Watchfulness(A)(B)

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.(C) Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.(D) 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(E) was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready,(F) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

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The Watchful Servants(A)

35 “You must keep your belts fastened and your lamps burning. 36 Be like people who are waiting for their master to return from a wedding. As soon as he arrives and knocks, they will open the door for him. 37 How blessed are those servants whom the master finds watching for him when he comes! I tell all of you[a] with certainty, he himself will put on an apron, make them sit down at the table, and go around and serve them. 38 How blessed they will be if their master[b] comes in the middle of the night or near dawn[c] and finds them awake![d] 39 But be sure of this: if the homeowner had known at what time the thief were coming, he would have watched and[e] would not have let his house be broken into. 40 So be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at a time when you don’t expect him.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:37 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  2. Luke 12:38 Lit. if he
  3. Luke 12:38 Lit. in the second or the third watch
  4. Luke 12:38 Lit. finds them so
  5. Luke 12:39 Other mss. lack would have watched and

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

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