Luke 12

God Knows and Cares

1UnderG1722 theseG3739 circumstancesG1722, after 1so manyG3461 thousandsG3461 of 2peopleG3793 had gatheredG1996 togetherG1996 that they were steppingG2662 onG2662 oneG240 anotherG240, He beganG757 sayingG3004 to His disciplesG3101 firstG4413 of all, “3BewareG4337G1438 of the 4leavenG2219 of the PhariseesG5330, whichG3748 is hypocrisyG5272. 25But there is nothingG3762 coveredG4780 upG4780 that will not be revealedG601, and hiddenG2927 that will not be knownG1097. 3AccordinglyG473G3739, whateverG3745 you have saidG3004 in the darkG4653 will be heardG191 in the lightG5457, and whatG3739 you have 6whisperedG2980G4314G3775 in the innerG5009 roomsG5009 will be proclaimedG2784 on 7the housetopsG1430.

4“NowG1161 I sayG3004 to you, 8My friendsG5384, do not beG5399 afraidG5399 of thoseG3588 who killG615 the bodyG4983, and afterG3326 that haveG2192 nothingG3361G5100 moreG4053 that they can doG4160. 5But I will warnG5263 you whomG5101 to fearG5399: 9fearG5399 the One who, afterG3326 He has killedG615 someone, hasG2192 the powerG1849 to throwG1685 that person into 1011hellG1067; yesG3483, I tellG3004 you, fearG5399 12Him! 6Are 13fiveG4002 sparrowsG4765 not soldG4453 for twoG1417 14assariaG787? And yet not oneG1520 of them has goneG1950 unnoticedG1950 inG1799 theG1799 sightG1799 ofG1799 GodG2316. 715But evenG2532 the hairsG2359 of your headG2776 are allG3956 countedG705. 16Do not fearG5399; you are moreG1308 valuableG1308 than a greatG4183 numberG4183 of sparrowsG4765.

8“NowG1161 I sayG3004 to you, everyoneG3956 whoG3739 17confessesG3670 Me beforeG1715 peopleG444, the SonG5207 of ManG444 will alsoG2532 confessG3670 him beforeG1715 the angelsG32 of GodG2316; 9but 18the one who deniesG720 Me beforeG1715 peopleG444 will be deniedG533 19beforeG1715 the angelsG32 of GodG2316. 1020And everyoneG3956 whoG3739 21speaksG3004 a wordG3056 againstG1519 the SonG5207 of ManG444, it will be forgivenG863 him; but the one who blasphemesG987 againstG1519 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151, it will not be forgivenG863 him. 11NowG1161 whenG3752 they bringG1533 you beforeG1909 22the synagoguesG4864 and the officialsG746 and the authoritiesG1849, do not 23worryG3309 aboutG3309 howG4459 orG2228 whatG5101 you are to speakG626 inG626 your defenseG626, orG2228 whatG5101 you are to sayG3004; 12for 24the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 will teachG1321 you in that veryG846 hourG5610 whatG3739 you oughtG1163 to sayG3004.”

Greed Denounced

13NowG1161 someoneG5100 25in the crowdG3793 saidG3004 to Him, “TeacherG1320, tellG3004 my brotherG80 to divideG3307 the family inheritanceG2817 with me.” 14But He saidG3004 to him, “2627YouG444 thereG444--whoG5101 appointedG2525 Me a judgeG2923 orG2228 arbitratorG3312 overG1909 the two of you?” 15But He saidG3004 to them, “28BewareG3708, and be on your guardG5442 againstG575 everyG3956 formG3956 of greedG4124; for not even whenG1722 oneG5100 isG4052 affluentG4052 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 thinkingG1260 to himselfG1438, sayingG3004, ‘WhatG5101 shall I doG4160, sinceG3754 I haveG2192 noG3756 placeG4226 to storeG4863 my cropsG2590?’ 18And he saidG3004, ‘ThisG3778 is what I will doG4160: I will tearG2507 downG2507 my barnsG596 and buildG3618 largerG3173 onesG3173, and I will storeG4863 allG3956 my grainG4621 and my goodsG18 thereG1563. 19And I will sayG3004 to 29myselfG5590, “30You haveG2192 manyG4183 goodsG18 storedG2749 upG2749 for manyG4183 yearsG2094 to come; relaxG373, eatG2068, drinkG4095, and enjoyG2165 yourself!”’ 20But GodG2316 saidG3004 to him, ‘31You foolG878! ThisG3778 very nightG3571 3233your soulG5590 is demandedG523 of you; and 34as for all that you have preparedG2090, whoG5101 will ownG1510 it now?’ 21SuchG3779 is the one who 35storesG2343 upG2343 treasureG2343 for himselfG848, and isG4147 not richG4147 inG1519 relationG1519 toG1519 GodG2316.”

22And He saidG3004 to His disciplesG3101, “36For thisG3778 reasonG1223 I tellG3004 you, 37do not worryG3309 aboutG3588 your 38lifeG5590, as to whatG5101 you are to eatG2068; norG3366 for your bodyG4983, as to whatG5101 you are to wearG1746. 23For lifeG5590 is moreG4183 than foodG5160, and the bodyG4983 is more than clothingG1742. 24ConsiderG2657 the 39ravensG2876, that they neitherG3777 sowG4687 norG3777 reapG2325; they have noG3756 storeroomG5009 norG3761 40barnG596, and yet GodG2316 feedsG5142 them; howG4214 muchG4214 moreG3123 valuableG1308 you are than the birdsG4071! 25And whichG5101 of you by worryingG3309 canG1410 addG4369 a 4142dayG4083 to his 43life’sG2244 spanG2244? 26ThereforeG3767 ifG1487 you cannotG1410G3761 do evenG3761 a veryG1646 littleG1646 thingG1646, whyG5101 do you worryG3309 aboutG4012 the otherG3062 thingsG3062? 27ConsiderG2657 the liliesG2918, howG4459 they growG837: they neitherG3777 laborG2872 norG3777 44spinG3514; but I tellG3004 you, not evenG3761 45SolomonG4672 in allG3956 his gloryG1391 clothedG4016 himself likeG5613 oneG1520 of theseG3778. 28NowG1161 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? 46You ofG3640 littleG3640 faithG3640! 29And do not 47seekG2212 whatG5101 you are to eatG2068 and whatG5101 you are to drinkG4095, and do not 48keep worryingG3349. 30For 49allG3956 theseG3778 thingsG3778 are what the nationsG1484 of the worldG2889 50eagerlyG1934 seekG1934; and your FatherG3962 knowsG3609 that you needG5535 theseG3778 thingsG3778. 31But 51seekG2212 His kingdomG932, and 52theseG3778 thingsG3778 will be 53providedG4369 to you. 325455Do not beG5399 afraidG5399, 56littleG3398 flockG4168, becauseG3754 57your FatherG3962 has chosenG2106 to giveG1325 you the kingdomG932.

33“58SellG4453 your possessionsG5225 and giveG1325 to charityG1654; makeG4160 yourselvesG1438 moneyG905 beltsG905 that do not wearG3822 outG3822, 59an inexhaustibleG413 treasureG2344 in heavenG3772, whereG3699 noG3756 thiefG2812 comesG1448 nearG1448 norG3761 does a mothG4597 destroyG1311. 34For 60whereG3699 your treasureG2344 is, thereG1563 your heartG2588 will be alsoG2532.

Be in Readiness

35“6162Be preparedG4024, and keep your 63lampsG3088 litG2545. 36You are alsoG2532 to be likeG3664 peopleG444 who are waitingG4327 for their masterG2962 whenG4219 he returnsG360 from the weddingG1062 feastG1062, soG2443 thatG2443 they may immediatelyG2112 openG455 the door for him when he comesG2064 and knocksG2925. 37BlessedG3107 are thoseG1565 slavesG1401 whomG3739 the masterG2962 will findG2147 64on the alertG1127 when he comesG2064; trulyG281 I sayG3004 to you, that 65he will 66prepareG4024 himself to serve, and have them reclineG347 at the table, and he will comeG3928 upG3928 and serveG1247 them. 3867WhetherG2579 he comesG2064 in the 68secondG1208 watchG5438, orG2579 evenG2579 in the 69thirdG5154, and findsG2147 them soG3779, blessedG3107 are thoseG1565 slaves.

39“70But 71be sureG1097 of thisG3778, that ifG1487 the headG3617 ofG3617 theG3617 houseG3617 had knownG3609 at whatG4169 hourG5610 the thiefG2812 was comingG2064, he would not have allowedG863 his houseG3624 to be 72brokenG1358 into. 4073You tooG2532, be readyG2092; becauseG3754 the SonG5207 of ManG444 is comingG2064 at an hourG5610 that you do not thinkG1380 He will.”

41PeterG4074 saidG3004, “LordG2962, are You tellingG3004 thisG3778 parableG3850 to us, orG2228 74to everyoneG3956 else asG2532 wellG2532?” 42And 75the LordG2962 saidG3004, “76WhoG5101 thenG686 is the faithfulG4103 and sensibleG5429 77stewardG3623, whomG3739 his masterG2962 will putG2525 inG2525 chargeG2525 of his servantsG2322, to giveG1325 them their rationsG4620 at the properG2540 timeG2540? 43BlessedG3107 is that 78slaveG1401 whomG3739 his 79masterG2962 findsG2147 soG3779 doingG4160 when he comesG2064. 44TrulyG230 I sayG3004 to you that he will putG2525 him inG2525 chargeG2525 of allG3956 his possessionsG5225. 45But ifG1437 that slaveG1401 saysG3004 in his heartG2588, ‘My masterG2962 will takeG5549 aG5549 longG5549 timeG5549 to comeG2064,’ and he beginsG757 to beatG5180 the other slavesG3814G3816, both menG3816 and womenG3814, and to eatG2068 and drinkG4095 and getG3182 drunkG3182; 46then the masterG2962 of that slaveG1401 will comeG2240 on a dayG2250 that he does not expectG4328, and at an hourG5610 that he does not knowG1097, and will 80cutG1371 him inG1371 twoG1371, and assignG5087 81him a placeG3313 with the unbelieversG571. 47And that slaveG1401 who knewG1097 his master’sG2962 willG2307 and did not getG2090 readyG2090 orG2228 actG4160 in accordanceG4314 with his willG2307, willG2307 82receiveG1194 manyG4183 blowsG1194, 48but the one who did not 83knowG1097 it, and committedG4160 acts deservingG514 of 84a beatingG4127, will receiveG1194 only a fewG3641 blowsG1194. 85From everyoneG3956 whoG3739 has been givenG1325 muchG4183, muchG4183 will be demandedG2212; and to whomG3739 they entrustedG3908 muchG4183, of him they will askG154 allG4055 theG4055 moreG4055.

Christ Divides People

49“I 86have comeG2064 to castG906 fireG4442 upon the earthG1093; and 87howG5101 I wishG2309 it were alreadyG2235 kindledG381! 50But I haveG2192 a 88baptismG908 89to undergoG907, and howG4459 distressedG4912 I am untilG2193 it is accomplishedG5055! 5190Do you thinkG1380 that I cameG3854 to provideG1325 peaceG1515 on earthG1093? NoG3780, I tellG3004 you, 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, 91fatherG3962 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, “92WheneverG3752 you seeG3708 a cloudG3507 risingG393 93in the westG1424, you immediatelyG2112 sayG3004, ‘A showerG3655 is comingG2064,’ and soG3779 it turnsG1096 outG1096. 55And wheneverG3752 you feel a 94southG3558 windG3558 blowingG4154, you sayG3004, ‘It will be a 95hotG2742 day,’ and it turnsG1096 outG1096 that way. 56You hypocritesG5273! 96You knowG3609 howG3609 to analyzeG1381 the appearanceG4383 of the earthG1093 and the skyG3772, but howG4459 is it that you do not know how to analyzeG1381 thisG3778 present timeG2540?

57“And 97whyG5101 do you not evenG2532 judgeG2919 by yourselvesG1438 whatG3588 is rightG1342? 58For 98whenG5613 you are goingG5217 with your accuserG476 to appear beforeG1909 the magistrateG758, on the wayG3598, makeG1325 an effortG2039 to 99settleG525 with him, soG3379 thatG3379 he does not dragG2694 you beforeG4314 the judgeG2923, and the judgeG2923 handG3860 you overG3860 to the officerG4233, and the officerG4233 throwG906 you into prisonG5438. 59I tellG3004 you, you will not getG1831 outG1831 of thereG1564 untilG2193 you have paidG591 upG591 100the veryG2532 lastG2078 101102leptonG3016.”