Luke 12

God Knows and Cares

1UnderG1722 theseG3739 circumstancesG1722, after 1so manyG3461 thousandsG3461 of 2peopleG3793 had gatheredG1996 togetherG1996 that they were steppingG2662 on oneG240 anotherG240, He beganG757 sayingG3004 to His disciplesG3101 firstG4413 of all, “3BewareG4337 of the leavenG2219 of the PhariseesG5330, whichG3748 is hypocrisyG5272. 24But there is nothingG3762 coveredG4780 up that will not be revealedG601, and hiddenG2927 that will not be knownG1097. 3AccordinglyG473, whateverG3745 you have saidG3004 in the darkG4653 will be heardG191 in the lightG5457, and whatG3739 you have 5whisperedG2980G4314G3775 in the innerG5009 roomsG5009 will be proclaimedG2784 upon 6the housetopsG1430.

4“I sayG3004 to you, 7My friendsG5384, do not be afraidG5399 of thoseG3588 who killG615 the bodyG4983 and afterG3326 that haveG2192 noG3361G5100 moreG4057 that they can doG4160. 5But I will 8warnG5263 you whomG5101 to fearG5399: 9fearG5399 the One who, afterG3326 He has killedG615, hasG2192 authorityG1849 to castG1685 into 1011hellG1067; yesG3483, I tellG3004 you, fearG5399 Him! 6Are not 12fiveG4002 sparrowsG4765 soldG4453 for twoG1417 13centsG787? Yet not oneG1520 of them is forgottenG1950 beforeG1799 GodG2316. 714IndeedG235G2532, the veryG2532 hairsG2359 of your headG2776 are allG3956 numberedG705. Do not fearG5399; you are moreG1308 valuableG1308 than manyG4183 sparrowsG4765.

8“And I sayG3004 to you, everyoneG3956 whoG3739 15confessesG3670 Me beforeG1715 menG444, the SonG5207 of ManG444 will confessG3670 him alsoG2532 beforeG1715 the angelsG32 of GodG2316; 9but 16he who deniesG720 Me beforeG1715 menG444 will be deniedG533 17beforeG1715 the angelsG32 of GodG2316. 1018And everyoneG3956 whoG3739 19speaksG3004 a wordG3056 againstG1519 the SonG5207 of ManG444, it will be forgivenG863 him; but he who blasphemesG987 againstG1519 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151, it will not be forgivenG863 him. 11WhenG3752 they bringG1533 you beforeG1909 20the synagoguesG4864 and the rulersG746 and the authoritiesG1849, do not 21worryG3309 about howG4459 orG2228 whatG5101 you are to speakG626 in your defenseG626, orG2228 whatG5101 you are to sayG3004; 12for 22the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 will teachG1321 you in that veryG846 hourG5610 whatG3739 you oughtG1163 to sayG3004.”

Covetousness Denounced

13SomeoneG5100 23in the crowdG3793 saidG3004 to Him, “TeacherG1320, tellG3004 my brotherG80 to divideG3307 the family inheritanceG2817 with me.” 14But He saidG3004 to him, “24ManG444, whoG5101 appointedG2525 Me a judgeG2923 orG2228 arbitratorG3312 overG1909 you?” 15ThenG2532 He saidG3004 to them, “25BewareG3708, and be on your guardG5442 againstG575 everyG3956 formG3956 of greedG4124; for not even whenG1722 oneG5100 hasG4052 an abundanceG4052 does his lifeG2222 consistG1510 of his possessionsG5225.” 16And He toldG3004 them a parableG3850, sayingG3004, “The landG5561 of a richG4145 manG444 was veryG2164 productiveG2164. 17And he began reasoningG1260 to himselfG1438, sayingG3004, ‘WhatG5101 shall I doG4160, sinceG3754 I haveG2192 noG3756 placeG4226 to storeG4863 my cropsG2590?’ 18ThenG2532 he saidG3004, ‘ThisG3778 is what I will doG4160: I will tearG2507 downG2507 my barnsG596 and buildG3618 largerG3173 onesG3173, and thereG1563 I will storeG4863 allG3956 my grainG4621 and my goodsG18. 19And I will sayG3004 to my soulG5590, “SoulG5590, 26you haveG2192 manyG4183 goodsG18 laidG2749 up for manyG4183 yearsG2094 to come; takeG373 your easeG373, eatG2068, drinkG4095 and be merryG2165.”’ 20But GodG2316 saidG3004 to him, ‘27You foolG878! ThisG3778 very nightG3571 2829your soulG5590 is requiredG523 of you; and 30now whoG5101 will own whatG3739 you have preparedG2090?’ 21SoG3779 is the man who 31storesG2343 up treasureG2343 for himselfG848, and is not richG4147 towardG1519 GodG2316.”

22And He saidG3004 to His disciplesG3101, “32For thisG3778 reasonG1223 I sayG3004 to you, 33do not worryG3309 aboutG3588 your 34lifeG5590, as to whatG5101 you will eatG2068; norG3366 for your bodyG4983, as to whatG5101 you will putG1746 on. 23For lifeG5590 is moreG4183 than foodG5160, and the bodyG4983 moreG4183 than clothingG1742. 24ConsiderG2657 the 35ravensG2876, for they neitherG3777 sowG4687 norG3777 reapG2325; they have noG3756 storeroomG5009 norG3761 36barnG596, and yet GodG2316 feedsG5142 them; howG4214 muchG4214 moreG3123 valuableG1308 you are than the birdsG4071! 25And whichG5101 of you by worryingG3309 canG1410 addG4369 a single 3738hourG4083 to his 39life’sG2244 spanG2244? 26IfG1487 thenG3767 you cannotG1410G3761 do evenG3761 a veryG1646 littleG1646 thingG1646, whyG5101 do you worryG3309 aboutG4012 otherG3062 mattersG3062? 27ConsiderG2657 the liliesG2918, howG4459 they growG837: they neitherG3777 toilG2872 norG3777 spinG3514; but I tellG3004 you, not evenG3761 40SolomonG4672 in allG3956 his gloryG1391 clothedG4016 himself likeG5613 oneG1520 of theseG3778. 28But ifG1487 GodG2316 soG3779 clothesG292 the grassG5528 in the fieldG68, which is alive todayG4594 and tomorrowG839 is thrownG906 into the furnaceG2823, howG4214 muchG4214 moreG3123 will He clothe you? 41You menG3640 of littleG3640 faithG3640! 29And do not seekG2212 whatG5101 you will eatG2068 and whatG5101 you will drinkG4095, and do not 42keep worryingG3349. 30For 43allG3956 theseG3778 thingsG3778 the nationsG1484 of the worldG2889 eagerlyG1934 seekG1934; but your FatherG3962 knowsG3609 that you needG5535 theseG3778 thingsG3778. 31But seekG2212 His kingdomG932, and 44theseG3778 thingsG3778 will be addedG4369 to you. 3245Do not be afraidG5399, 46littleG3398 flockG4168, for 47your FatherG3962 has chosenG2106 gladlyG2106 to giveG1325 you the kingdomG932.

33“48SellG4453 your possessionsG5225 and giveG1325 to charityG1654; makeG4160 yourselvesG1438 moneyG905 beltsG905 which do not wearG3822 out, 49an unfailingG413 treasureG2344 in heavenG3772, whereG3699 noG3756 thiefG2812 comesG1448 nearG1448 norG3761 mothG4597 destroysG1311. 34For 50whereG3699 your treasureG2344 is, thereG1563 your heartG2588 will be alsoG2532.

Be in Readiness

35“5152Be dressedG4024 in 53readinessG4024, and keep your lampsG3088 litG2545. 36Be likeG3664 menG444 who are waitingG4327 for their masterG2962 whenG4219 he returnsG360 from the weddingG1062 feastG1062, soG2443 that they may immediatelyG2112 openG455 the door to him when he comesG2064 and knocksG2925. 37BlessedG3107 are thoseG1565 slavesG1401 whomG3739 the masterG2962 will findG2147 54on the alertG1127 when he comesG2064; trulyG281 I sayG3004 to you, that 55he will girdG4024 himself to serve, and have them reclineG347 at the table, and will comeG3928 up and waitG1247 on them. 3856WhetherG2579 he comesG2064 in the 57secondG1208 watchG5438, orG2579 evenG2579 in the 58thirdG5154, and findsG2147 them soG3779, blessedG3107 are thoseG1565 slaves.

39“59But 60be sureG1097 of thisG3778, that ifG1487 the headG3617 of the houseG3617 had knownG3609 at whatG4169 hourG5610 the thiefG2812 was comingG2064, he would not have allowedG863 his houseG3624 to be 6162brokenG1358 into. 4063You tooG2532, be readyG2092; for the SonG5207 of ManG444 is comingG2064 at an hourG5610 that you do not 64expectG1380.”

41PeterG4074 saidG3004, “LordG2962, are You addressingG3004 thisG3778 parableG3850 to us, orG2228 65to everyoneG3956 else as wellG2532?” 42And 66the LordG2962 saidG3004, “67WhoG5101 thenG686 is the faithfulG4103 and sensibleG5429 68stewardG3623, whomG3739 his masterG2962 will putG2525 in chargeG2525 of his 69servantsG2322, to giveG1325 them their rationsG4620 at the properG2540 timeG2540? 43BlessedG3107 is that 70slaveG1401 whomG3739 his 71masterG2962 findsG2147 soG3779 doingG4160 when he comesG2064. 44TrulyG230 I sayG3004 to you that he will putG2525 him in chargeG2525 of allG3956 his possessionsG5225. 45But ifG1437 that slaveG1401 saysG3004 in his heartG2588, ‘My masterG2962 72will be a longG5549 timeG5549 in comingG2064,’ and beginsG757 to beatG5180 the slavesG3814G3816, both menG3816 and womenG3814, and to eatG2068 and drinkG4095 and getG3182 drunkG3182; 46the masterG2962 of that slaveG1401 will comeG2240 on a dayG2250 whenG3739 he does not expectG4328 him and at an hourG5610 he does not knowG1097, and will cutG1371 him in piecesG1371, and assignG5087 him a placeG3313 with the unbelieversG571. 47And that slaveG1401 who knewG1097 his master’sG2962 willG2307 and did not getG2090 readyG2090 orG2228 actG4160 in accordG4314 with his willG2307, willG2307 73receiveG1194 manyG4183 lashesG1194, 48but the one who did not 74knowG1097 it, and committedG4160 deeds worthyG514 of 75a floggingG4127, will receiveG1194 but fewG3641. 76From everyoneG3956 whoG3739 has been givenG1325 muchG4183, muchG4183 will be requiredG523; and to whomG3739 they entrustedG3908 muchG4183, of him they will askG154 allG4057 the moreG4057.

Christ Divides Men

49“I 77have comeG2064 to castG906 fireG4442 upon the earthG1093; and 78howG5101 I wishG2309 it were alreadyG2235 kindledG381! 50But I haveG2192 a 79baptismG908 to 80undergoG907, and howG4459 distressedG4912 I am untilG2193 it is accomplishedG5055! 5181Do you supposeG1380 that I cameG3854 to grantG1325 peaceG1515 on earthG1093? I tellG3004 you, noG3780, but ratherG2228 divisionG1267; 52for from nowG3568 on fiveG4002 members in oneG1520 householdG3624 will be dividedG1266, threeG5140 againstG1909 twoG1417 and twoG1417 againstG1909 threeG5140. 53They will be dividedG1266, 82fatherG3962 againstG1909 sonG5207 and sonG5207 againstG1909 fatherG3962, motherG3384 againstG1909 daughterG2364 and daughterG2364 againstG1909 motherG3384, mother-in-lawG3994 againstG1909 daughter-in-lawG3565 and daughter-in-lawG3565 againstG1909 mother-in-lawG3994.”

54And He was alsoG2532 sayingG3004 to the crowdsG3793, “83WhenG3752 you seeG3708 a cloudG3507 risingG393 in the westG1424, immediatelyG2112 you sayG3004, ‘A showerG3655 is comingG2064,’ and soG3779 it turnsG1096 out. 55And whenG3752 you see a southG3558 windG3558 blowingG4154, you sayG3004, ‘It will be a 84hotG2742 day,’ and it turnsG1096 out that way. 56You hypocritesG5273! 85You knowG3609 howG3609 to analyzeG1381 the appearanceG4383 of the earthG1093 and the skyG3772, but 86whyG4459 do you not analyzeG1381 thisG3778 present timeG2540?

57“And 87whyG5101 do you not evenG2532 on your ownG1438 initiativeG575 judgeG2919 whatG1342 is rightG1342? 58For 88whileG5613 you are goingG5217 with your opponentG476 to appear beforeG1909 the magistrateG758, on your wayG3598 there makeG1325 an effortG2039 to 89settleG525 with him, soG3379 that he may not dragG2694 you beforeG4314 the judgeG2923, and the judgeG2923 turnG3860 you overG3860 to the officerG4233, and the officerG4233 throwG906 you into prisonG5438. 59I sayG3004 to you, you will not getG1831 out of thereG1564 untilG2193 you have paidG591 the veryG2532 lastG2078 9091centG3016.”