwillbeforgiven,butthosewhoblasphemeagainsttheHolySpiritwillnotbeforgiven.11Whentheybringyoubeforethesynagogues,therulers,andtheauthorities,don’tbeanxioushoworwhatyouwillanswerorwhatyouwillsay;12fortheHolySpiritwillteachyouinthatsamehourwhatyoumustsay.”
Luke 12:13 ¶ One of the multitude said to him, “Rabbi, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Luke 12:14 ¶ But he said to him, “Man,whomademeajudgeoranarbitratoroveryou?”15 He said to them, “Beware!Keepyourselvesfromcovetousness,foraman’slifedoesn’tconsistoftheabundanceofthethingswhichhepossesses.”
Luke 12:16 ¶ He spoke a parable to them, saying, “Thegroundofacertainrichmanproducedabundantly.17Hereasonedwithinhimself,saying,‘WhatwillIdo,becauseIdon’thaveroomtostoremycrops?’18Hesaid,‘ThisiswhatIwilldo.Iwillpulldownmybarns,buildbiggerones,andthereIwillstoreallmygrainandmygoods.19Iwilltellmysoul,“Soul,youhavemanygoodslaidupformanyyears.Takeyourease,eat,drink,andbemerry.” ’
Luke 12:20 ¶ “ButGodsaidtohim,‘Youfoolishone,tonightyoursoulisrequiredofyou.Thethingswhichyouhaveprepared—whosewilltheybe?’21Soishewholaysuptreasureforhimself,andisnotrichtowardGod.”
Luke 12:22 ¶ He said to his disciples, “ThereforeItellyou,don’tbeanxiousforyourlife,whatyouwilleat,noryetforyourbody,whatyouwillwear.23Lifeismorethanfood,andthebodyismorethanclothing.24Considertheravens:theydon’tsow,theydon’treap,theyhavenowarehouseorbarn,andGodfeedsthem.Howmuchmorevaluableareyouthanbirds!25Whichofyoubybeinganxiouscanaddacubit{A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.}tohisheight?26Ifthenyouaren’tabletodoeventheleastthings,whyareyouanxiousabouttherest?27Considerthelilies,howtheygrow.Theydon’ttoil,neitherdotheyspin;yetItellyou,evenSolomoninallhisglorywasnotarrayedlikeoneofthese.28ButifthisishowGodclothesthegrassinthefield,whichtodayexistsandtomorrowiscastintotheoven,howmuchmorewillheclotheyou,Oyouoflittlefaith?
Luke 12:29 ¶ “Don’tseekwhatyouwilleatorwhatyouwilldrink;neitherbeanxious.30Forthenationsoftheworldseekafterallofthesethings,butyourFatherknowsthatyouneedthesethings.31ButseekGod’sKingdom,andallthesethingswillbeaddedtoyou.
Luke 12:32 ¶ “Don’tbeafraid,littleflock,foritisyourFather’sgoodpleasuretogiveyoutheKingdom.33Sellwhatyouhaveandgivegiftstotheneedy.Makeforyourselvespurseswhichdon’tgrowold,atreasureintheheavensthatdoesn’tfail,wherenothiefapproachesandnomothdestroys.34Forwhereyourtreasureis,therewillyourheartbealso.
Luke 12:35 ¶ “Letyourwaistbedressedandyourlampsburning.36Belikemenwatchingfortheirlordwhenhereturnsfromtheweddingfeast,thatwhenhecomesandknocks,theymayimmediatelyopentohim.37Blessedarethoseservantswhomthelordwillfindwatchingwhenhecomes.MostcertainlyItellyouthathewilldresshimself,makethemrecline,andwillcomeandservethem.38Theywillbeblessedifhecomesinthesecondorthirdwatchandfindsthemso.39Butknowthis,thatifthemasterofthehousehadknowninwhathourthethiefwascoming,hewouldhavewatchedandnotallowedhishousetobebrokeninto.40Thereforebereadyalso,fortheSonofManiscominginanhourthatyoudon’texpecthim.”
Luke 12:41 ¶ Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
Luke 12:42 ¶ The Lord said, “Whothenisthefaithfulandwisesteward,whomhislordwillsetoverhishousehold,togivethemtheirportionoffoodattherighttimes?43Blessedisthatservantwhomhislordwillfinddoingsowhenhecomes.44TrulyItellyouthathewillsethimoverallthathehas.45Butifthatservantsaysinhisheart,‘Mylorddelayshiscoming,’andbeginstobeatthemenservantsandthemaidservants,andtoeatanddrinkandtobedrunken,46thenthelordofthatservantwillcomeinadaywhenheisn’texpectinghimandinanhourthathedoesn’tknow,andwillcuthimintwo,andplacehisportionwiththeunfaithful.47Thatservantwhoknewhislord’swill,anddidn’tpreparenordowhathewanted,willbebeatenwithmanystripes,48buthewhodidn’tknow,anddidthingsworthyofstripes,willbebeatenwithfewstripes.Towhomevermuchisgiven,ofhimwillmuchberequired;andtowhommuchwasentrusted,ofhimmorewillbeasked.
Luke 12:49 ¶ “Icametothrowfireontheearth.Iwishitwerealreadykindled.50ButIhaveaimmersiontobeimmersedwith,andhowdistressedIamuntilitisaccomplished!51DoyouthinkthatIhavecometogivepeaceintheearth?Itellyou,no,butratherdivision.52Forfromnowon,therewillbefiveinonehousedivided,threeagainsttwo,andtwoagainstthree.53Theywillbedivided,fatheragainstson,andsonagainstfather;motheragainstdaughter,anddaughteragainsthermother;mother-in-lawagainstherdaughter-in-law,anddaughter-in-lawagainsthermother-in-law.”{Micah 7:6}
Luke 12:54 ¶ He said to the multitudes also, “Whenyouseeacloudrisingfromthewest,immediatelyyousay,‘Ashoweriscoming,’andsoithappens.55Whenasouthwindblows,yousay,‘Therewillbeascorchingheat,’andithappens.56Youhypocrites!Youknowhowtointerprettheappearanceoftheearthandthesky,buthowisitthatyoudon’tinterpretthistime?
Luke 12:57 ¶ “Whydon’tyoujudgeforyourselveswhatisright?58Forwhenyouaregoingwithyouradversarybeforethemagistrate,trydiligentlyonthewaytobereleasedfromhim,lestperhapshedragyoutothejudge,andthejudgedeliveryoutotheofficer,andtheofficerthrowyouintoprison.59Itellyou,youwillbynomeansgetoutofthereuntilyouhavepaidtheverylastpenny.{literally, lepton. A lepton is a very small brass Jewish coin worth half a Roman quadrans each, which is worth a quarter of the copper assarion. Lepta are worth less than 1% of an agricultural worker’s daily wages.}”