Luke 12:29-34
New English Translation
29 So[a] do not be overly concerned about[b] what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things.[c] 30 For all the nations of the world pursue[d] these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, pursue[e] his[f] kingdom,[g] and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased[h] to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions[i] and give to the poor.[j] Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out—a treasure in heaven[k] that never decreases,[l] where no thief approaches and no moth[m] destroys. 34 For where your treasure[n] is, there your heart will be also.
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- Luke 12:29 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion drawn from the previous illustrations.
- Luke 12:29 tn Grk “do not seek,” but this could be misunderstood to mean that people should make no attempt to obtain their food. The translation “do not be overly concerned” attempts to reflect the force of the original.
- Luke 12:29 tn The words “about such things” have been supplied to qualify the meaning; the phrase relates to obtaining food and drink mentioned in the previous clause.
- Luke 12:30 tn Grk “seek.”
- Luke 12:31 tn Grk “seek,” but in the sense of the previous verses.
- Luke 12:31 tc Most mss (P45 A D1 Q W Θ 070 ƒ1,13 33 M lat sy) read τοῦ θεοῦ (tou theou, “of God”) instead of αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”; found in א B D* L Ψ 579 892 co). But such a clarifying reading is suspect. αὐτοῦ is superior on both internal and external grounds. P75 includes neither and as such would support the translation above since the article alone can often be translated as a possessive pronoun.
- Luke 12:31 sn His (that is, God’s) kingdom is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
- Luke 12:32 tn Or perhaps, “your Father chooses.”
- Luke 12:33 sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.
- Luke 12:33 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.
- Luke 12:33 tn Grk “in the heavens.”
- Luke 12:33 tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”
- Luke 12:33 tn The term σής (sēs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
- Luke 12:34 sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so; see Luke 6:35-36.
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