Luke
12
- Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands
had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak
first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of
the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
- There is nothing concealed that will not
be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
- What you have said in the dark will be heard
in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms
will be proclaimed from the roofs.
- "I tell you, my friends, do not be
afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- But I will show you whom you should fear:
Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.
Yes, I tell you, fear him.
- Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
- Indeed, the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
- "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me
before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of
God.
- But he who disowns me before men will be
disowned before the angels of God.
- And everyone who speaks a word against the
Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
- "When you are brought before synagogues,
rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves
or what you will say,
- for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that
time what you should say."
- Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher,
tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
- Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed
me a judge or an arbiter between you?"
- Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be
on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in
the abundance of his possessions."
- And he told them this parable: "The
ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
- He thought to himself, 'What shall I do?
I have no place to store my crops.'
- "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do.
I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all
my grain and my goods.
- And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty
of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."
'
- "But God said to him, 'You fool! This
very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you
have prepared for yourself?'
- "This is how it will be with anyone
who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
- Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your
body, what you will wear.
- Life is more than food, and the body more
than clothes.
- Consider the ravens: They do not sow or
reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more
valuable you are than birds!
- Who of you by worrying can add a single
hour to his life?
- Since you cannot do this very little thing,
why do you worry about the rest?
- "Consider how the lilies grow. They
do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these.
- If that is how God clothes the grass of
the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how
much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
- And do not set your heart on what you will
eat or drink; do not worry about it.
- For the pagan world runs after all such
things, and your Father knows that you need them.
- But seek his kingdom, and these things will
be given to you as well.
- "Do not be afraid, little flock, for
your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
- Sell your possessions and give to the poor.
Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven
that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
- For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.
- "Be dressed ready for service and keep
your lamps burning,
- like men waiting for their master to return
from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately
open the door for him.
- It will be good for those servants whose
master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress
himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait
on them.
- It will be good for those servants whose
master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of
the night.
- But understand this: If the owner of the
house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his
house be broken into.
- You also must be ready, because the Son
of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
- Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling
this parable to us, or to everyone?"
- The Lord answered, "Who then is the
faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants
to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
- It will be good for that servant whom the
master finds doing so when he returns.
- I tell you the truth, he will put him in
charge of all his possessions.
- But suppose the servant says to himself,
'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the
menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.
- The master of that servant will come on
a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will
cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
- "That servant who knows his master's
will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten
with many blows.
- But the one who does not know and does things
deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has
been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted
with much, much more will be asked.
- "I have come to bring fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled!
- But I have a baptism to undergo, and how
distressed I am until it is completed!
- Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?
No, I tell you, but division.
- From now on there will be five in one family
divided against each other, three against two and two against three.
- 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."
- He said to the crowd: "When you see
a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and
it does.
- And when the south wind blows, you say,
'It's going to be hot,' and it is.
- Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the
appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to
interpret this present time?
- "Why don't you judge for yourselves
what is right?
- As you are going with your adversary to
the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag
you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the
officer throw you into prison.
- I tell you, you will not get out until you
have paid the last penny."
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