Luke 12:8-34

English Standard Version

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

⁸ “And I tell you, ^(A)everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge ^(B)before the angels of God, ⁹ but ^(C)the one who denies me before men ^(D)will be denied ^(E)before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And ^(F)everyone who speaks a word ^(G)against the Son of Man ^(H)will be forgiven, but the one who ^(I)blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ^11 (J)And when they ^(K)bring you before the synagogues and ^(L)the rulers and ^(M)the authorities, ^(N)do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, ^12 (O)for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

^13 (P)Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, ^(Q)“Man, ^(R)who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, ^(S)“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, ^(T)“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ^(U)‘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 ^(V)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 ^(W)for many years; relax, ^(X)eat, drink, be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ^(Y)‘Fool! ^(Z)This night ^(AA)your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, ^(AB)whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one ^(AC)who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Be Anxious

²² And he said to his disciples, ^(AD)“Therefore I tell you, ^(AE)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 (AF)Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. ^(AG)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 ^(AH)span of life?^{[a] 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,^[b] yet I tell you, ^(AI)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, ^(AJ)O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor ^(AK)be worried. ³⁰ For ^(AL)all the nations of the world seek after these things, and ^(AM)your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, ^(AN)seek ^(AO)his^[c] kingdom, ^(AP)and these things will be added to you.

^32 (AQ)“Fear not, little ^(AR)flock, for ^(AS)it is your Father's good pleasure to give you ^(AT)the kingdom. ^33 (AU)Sell your possessions, and ^(AV)give to the needy. ^(AW)Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with ^(AX)a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ^34 (AY)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.