Jesus and Beelzebul

14 (A)Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons (B)by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, (C)to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 (D)But he, (E)knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, (F)by whom do (G)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by (H)the finger of God that I cast out demons, then (I)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 (J)but when one stronger than he attacks him and (K)overcomes him, he takes away his (L)armor in which he trusted and (M)divides his spoil. 23 (N)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

24 (O)“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through (P)waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And (Q)the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

True Blessedness

27 As he said these things, (R)a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, (S)“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, (T)“Blessed rather are those (U)who hear the word of God and (V)keep it!”

The Sign of Jonah

29 (W)When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, (X)“This generation is an evil generation. (Y)It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as (Z)Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 (AA)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and (AB)condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, (AC)something greater than Solomon is here. 32 (AD)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and (AE)condemn it, for (AF)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, (AG)something greater than Jonah is here.

The Light in You

33 (AH)“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is (AI)the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is (AJ)bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 (AK)Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, (AL)as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

37 While Jesus[a] was speaking, (AM)a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see (AN)that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, (AO)“Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of (AP)greed and wickedness. 40 (AQ)You fools! (AR)Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But (AS)give as alms those things that are within, and behold, (AT)everything is clean for you.

42 (AU)“But woe to you Pharisees! For (AV)you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect (AW)justice and (AX)the love of God. (AY)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For (AZ)you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! (BA)For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

45 One of (BB)the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you (BC)lawyers also! For (BD)you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (BE)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 (BF)So you are witnesses and you (BG)consent to the deeds of (BH)your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also (BI)the Wisdom of God said, (BJ)‘I will send them (BK)prophets and apostles, (BL)some of whom they will (BM)kill and persecute,’ 50 so that (BN)the blood of all the prophets, shed (BO)from the foundation of the world, may be (BP)charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of (BQ)Abel to the blood of (BR)Zechariah, who perished between (BS)the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be (BT)required of this generation. 52 Woe to you (BU)lawyers! (BV)For you have taken away the key of (BW)knowledge. You (BX)did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 (BY)lying in wait for him, (BZ)to catch him in something he might say.

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

12 In the meantime, (CA)when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, (CB)“Beware of (CC)the leaven of the Pharisees, (CD)which is hypocrisy. (CE)Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in (CF)private rooms shall be proclaimed on (CG)the housetops.

Have No Fear

“I tell you, my friends, (CH)do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him (CI)who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.[b] Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?[c] And (CJ)not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, (CK)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; (CL)you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

“And I tell you, (CM)everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge (CN)before the angels of God, but (CO)the one who denies me before men (CP)will be denied (CQ)before the angels of God. 10 And (CR)everyone who speaks a word (CS)against the Son of Man (CT)will be forgiven, but the one who (CU)blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 (CV)And when they (CW)bring you before the synagogues and (CX)the rulers and (CY)the authorities, (CZ)do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 (DA)for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 (DB)Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, (DC)“Man, (DD)who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, (DE)“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, (DF)“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, (DG)‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my (DH)barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up (DI)for many years; relax, (DJ)eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, (DK)‘Fool! (DL)This night (DM)your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, (DN)whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one (DO)who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Be Anxious

22 And he said to his disciples, (DP)“Therefore I tell you, (DQ)do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 (DR)Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. (DS)Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his (DT)span of life?[d] 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[e] yet I tell you, (DU)even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, (DV)O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor (DW)be worried. 30 For (DX)all the nations of the world seek after these things, and (DY)your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, (DZ)seek (EA)his[f] kingdom, (EB)and these things will be added to you.

32 (EC)“Fear not, little (ED)flock, for (EE)it is your Father's good pleasure to give you (EF)the kingdom. 33 (EG)Sell your possessions, and (EH)give to the needy. (EI)Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with (EJ)a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 (EK)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:37 Greek he
  2. Luke 12:5 Greek Gehenna
  3. Luke 12:6 Greek two assaria; an assarion was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
  4. Luke 12:25 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  5. Luke 12:27 Some manuscripts Consider the lilies; they neither spin nor weave
  6. Luke 12:31 Some manuscripts God's

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