Luke 12
New American Standard Bible
God Knows and Cares
12 Under these circumstances, after [a]so many thousands of [b]people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “(A)Beware of the [c]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 (B)But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 3 Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have [d]whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on (C)the housetops.
4 “Now I say to you, (D)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: (E)fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into [e](F)hell; yes, I tell you, fear [f]Him! 6 Are (G)five sparrows not sold for two [g]assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God. 7 (H)But even the hairs of your head are all counted. [h]Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.
8 “Now I say to you, everyone who (I)confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God; 9 but (J)the one who denies Me before people will be denied (K)before the angels of God. 10 (L)And everyone who [i]speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. 11 Now when they bring you before (M)the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not (N)worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; 12 for (O)the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Greed Denounced
13 Now someone [j]in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “[k](P)You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?” 15 But He said to them, “(Q)Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to [l]myself, “(R)You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘(S)You fool! This very night [m](T)your soul is demanded of you; and (U)as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ 21 Such is the one who (V)stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”
22 And He said to His disciples, “(W)For this reason I tell you, [n]do not worry about your [o]life, as to what you are to eat; nor for your body, as to what you are to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the (X)ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor (Y)barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a [p](Z)day to his [q]life’s span? 26 Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor [r]spin; but I tell you, not even (AA)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? (AB)You of little faith! 29 And do not [s]seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not (AC)keep worrying. 30 For [t]all these things are what the nations of the world [u]eagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But [v]seek His kingdom, and (AD)these things will be [w]provided to you. 32 [x](AE)Do not be afraid, (AF)little flock, because (AG)your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.
33 “(AH)Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, (AI)an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34 For (AJ)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Be in Readiness
35 “[y](AK)Be prepared, and keep your (AL)lamps lit. 36 You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find (AM)on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that (AN)he will [z]prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 38 (AO)Whether he comes in the [aa]second watch, or even in the [ab]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 “(AP)But [ac]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be (AQ)broken into. 40 (AR)You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or (AS)to everyone else as well?” 42 And (AT)the Lord said, “(AU)Who then is the faithful and sensible (AV)steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that (AW)slave whom his [ad]master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and will [ae]cut him in two, and assign [af]him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will (AX)receive many blows, 48 but the one who did not (AY)know it, and committed acts deserving of [ag]a beating, will receive only a few blows. (AZ)From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
Christ Divides People
49 “I [ah]have come to cast fire upon the earth; and [ai]how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a (BA)baptism [aj]to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 (BB)Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, (BC)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.”
54 And He was also saying to the crowds, “(BD)Whenever you see a cloud rising [ak]in the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. 55 And whenever you feel a [al]south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a (BE)hot day,’ and it turns out that way. 56 You hypocrites! (BF)You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?
57 “And (BG)why do you not even judge by yourselves what is right? 58 For (BH)when you are going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate, on the way, make an effort to [am]settle with him, so that he does not drag 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 will not get out of there until you have paid up [an]the very last [ao](BI)lepton.”
Footnotes
- Luke 12:1 Lit myriads
- Luke 12:1 Lit the crowd
- Luke 12:1 I.e., fermented dough
- Luke 12:3 Lit spoken to the ear
- Luke 12:5 Gr Gehenna
- Luke 12:5 Lit this one
- Luke 12:6 A Roman copper coin (singular assarion), about 1/16 of a laborer’s daily wage
- Luke 12:7 Or Stop being afraid
- Luke 12:10 Lit will speak
- Luke 12:13 Lit from
- Luke 12:14 Lit Man, who
- Luke 12:19 Lit my soul, “Soul, you have...”
- Luke 12:20 Lit they are demanding your soul from you
- Luke 12:22 Or stop being worried
- Luke 12:22 Lit soul
- Luke 12:25 Lit cubit (about 18 in. or 45 cm)
- Luke 12:25 Or height
- Luke 12:27 I.e., spin thread for cloth
- Luke 12:29 Or keep seeking
- Luke 12:30 Or these things all the nations of the world
- Luke 12:30 Or wish for
- Luke 12:31 Or continually seek
- Luke 12:31 Or added to
- Luke 12:32 Or Stop being afraid
- Luke 12:35 Lit Have your waist belted
- Luke 12:37 Lit belt himself up
- Luke 12:38 I.e., 9 p.m. to midnight
- Luke 12:38 I.e., midnight to 3 a.m.
- Luke 12:39 Lit know
- Luke 12:43 Or lord
- Luke 12:46 Possibly referring to other extreme punishment
- Luke 12:46 Lit his part with
- Luke 12:48 Lit blows
- Luke 12:49 Or came
- Luke 12:49 Lit what do I wish if...?
- Luke 12:50 Lit with which to be baptized
- Luke 12:54 I.e., from the Mediterranean
- Luke 12:55 I.e., from the desert
- Luke 12:58 Lit be rid of him
- Luke 12:59 Lit even the last
- Luke 12:59 The smallest Greek copper coin, about 1/128 of a laborer’s daily wage
Luke 12
Young's Literal Translation
12 At which time the myriads of the multitude having been gathered together, so as to tread upon one another, he began to say unto his disciples, first, `Take heed to yourselves of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy;
2 and there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known;
3 because whatever in the darkness ye said, in the light shall be heard: and what to the ear ye spake in the inner-chambers, shall be proclaimed upon the house-tops.
4 `And I say to you, my friends, be not afraid of those killing the body, and after these things are not having anything over to do;
5 but I will show to you, whom ye may fear; Fear him who, after the killing, is having authority to cast to the gehenna; yes, I say to you, Fear ye Him.
6 `Are not five sparrows sold for two assars? and one of them is not forgotten before God,
7 but even the hairs of your head have been all numbered; therefore fear ye not, than many sparrows ye are of more value.
8 `And I say to you, Every one -- whoever may confess with me before men, the Son of Man also shall confess with him before the messengers of God,
9 and he who hath denied me before men, shall be denied before the messengers of God,
10 and every one whoever shall say a word to the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven to him, but to him who to the Holy Spirit did speak evil, 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 may reply, or what ye may say,
12 for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that hour what it behoveth [you] to say.'
13 And a certain one said to him, out of the multitude, `Teacher, say to my brother to divide with me the inheritance.'
14 And he said to him, `Man, who set me a judge or a divider over you?'
15 And he said unto them, `Observe, and beware of the covetousness, because not in the abundance of one's goods is his life.'
16 And he spake a simile unto them, saying, `Of a certain rich man the field brought forth well;
17 and he was reasoning within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where I shall gather together my fruits?
18 and he said, This I will do, I will take down my storehouses, and greater ones I will build, and I will gather together there all my products and my good things,
19 and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up for many years, be resting, eat, drink, be merry.
20 `And God said to him, Unthinking one! this night thy soul they shall require from thee, and what things thou didst prepare -- to whom shall they be?
21 so [is] he who is treasuring up to himself, and is not rich toward God.'
22 And he said unto his disciples, `Because of this, to you I say, Be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat; nor for the body, what ye may put on;
23 the life is more than the nourishment, and the body than the clothing.
24 `Consider the ravens, that they sow not, nor reap, to which there is no barn nor storehouse, and God doth nourish them; how much better are ye than the fowls?
25 and who of you, being anxious, is able to add to his age one cubit?
26 If, then, ye are not able for the least -- why for the rest are ye anxious?
27 `Consider the lilies, how do they grow? they labour not, nor do they spin, and I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these;
28 and if the herbage in the field, that to-day is, and to-morrow into an oven is cast, God doth so clothe, how much more you -- ye of little faith?
29 `And ye -- seek not what ye may eat, or what ye may drink, and be not in suspense,
30 for all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father hath known that ye have need of these things;
31 but, seek ye the reign of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32 `Fear not, little flock, because your Father did delight to give you the reign;
33 sell your goods, and give alms, make to yourselves bags that become not old, a treasure unfailing in the heavens, where thief doth not come near, nor moth destroy;
34 for where your treasure is, there also your heart will be.
35 `Let your loins be girded, and the lamps burning,
36 and ye like to men waiting for their lord, when he shall return out of the wedding feasts, that he having come and knocked, immediately they may open to him.
37 `Happy those servants, whom the lord, having come, shall find watching; verily I say to you, that he will gird himself, and will cause them to recline (at meat), and having come near, will minister to them;
38 and if he may come in the second watch, and in the third watch he may come, and may find [it] so, happy are those servants.
39 `And this know, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief doth come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through;
40 and ye, then, become ye ready, because at the hour ye think not, the Son of Man doth come.'
41 And Peter said to him, `Sir, unto us this simile dost thou speak, or also unto all?'
42 And the Lord said, `Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the lord shall set over his household, to give in season the wheat measure?
43 Happy that servant, whom his lord, having come, shall find doing so;
44 truly I say to you, that over all his goods he will set him.
45 `And if that servant may say in his heart, My lord doth delay to come, and may begin to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants, to eat also, and to drink, and to be drunken;
46 the lord of that servant will come in a day in which he doth not look for [him], and in an hour that he doth not know, and will cut him off, and his portion with the unfaithful he will appoint.
47 `And that servant, who having known his lord's will, and not having prepared, nor having gone according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes,
48 and he who, not having known, and having done things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few; and to every one to whom much was given, much shall be required from him; and to whom they did commit much, more abundantly they will ask of him.
49 `Fire I came to cast to the earth, and what will I if already it was kindled?
50 but I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I pressed till it may be completed!
51 `Think ye that peace I came to give in the earth? no, I say to you, but rather division;
52 for there shall be henceforth five in one house divided -- three against two, and two against three;
53 a father shall be divided against a son, and a son against a father, a mother against a daughter, and a daughter against a mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.'
54 And he said also to the multitudes, `When ye may see the cloud rising from the west, immediately ye say, A shower doth come, and it is so;
55 and when -- a south wind blowing, ye say, that there will be heat, and it is;
56 hypocrites! the face of the earth and of the heaven ye have known to make proof of, but this time -- how do ye not make proof of [it]?
57 `And why, also, of yourselves, judge ye not what is righteous?
58 for, as thou art going away with thy opponent to the ruler, in the way give diligence to be released from him, lest he may drag thee unto the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and the officer may cast thee into prison;
59 I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till even the last mite thou mayest give back.'
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
