Luke 12:1-21

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

12 In the meanwhile, when so many thousands of the people had gathered that they were trampling on one another, Jesus commenced by saying primarily to His disciples, Be on your guard against the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy [producing unrest and violent agitation].

² Nothing is [so closely] covered up that it will not be revealed, or hidden that it will not be known.

³ Whatever you have spoken in the darkness shall be heard and listened to in the light, and what you have whispered in [people’s] ears and behind closed doors will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

⁴ I tell you, My friends, do not dread and be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do.

⁵ But I will warn you whom you should fear: fear Him Who, after killing, has power to hurl into hell (Gehenna); yes, I say to you, fear Him!

⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And [yet] not one of them is forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God.

⁷ But [even] the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many [flocks] of sparrows.

⁸ And I tell you, Whoever declares openly [speaking out freely] and confesses that he is My worshiper and acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man also will declare and confess and acknowledge him before the angels of God.

⁹ But he who disowns and denies and rejects and refuses to acknowledge Me before men will be disowned and denied and rejected and refused acknowledgement in the presence of the angels of God.

¹⁰ And everyone who makes a statement or speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit [that is, whoever ^[a]intentionally comes short of the reverence due the Holy Spirit], it will not be forgiven him [for him there is no forgiveness].

¹¹ And when they bring you before the synagogues and the magistrates and the authorities, do not be anxious [beforehand] how you shall reply in defense or what you are to say.

¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour and ^[b]moment what [you] ought to say.

¹³ Someone from the crowd said to Him, Master, order my brother to divide the inheritance and share it with me.

¹⁴ But He told him, Man, who has appointed Me a judge or umpire and divider over you?

¹⁵ And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing ^[c]overflowing abundance or that which is ^[d]over and above his needs.

¹⁶ Then He told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man was fertile and yielded plentifully.

¹⁷ And he considered and debated within himself, What shall I do? I have no place [in which] to gather together my harvest.

¹⁸ And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my storehouses and build larger ones, and there I will store all ^[e]my grain or produce and my goods.

¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many good things laid up, [enough] for many years. Take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself merrily.

²⁰ But God said to him, You fool! This very night ^[f] they [the messengers of God] will demand your soul of you; and all the things that you have prepared, whose will they be?^(A)

²¹ So it is with the one who continues to lay up and hoard possessions for himself and is not rich [in his relation] to God [this is how he fares].