Luke 12:6-52

6Are 1five sparrows not sold for two 2assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God. 73But even the hairs of your head are all counted. 4Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

8“Now I say to you, everyone who 5confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God; 9but 6the one who denies Me before people will be denied 7before the angels of God. 108And everyone who 9speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. 11Now when they bring you before 10the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not 11worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; 12for 12the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

13Now someone 13in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14But He said to him, “1415You there--who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?” 15But He said to them, “16Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” 16And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19And I will say to 17myself, “18You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’ 20But God said to him, ‘19You fool! This very night 2021your soul is demanded of you; and 22as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ 21Such is the one who 23stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”

22And He said to His disciples, “24For this reason I tell you, 25do not worry about your 26life, as to what you are to eat; nor for your body, as to what you are to wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24Consider the 27ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor 28barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25And which of you by worrying can add a 2930day to his 31life’s span? 26Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor 32spin; but I tell you, not even 33Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? 34You of little faith! 29And do not 35seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not 36keep worrying. 30For 37all these things are what the nations of the world 38eagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things. 31But 39seek His kingdom, and 40these things will be 41provided to you. 324243Do not be afraid, 44little flock, because 45your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

33“46Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, 47an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34For 48where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

35“4950Be prepared, and keep your 51lamps lit. 36You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find 52on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that 53he will 54prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 3855Whether he comes in the 56second watch, or even in the 57third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39“58But 59be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be 60broken into. 4061You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”

41Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or 62to everyone else as well?” 42And 63the Lord said, “64Who then is the faithful and sensible 65steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43Blessed is that 66slave whom his 67master finds so doing when he comes. 44Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and will 68cut him in two, and assign 69him a place with the unbelievers. 47And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will 70receive many blows, 48but the one who did not 71know it, and committed acts deserving of 72a beating, will receive only a few blows. 73From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

49“I 74have come to cast fire upon the earth; and 75how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a 76baptism 77to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 5178Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.