Warnings and Encouragements^(A)

12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be^[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.^{(B) 2} There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.^{(C) 3} What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends,^(D) do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.^{(E) 6} Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.^(F) Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^(G)

⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.^{(H) 9} But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned^(I) before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man^(J) will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.^(K)

¹¹ “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,^{(L) 12} for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”^(M)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”^(N)

¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool!^(O) This very night your life will be demanded from you.^(P) Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’^(Q)

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”^(R)

Do Not Worry^(S)

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.^(T) And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[b]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor^(U) was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!^{(V) 29} And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father^(W) knows that you need them.^{(X) 31} But seek his kingdom,^(Y) and these things will be given to you as well.^(Z)

³² “Do not be afraid,^(AA) little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.^{(AB) 33} Sell your possessions and give to the poor.^(AC) Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven^(AD) that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.^{(AE) 34} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(AF)

Watchfulness^(AG)(AH)

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

⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord^(AM) answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.^(AN) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.^{(AO) 48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.^(AP) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Not Peace but Division^(AQ)

⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism^(AR) to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!^{(AS) 51} Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”^(AT)

Interpreting the Times

⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.^{(AU) 55} And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?^(AV)

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.^{(AW) 59} I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”^(AX)

The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. ² She died at Kiriath Arba^(A) (that is, Hebron)^(B) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.^(C)

³ Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.^[a](D) He said, ⁴ “I am a foreigner and stranger^(E) among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.^(F)”

⁵ The Hittites replied to Abraham, ⁶ “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince^(G) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

⁷ Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. ⁸ He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar^(H) on my behalf ⁹ so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,^(I) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”

¹⁰ Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites^(J) who had come to the gate^(K) of his city. ¹¹ “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give^[b](L) you the field, and I give^[c] you the cave that is in it. I give^[d] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

¹² Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land ¹³ and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels^[e] of silver,^(M) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

¹⁶ Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,^(N) according to the weight current among the merchants.^(O)

¹⁷ So Ephron’s field in Machpelah^(P) near Mamre^(Q)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded ¹⁸ to Abraham as his property^(R) in the presence of all the Hittites^(S) who had come to the gate^(T) of the city. ¹⁹ Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah^(U) near Mamre (which is at Hebron^(V)) in the land of Canaan.^{(W) 20} So the field and the cave in it were deeded^(X) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.^(Y)

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,^(Z) and the Lord had blessed^(AA) him in every way.^{(AB) 2} He said to the senior servant^(AC) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,^(AD) “Put your hand under my thigh.^{(AE) 3} I want you to swear^(AF) by the Lord, the God of heaven^(AG) and the God of earth,^(AH) that you will not get a wife for my son^(AI) from the daughters of the Canaanites,^(AJ) among whom I am living,^{(AK) 4} but will go to my country and my own relatives^(AL) and get a wife for my son Isaac.^(AM)”

⁵ The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?^(AN) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?^(AO)”

⁶ “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”^(AP) Abraham said. ⁷ “The Lord, the God of heaven,^(AQ) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land^(AR) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring^[f](AS) I will give this land’^(AT)—he will send his angel before you^(AU) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath^(AV) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”^{(AW) 9} So the servant put his hand under the thigh^(AX) of his master^(AY) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰ Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels^(AZ) loaded with all kinds of good things^(BA) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim^[g](BB) and made his way to the town of Nahor.^{(BC) 11} He had the camels kneel down near the well^(BD) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.^(BE)

¹² Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,^(BF) make me successful^(BG) today, and show kindness^(BH) to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.^{(BI) 14} May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,^(BJ) and I’ll water your camels too’^(BK)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.^(BL) By this I will know^(BM) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying,^(BN) Rebekah^(BO) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel^(BP) son of Milkah,^(BQ) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.^{(BR) 16} The woman was very beautiful,^(BS) a virgin;^(BT) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

¹⁷ The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”^(BU)

¹⁸ “Drink,^(BV) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

¹⁹ After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels^(BW) too,^(BX) until they have had enough to drink.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.^{(BY) 21} Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.^(BZ)

²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring^(CA) weighing a beka^[h] and two gold bracelets^(CB) weighing ten shekels.^{[i] 23} Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?^(CC) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?^(CD)”

²⁴ She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.^(CE)” ²⁵ And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,^(CF) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

²⁶ Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,^{(CG) 27} saying, “Praise be to the Lord,^(CH) the God of my master Abraham,^(CI) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness^(CJ) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey^(CK) to the house of my master’s relatives.”^(CL)

²⁸ The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.^{(CM) 29} Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,^(CN) and he hurried out to the man at the spring. ³⁰ As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms,^(CO) and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. ³¹ “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,”^(CP) he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

³² So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder^(CQ) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.^{(CR) 33} Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said.

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.^{(CS) 35} The Lord has blessed^(CT) my master abundantly,^(CU) and he has become wealthy.^(CV) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.^{(CW) 36} My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,^(CX) and he has given him everything he owns.^{(CY) 37} And my master made me swear an oath,^(CZ) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,^{(DA) 38} but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’^(DB)

³⁹ “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’^(DC)

⁴⁰ “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,^(DD) will send his angel with you^(DE) and make your journey a success,^(DF) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.^{(DG) 41} You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’^(DH)

⁴² “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success^(DI) to the journey on which I have come. ⁴³ See, I am standing beside this spring.^(DJ) If a young woman^(DK) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”^{(DL) 44} and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’^(DM)

⁴⁵ “Before I finished praying in my heart,^(DN) Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder.^(DO) She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’^(DP)

⁴⁶ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’^(DQ) So I drank, and she watered the camels also.^(DR)

⁴⁷ “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’^(DS)

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel^(DT) son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’^(DU)

“Then I put the ring in her nose^(DV) and the bracelets on her arms,^{(DW) 48} and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord.^(DX) I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,^(DY) who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.^{(DZ) 49} Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness^(EA) to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel^(EB) answered, “This is from the Lord;^(EC) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.^{(ED) 51} Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.^(EE)”

⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.^{(EF) 53} Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing^(EG) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts^(EH) to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way^(EI) to my master.”

⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;^(EJ) then you^[j] may go.”

⁵⁶ But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success^(EK) to my journey. Send me on my way^(EL) so I may go to my master.”

⁵⁷ Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”^{(EM) 58} So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,”^(EN) she said.

⁵⁹ So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,^(EO) along with her nurse^(EP) and Abraham’s servant and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed^(EQ) Rebekah and said to her,

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her attendants^(ET) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

⁶² Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,^(EU) for he was living in the Negev.^{(EV) 63} He went out to the field one evening to meditate,^[k](EW) and as he looked up,^(EX) he saw camels approaching. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel^{(EY) 65} and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil^(EZ) and covered herself.

⁶⁶ Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought her into the tent^(FA) of his mother Sarah,^(FB) and he married Rebekah.^(FC) So she became his wife, and he loved her;^(FD) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.^(FE)