The Golden Lampstand and the Olive Trees

Then (A)the angel who had been speaking with me returned and (B)woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep. And he said to me, “(C)What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a (D)lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its (E)seven lamps on it with seven [a]spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; also (F)two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying, “What are these, (G)my lord?” So (H)the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “(I)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said to [b]me, “This is the word of the Lord to (J)Zerubbabel, saying, ‘(K)Not by might nor by power, but by My (L)Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies. ‘What are you, you great (M)mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring out the top stone with (N)shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have (O)laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will (P)finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to [c]you. 10 For who has shown contempt for the day of (Q)small things? [d]But these (R)seven will rejoice when they see the [e](S)plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the (T)eyes of the Lord (U)roaming throughout the earth.”

11 Then I said to him, “What are these (V)two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I responded the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive [f]branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “(W)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, (X)my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two [g](Y)anointed ones, who are (Z)standing by the (AA)Lord of the whole earth.”

The Flying Scroll

Then I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying (AB)scroll. And he said to me, “(AC)What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll; its length is [h]twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” Then he said to me, “This is the (AD)curse that is going forth over the face of the entire [i]land; everyone who (AE)steals certainly will be purged away according to [j]the writing on one side, and everyone who (AF)swears falsely will be purged away according to [k]the writing on the other side. I will (AG)make it go forth,” declares the Lord of armies, “and it will (AH)enter the house of the (AI)thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and (AJ)destroy it with its timber and stones.”

Then (AK)the angel who had been speaking with me went out and said to me, “Now raise your eyes and see what this is that is going forth.” And I said, “What is it?” Then he said, “This is the [l](AL)ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their [m]appearance in all the [n]land. And behold, a lead cover was lifted up.” He continued, “And this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” Then he said, “This is (AM)Wickedness!” And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its [o]opening. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of the (AN)stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a [p]temple for her in the land of (AO)Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”

The Four Chariots

Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, (AP)four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. With the first chariot were (AQ)red horses, with the second chariot (AR)black horses, with the third chariot (AS)white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong (AT)spotted horses. So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “(AU)What are these, my lord?” The angel replied to me, “These are the (AV)four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, with one of which the black horses are going out to the (AW)north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the (AX)south country.” When the strong ones went out, they [q]were eager to go to [r](AY)patrol the earth. And He said, “Go, [s]patrol the earth.” So they [t]patrolled the earth. Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have [u](AZ)appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”

The (BA)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 (BB)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.

The Symbolic Crowns

11 Also take silver and gold, make an ornate (BC)crown, and set it on the head of (BD)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: “Behold, there is a Man whose name is [v](BE)Branch, for He will [w](BF)branch out from where He is; and He will (BG)build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will (BH)bear the majesty and sit and (BI)rule on His throne. So He will be a (BJ)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [x]offices.”’ 14 Now the (BK)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and [y]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 (BL)Those who are far away will come and [z]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will (BM)know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely (BN)obey [aa]the Lord your God.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 4:2 Or reeds
  2. Zechariah 4:6 Lit me, saying
  3. Zechariah 4:9 Lit you (plural)
  4. Zechariah 4:10 Or But they will rejoice when they see...Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord
  5. Zechariah 4:10 Lit plummet stone
  6. Zechariah 4:12 Or clusters
  7. Zechariah 4:14 Lit sons of fresh oil
  8. Zechariah 5:2 About 30 ft. long and 15 ft. wide or 9 m and 4.5 m
  9. Zechariah 5:3 Or earth
  10. Zechariah 5:3 Lit it
  11. Zechariah 5:3 Lit it
  12. Zechariah 5:6 I.e., a measuring basket, about 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters, and so throughout the ch
  13. Zechariah 5:6 Lit eye; some ancient versions wrongdoing
  14. Zechariah 5:6 Or earth
  15. Zechariah 5:8 Lit mouth
  16. Zechariah 5:11 Lit house
  17. Zechariah 6:7 Lit sought to go
  18. Zechariah 6:7 Lit walk about through
  19. Zechariah 6:7 Lit walk about through
  20. Zechariah 6:7 Lit walked about through
  21. Zechariah 6:8 Lit pacified My spirit in
  22. Zechariah 6:12 Lit Sprout
  23. Zechariah 6:12 Lit sprout up
  24. Zechariah 6:13 Lit of them
  25. Zechariah 6:14 I.e., Josiah
  26. Zechariah 6:15 Lit build in
  27. Zechariah 6:15 Lit the voice of the Lord

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke(A) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.(B) He asked me, “What do you see?”(C)

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand(D) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps(E) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees(F) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.(G)

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:(H) ‘Not(I) by might nor by power,(J) but by my Spirit,’(K) says the Lord Almighty.

“What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.(L) Then he will bring out the capstone(M) to shouts(N) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation(O) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.(P) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me(Q) to you.

10 “Who dares despise the day(R) of small things,(S) since the seven eyes(T) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[a] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”(U)

11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees(V) on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed(W) to[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

The Flying Scroll

I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.(X)

He asked me, “What do you see?”(Y)

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.[c]

And he said to me, “This is the curse(Z) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief(AA) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely(AB) will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely(AC) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.(AD)’”

The Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.(AE)” And he added, “This is the iniquity[d] of the people throughout the land.”

Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.(AF)

Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork,(AG) and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

11 He replied, “To the country of Babylonia[e](AH) to build a house(AI) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”(AJ)

Four Chariots

I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots(AK) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second black,(AL) the third white,(AM) and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits[f](AN) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.(AO) The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[g] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth.(AP) And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit[h] rest(AQ) in the land of the north.”(AR)

A Crown for Joshua

The word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon.(AS) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown,(AT) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua(AU) son of Jozadak.[i](AV) 12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,(AW) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.(AX) 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he[j] will be a priest(AY) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai,[k] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen[l] son of Zephaniah as a memorial(AZ) in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,(BA) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(BB) This will happen if you diligently obey(BC) the Lord your God.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
  2. Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and
  3. Zechariah 5:2 That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide
  4. Zechariah 5:6 Or appearance
  5. Zechariah 5:11 Hebrew Shinar
  6. Zechariah 6:5 Or winds
  7. Zechariah 6:6 Or horses after them
  8. Zechariah 6:8 Or spirit
  9. Zechariah 6:11 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak
  10. Zechariah 6:13 Or there
  11. Zechariah 6:14 Syriac; Hebrew Helem
  12. Zechariah 6:14 Or and the gracious one, the

God Knows and Cares

12 Under these circumstances, after [a]so many thousands of [b]people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, (A)Beware of the [c]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (B)But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have [d]whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on (C)the housetops.

“Now I say to you, (D)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: (E)fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into [e](F)hell; yes, I tell you, fear [f]Him! Are (G)five sparrows not sold for two [g]assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God. (H)But even the hairs of your head are all counted. [h]Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

“Now I say to you, everyone who (I)confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God; but (J)the one who denies Me before people will be denied (K)before the angels of God. 10 (L)And everyone who [i]speaks 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. 11 Now when they bring you before (M)the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not (N)worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; 12 for (O)the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Greed Denounced

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

22 And He said to His disciples, (W)For this reason I tell you, [n]do not worry about your [o]life, as to what you are to eat; nor for your body, as to what you are to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the (X)ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor (Y)barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a [p](Z)day to his [q]life’s span? 26 Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor [r]spin; but I tell you, not even (AA)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 Now 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? (AB)You of little faith! 29 And do not [s]seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not (AC)keep worrying. 30 For [t]all these things are what the nations of the world [u]eagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But [v]seek His kingdom, and (AD)these things will be [w]provided to you. 32 [x](AE)Do not be afraid, (AF)little flock, because (AG)your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

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

Be in Readiness

35 [y](AK)Be prepared, and keep your (AL)lamps lit. 36 You 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. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find (AM)on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that (AN)he will [z]prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 38 (AO)Whether he comes in the [aa]second watch, or even in the [ab]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39 (AP)But [ac]be 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 (AQ)broken into. 40 (AR)You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or (AS)to everyone else as well?” 42 And (AT)the Lord said, (AU)Who then is the faithful and sensible (AV)steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that (AW)slave whom his [ad]master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But 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; 46 then 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 [ae]cut him in two, and assign [af]him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will (AX)receive many blows, 48 but the one who did not (AY)know it, and committed acts deserving of [ag]a beating, will receive only a few blows. (AZ)From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Christ Divides People

49 “I [ah]have come to cast fire upon the earth; and [ai]how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a (BA)baptism [aj]to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 (BB)Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, (BC)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 He was also saying to the crowds, (BD)Whenever you see a cloud rising [ak]in the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. 55 And whenever you feel a [al]south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a (BE)hot day,’ and it turns out that way. 56 You hypocrites! (BF)You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?

57 “And (BG)why do you not even judge by yourselves what is right? 58 For (BH)when you are going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate, on the way, make an effort to [am]settle with him, so that he does not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid up [an]the very last [ao](BI)lepton.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:1 Lit myriads
  2. Luke 12:1 Lit the crowd
  3. Luke 12:1 I.e., fermented dough
  4. Luke 12:3 Lit spoken to the ear
  5. Luke 12:5 Gr Gehenna
  6. Luke 12:5 Lit this one
  7. Luke 12:6 A Roman copper coin (singular assarion), about 1/16 of a laborer’s daily wage
  8. Luke 12:7 Or Stop being afraid
  9. Luke 12:10 Lit will speak
  10. Luke 12:13 Lit from
  11. Luke 12:14 Lit Man, who
  12. Luke 12:19 Lit my soul, “Soul, you have...”
  13. Luke 12:20 Lit they are demanding your soul from you
  14. Luke 12:22 Or stop being worried
  15. Luke 12:22 Lit soul
  16. Luke 12:25 Lit cubit (about 18 in. or 45 cm)
  17. Luke 12:25 Or height
  18. Luke 12:27 I.e., spin thread for cloth
  19. Luke 12:29 Or keep seeking
  20. Luke 12:30 Or these things all the nations of the world
  21. Luke 12:30 Or wish for
  22. Luke 12:31 Or continually seek
  23. Luke 12:31 Or added to
  24. Luke 12:32 Or Stop being afraid
  25. Luke 12:35 Lit Have your waist belted
  26. Luke 12:37 Lit belt himself up
  27. Luke 12:38 I.e., 9 p.m. to midnight
  28. Luke 12:38 I.e., midnight to 3 a.m.
  29. Luke 12:39 Lit know
  30. Luke 12:43 Or lord
  31. Luke 12:46 Possibly referring to other extreme punishment
  32. Luke 12:46 Lit his part with
  33. Luke 12:48 Lit blows
  34. Luke 12:49 Or came
  35. Luke 12:49 Lit what do I wish if...?
  36. Luke 12:50 Lit with which to be baptized
  37. Luke 12:54 I.e., from the Mediterranean
  38. Luke 12:55 I.e., from the desert
  39. Luke 12:58 Lit be rid of him
  40. Luke 12:59 Lit even the last
  41. Luke 12:59 The smallest Greek copper coin, about 1/128 of a laborer’s daily wage

Warnings and Encouragements(A)

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[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.(B) There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.(C) 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,(D) 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 your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.(E) 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.(F) Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.(G)

“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.(H) But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned(I) before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man(J) will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.(K)

11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,(L) 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”(M)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”(N)

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool!(O) This very night your life will be demanded from you.(P) Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’(Q)

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”(R)

Do Not Worry(S)

22 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. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.(T) And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor(U) was dressed like one of these. 28 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—you of little faith!(V) 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father(W) knows that you need them.(X) 31 But seek his kingdom,(Y) and these things will be given to you as well.(Z)

32 “Do not be afraid,(AA) little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.(AB) 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor.(AC) Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven(AD) that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.(AE) 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.(AF)

Watchfulness(AG)(AH)

35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants 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. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.(AI) Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.(AJ) 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief(AK) was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready,(AL) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

42 The Lord(AM) 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? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 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.(AN) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.(AO) 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.(AP) 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.

Not Peace but Division(AQ)

49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism(AR) to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!(AS) 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 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.”(AT)

Interpreting the Times

54 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.(AU) 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 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?(AV)

57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.(AW) 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:1 Or speak to his disciples, saying: “First of all, be
  2. Luke 12:25 Or single cubit to your height