Luke 12
New King James Version
Beware of Hypocrisy(A)
12 In (B)the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, (C)“Beware of the [a]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 (D)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(E)
4 (F)“And I say to you, (G)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, (H)fear Him!
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two [b]copper coins? And (I)not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men(J)
8 (K)“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me (L)before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who (M)denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 “And (N)anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
11 (O)“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will (P)teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But He said to him, (Q)“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, (R)“Take heed and beware of [c]covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, (S)“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; (T)eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night (U)your soul will be required of you; (V)then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, (W)and is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Worry(X)
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, (Y)do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and (Z)God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why [d]are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even (AA)Solomon in all his glory was not [e]arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of (AB)little faith?
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father (AC)knows that you need these things. 31 (AD)But seek [f]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for (AE)it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 (AF)Sell what you have and give (AG)alms; (AH)provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant(AI)
35 (AJ)“Let your waist be girded and (AK)your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 (AL)Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 (AM)But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would [g]have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 (AN)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42 And the Lord said, (AO)“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food [h]in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 (AP)Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 (AQ)But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a (AR)day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And (AS)that servant who (AT)knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 (AU)But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Christ Brings Division(AV)
49 (AW)“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But (AX)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is (AY)accomplished! 51 (AZ)Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, (BA)but rather division. 52 (BB)For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 (BC)Father will be divided 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 her mother-in-law.”
Discern the Time(BD)
54 Then He also said to the multitudes, (BE)“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the (BF)south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern (BG)this time?
Make Peace with Your Adversary
57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 (BH)When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort (BI)along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”
Footnotes
- Luke 12:1 yeast
- Luke 12:6 Gr. assarion, a coin worth about 1⁄16 of a denarius
- Luke 12:15 NU all covetousness
- Luke 12:26 do you worry
- Luke 12:27 clothed
- Luke 12:31 NU His kingdom, and these things
- Luke 12:39 NU not have allowed
- Luke 12:42 at the right time
Luke 12
American Standard Version
12 In the mean time, when [a]the many thousands of the multitude were gathered together, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to [b]say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 But there is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 3 Wherefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye have spoken in the ear in the inner chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, who after he hath killed hath [c]power to cast into [d]hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? and not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not: ye are of more value than many sparrows. 8 And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess [e]me before men, [f]him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9 but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God. 10 And every one who shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.
13 And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. 14 But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: [g]for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my [h]soul, [i]Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night [j]is thy [k]soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your [l]life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. 23 For the [m]life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. 24 Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto [n]the measure of his life? 26 If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 Yet seek ye [o]his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; 36 and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. 37 Blessed are those [p]servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, and if in the third, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 [q]But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have left his house to be [r]broken through. 40 Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
41 And Peter said, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even unto all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is [s]the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall set over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that [t]servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath. 45 But if that [u]servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 the lord of that [v]servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall [w]cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful. 47 And that [x]servant, who knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; 48 but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.
49 I came to cast fire upon the earth; and [y]what do I desire, if it is already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! 51 Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 for there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 They shall be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.
54 And he said to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it cometh to pass. 55 And when ye see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a [z]scorching heat; and it cometh to pass. 56 Ye hypocrites, ye know how to [aa]interpret the face of the earth and the heaven; but how is it that ye know not how to [ab]interpret this time? 57 And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? 58 For as thou art going with thine adversary before the magistrate, on the way give diligence to be quit of him; lest haply he drag thee unto the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the [ac]officer, and the [ad]officer shall cast thee into prison. 59 I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the very last mite.
Footnotes
- Luke 12:1 Greek the myriads of.
- Luke 12:1 Or, say unto his disciples, First of all beware ye
- Luke 12:5 Or, authority
- Luke 12:5 Greek Gehenna.
- Luke 12:8 Greek in me.
- Luke 12:8 Greek in him.
- Luke 12:15 Or, for even in a man’s abundance his life is not from the things which he possesseth
- Luke 12:19 Or, life
- Luke 12:19 Or, life
- Luke 12:20 Greek they require thy soul.
- Luke 12:20 Or, life
- Luke 12:22 Or, soul
- Luke 12:23 Or, soul
- Luke 12:25 Or, his stature
- Luke 12:31 Many ancient authorities read the kingdom of God.
- Luke 12:37 Greek bondservants.
- Luke 12:39 Or, But this ye know
- Luke 12:39 Greek digged through.
- Luke 12:42 Or, the faithful steward, the wise man whom etc.
- Luke 12:43 Greek bondservant.
- Luke 12:45 Greek bondservant.
- Luke 12:46 Greek bondservant.
- Luke 12:46 Or, severely scourge him
- Luke 12:47 Greek bondservant.
- Luke 12:49 Or, how would I that it were already kindled!
- Luke 12:55 Or, hot wind
- Luke 12:56 Greek prove.
- Luke 12:56 Greek prove.
- Luke 12:58 Greek exactor.
- Luke 12:58 Greek exactor.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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