Luke 12
English Standard Version
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
12 In the meantime, (A)when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, (B)“Beware of (C)the leaven of the Pharisees, (D)which is hypocrisy. 2 (E)Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in (F)private rooms shall be proclaimed on (G)the housetops.
Have No Fear
4 “I tell you, my friends, (H)do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him (I)who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.[a] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?[b] And (J)not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, (K)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; (L)you are of more value than many sparrows.
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
8 “And I tell you, (M)everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge (N)before the angels of God, 9 but (O)the one who denies me before men (P)will be denied (Q)before the angels of God. 10 And (R)everyone who speaks a word (S)against the Son of Man (T)will be forgiven, but the one who (U)blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 (V)And when they (W)bring you before the synagogues and (X)the rulers and (Y)the authorities, (Z)do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 (AA)for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 (AB)Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, (AC)“Man, (AD)who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, (AE)“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, (AF)“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, (AG)‘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 (AH)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 (AI)for many years; relax, (AJ)eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, (AK)‘Fool! (AL)This night (AM)your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, (AN)whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one (AO)who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, (AP)“Therefore I tell you, (AQ)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 (AR)Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. (AS)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 (AT)span of life?[c] 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,[d] yet I tell you, (AU)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, (AV)O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor (AW)be worried. 30 For (AX)all the nations of the world seek after these things, and (AY)your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, (AZ)seek (BA)his[e] kingdom, (BB)and these things will be added to you.
32 (BC)“Fear not, little (BD)flock, for (BE)it is your Father's good pleasure to give you (BF)the kingdom. 33 (BG)Sell your possessions, and (BH)give to the needy. (BI)Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with (BJ)a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 (BK)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
You Must Be Ready
35 (BL)“Stay dressed for action[f] and (BM)keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are (BN)waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and (BO)knocks. 37 (BP)Blessed are those servants[g] whom the master finds (BQ)awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, (BR)he will dress himself for service and (BS)have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 (BT)But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour (BU)the thief was coming, he[h] would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be (BV)ready, for (BW)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, (BX)are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is (BY)the faithful and (BZ)wise (CA)manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 (CB)Blessed is that servant[i] whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, (CC)he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master (CD)is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and (CE)get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come (CF)on a day when he does not expect him and (CG)at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 (CH)And that servant who (CI)knew his master's will but (CJ)did not get ready (CK)or act according to his will, will receive a (CL)severe beating. 48 (CM)But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, (CN)will receive a light beating. (CO)Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Not Peace, but Division
49 (CP)“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 (CQ)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how (CR)great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 (CS)Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? (CT)No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, (CU)father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the crowds, (CV)“When you see (CW)a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And (CX)when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be (CY)scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! (CZ)You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Settle with Your Accuser
57 “And why (DA)do you not judge (DB)for yourselves what is right? 58 (DC)As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, (DD)you will never get out until you have paid the very last (DE)penny.”[j]
Footnotes
- Luke 12:5 Greek Gehenna
- 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)
- Luke 12:25 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- Luke 12:27 Some manuscripts Consider the lilies; they neither spin nor weave
- Luke 12:31 Some manuscripts God's
- Luke 12:35 Greek Let your loins stay girded; compare Exodus 12:11
- Luke 12:37 Or bondservants
- Luke 12:39 Some manuscripts add would have stayed awake and
- Luke 12:43 Or bondservant; also verses 45, 46, 47
- Luke 12:59 Greek lepton, a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
Luke 12
Common English Bible
Warnings to Jesus’ friends
12 When a crowd of thousands upon thousands had gathered so that they were crushing each other, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples: “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees—I mean, the mismatch between their hearts and lives. 2 Nothing is hidden that won’t be revealed, and nothing is secret that won’t be brought out into the open. 3 Therefore, whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and whatever you have whispered in the rooms deep inside the house will be announced from the rooftops.
4 “I tell you, my friends, don’t be terrified by those who can kill the body but after that can do nothing more. 5 I’ll show you whom you should fear: fear the one who, after you have been killed, has the authority to throw you into hell. Indeed, I tell you, that’s the one you should fear. 6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two small coins?[a] Yet not one of them is overlooked by God. 7 Even the hairs on your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
Acknowledging the Human One
8 “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before humans, the Human One[b] will acknowledge before God’s angels. 9 But the one who rejects me before others will be rejected before God’s angels. 10 Anyone who speaks a word against the Human One[c] will be forgiven, but whoever insults the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven. 11 When they bring you before the synagogues, rulers, and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what you should say. 12 The Holy Spirit will tell you at that very moment what you must say.”
Warning against greed
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me as judge or referee between you and your brother?”
15 Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “A certain rich man’s land produced a bountiful crop. 17 He said to himself, What will I do? I have no place to store my harvest! 18 Then he thought, Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. That’s where I’ll store all my grain and goods. 19 I’ll say to myself, You have stored up plenty of goods, enough for several years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 This is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.”
Warning about worry
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 There is more to life than food and more to the body than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither plant nor harvest, they have no silo or barn, yet God feeds them. You are worth so much more than birds! 25 Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?[d] 26 If you can’t do such a small thing, why worry about the rest? 27 Notice how the lilies grow. They don’t wear themselves out with work, and they don’t spin cloth. But I say to you that even Solomon in all his splendor wasn’t dressed like one of these. 28 If God dresses grass in the field so beautifully, even though it’s alive today and tomorrow it’s thrown into the furnace, how much more will God do for you, you people of weak faith! 29 Don’t chase after what you will eat and what you will drink. Stop worrying. 30 All the nations of the world long for these things. Your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, desire his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights in giving you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out—a treasure in heaven that never runs out. No thief comes near there, and no moth destroys. 34 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too.
Warning about being prepared
35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like people waiting for their master to come home from a wedding celebration, who can immediately open the door for him when he arrives and knocks on the door. 37 Happy are those servants whom the master finds waiting up when he arrives. I assure you that, when he arrives, he will dress himself to serve, seat them at the table as honored guests, and wait on them. 38 Happy are those whom he finds alert, even if he comes at midnight or just before dawn.[e] 39 But know this, if the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he wouldn’t have allowed his home to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Human One[f] is coming at a time when you don’t expect him.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?”
42 The Lord replied, “Who are the faithful and wise managers whom the master will put in charge of his household servants, to give them their food at the proper time? 43 Happy are the servants whom the master finds fulfilling their responsibilities when he comes. 44 I assure you that the master will put them in charge of all his possessions.
45 “But suppose that these servants should say to themselves, My master is taking his time about coming. And suppose they began to beat the servants, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk. 46 The master of those servants would come on a day when they weren’t expecting him, at a time they couldn’t predict. The master will cut them into pieces and assign them a place with the unfaithful. 47 That servant who knew his master’s will but didn’t prepare for it or act on it will be beaten severely. 48 The one who didn’t know the master’s will but who did things deserving punishment will be beaten only a little. Much will be demanded from everyone who has been given much, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.
Conflicts brought by Jesus
49 “I came to cast fire upon the earth. How I wish that it was already ablaze! 50 I have a baptism I must experience. How I am distressed until it’s completed! 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I have come instead to bring division. 52 From now on, a household of five will be divided—three against two and two against three. 53 Father will square off against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Learning and practicing good judgment
54 Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud forming in the west, you immediately say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And indeed it does. 55 And when a south wind blows, you say, ‘A heat wave is coming.’ And it does. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret conditions on earth and in the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret the present time? 57 And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going to court with your accuser, make your best effort to reach a settlement along the way. Otherwise, your accuser may bring 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 won’t get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.”[g]
Footnotes
- Luke 12:6 Or two assaria—that is, 1/8 of a day’s wage
- Luke 12:8 Or Son of Man
- Luke 12:10 Or Son of Man
- Luke 12:25 Or eighteen inches to your height
- Luke 12:38 Or in the second or third watch
- Luke 12:40 Or Son of Man
- Luke 12:59 Or leptos (1/128 of a day’s wages)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible