Luke 12

Moffatt(i) 1 Meanwhile as the crowd was gathering in its thousands till they trod on one another, he proceeded to say to his disciples first of all, "Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy, 2 Nothing is hidden that shall not be revealed, or concealed that shall not be made known. 3 So all you utter in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you whisper in chambers will be proclaimed on the housetops, 4 I tell you, my friends, have no fear of those who kill the body but after that can do no more; 5 I will show you whom to fear — fear Him who after he has killed has power to cast 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 by God. 7 But the very hairs on your head are all numbered; fear not, you are worth far more than sparrows. 8 I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of man will acknowledge him before the angels of God; 9 and he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 Everyone also who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven for it, but he who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven. 11 When they bring you before synagogues and the magistrates and authorities, do not trouble yourselves about how to defend yourselves or what to say, 12 for the holy Spirit will teach you at that hour what you should say." 13 A man out of the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of our inheritance"; 14 but he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over your affairs?" 15 Then he said to them, "See and keep clear of covetousness in every shape and form, for a man's life is not part of his possessions because he has ample wealth." 16 And he told them a parable. "A rich man's estate bore heavy crops. 17 So he debated, 'What am I to do? I have no room to store my crops.' 18 And he said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my granaries and build larger ones, where I can store all my produce and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample stores laid up for many a year; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20 But God said to him, 'Foolish man, this very night your soul is wanted; and who will get all you have prepared?' 21 So fares the man who lays up treasure for himself instead of gaining the riches of God." 22 To his disciples he said, "Therefore I tell you, do not trouble about what you are to eat in life, nor about what you are to put on your body; 23 life is something more than food, and the body is something more than clothes. 24 Look at the crows! they neither sow nor reap, no storehouse or granary have they, and yet God feeds them. How much more are you worth than birds? 25 Which of you can add an ell to his height by troubling about it? 26 and if you cannot manage even this, why trouble over other things? 27 Look how the lilies neither spin nor weave; and yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his grandeur was never robed like one of them. 28 Now if God so clothes grass which blooms to-day in the field and is thrown to-morrow into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you? O men, how little you trust him! 29 So do not seek food and drink and be worried; 30 pagans make food and drink their aim in life, but your Father knows quite well you need that; 31 only seek his Realm, and it will be yours over and above. 32 Fear not, you little flock, for your Father is delighted to give you the Realm. 33 Sell what you possess and give it away in alms, make purses for yourselves that never wear out: get treasure in heaven that never fails, that no thief can get at, no moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure lies, your heart will lie there too. 35 Keep your loins girt and your lamps lit, 36 and be like men who are expecting their lord and master on his return from a marriage-banquet, so as to open the door for him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the lord and master finds awake when he comes! I tell you truly, he will gird himself, make them recline at table, and come forward to wait on them. 38 Whether he comes in the second or the third watch of the night and finds them thus alert, blessed are they! 39 Be sure that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 So be ready yourselves, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect." 41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us, or is it for all and sundry?" 42 The Lord said, "Well, where is the trusty, thoughtful steward whom the lord and master will set over his establishment to give out supplies at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant if his lord and master finds him so doing when he arrives! 44 I tell you plainly, he will set him over all his property. 45 But if that servant says to himself, 'My lord and master is long of arriving,' and if he starts to beat the menservants and maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that servant's lord and master will arrive on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know; he will cut him in two and assign him the fate of unbelievers. 47 The servant who knew his lord and master's orders and did not prepare for them, will receive many lashes; 48 whereas he who was ignorant and did what deserves a beating, will receive few lashes. He who has much given him will have much required from him, and he who has much entrusted to him will have all the more demanded of him. 49 I have come to throw fire on earth. Would it were kindled already! 50 I have a baptism to undergo. How I am distressed till it is all over! 51 You think I am here to make peace on earth? No, I tell you, it is dissension. 52 After this there will be five at issue in one house, three divided against two and two against three, 53 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 And to the crowds he said, "When you see a cloud rise in the west, you say, 'There is a shower coming,' and so it is: 55 when you feel the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be heat,' and so it is. 56 You hypocrites, you know how to decipher the look of earth and sky; how is it you cannot decipher the meaning of this era? 57 And why do you not yourselves settle what is right? 58 Thus, when you go before the magistrate with your opponent, do your utmost to get quit of him on the way there, in case he hales you before the judge; then the judge will hand you over to the jailer and the jailer will throw you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out till you pay the last farthing of your debt."