Luke 12
Fear God, Not people
1 When the myriads of the crowd were gathered, so as to be trampling each other, he began to be saying to his disciples first: Be guarding yourselves from the leaven, which is hypocrisy, of the Pharisees. 2 For nothing is covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not become known. 3 Rather whatever you say in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you say into the ear in the storehouse will be preached on the houses.4 But I say to you my friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after this are having nothing more to do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear; fear the [one] having authority after killing to throw [you] into Gehenna1 . Yes, I say to you, fear this [one]. 6 Do not five sparrows sell for two farthings? And one of them does not escape notice before God. 7 But even all the hairs [of your] head are numbered. Be not fearing, you are worth many sparrows.
8 But I say to you, everyone who professes2 me before men, the son of man will also profess3 him before the angels of God. 9 But the [one] who denies me before men will he deny before the angels of God.
10 And everyone who will say word against the son of man, it will be forgiven him. But [whoever] slanders against the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven him. 11 But whenever they bring you in before the synagogues and rulers and authorities, be not concerned how or what you should speak in defense or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will give to you in that hour what it is necessary to say.
The Parable of the Rich Landowner
13 But one out of the crowd said to him: Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the inheritance. 14 But he said to him: Man, who appointed me judge or divider over you? 15 But he said to him: Be watching and be guarding from all greed, for not in the abundance of anything is your zoe-life4 , beyond what is sufficient for it. 16 So he spoke to them [a] parable saying: [a] certain rich man's life yielded well. 17 And he was reasoning in himself saying: What will I do, for I do not have anywhere I may gather my fruit? 18 And he said: This will I do: I will tear down the storehouse and will build [a] greater, and I will gather there all my grain and all my good [things], 19 and I will say in my psyche-life5 : Psyche-Life5, you have many good [things] laid up to many years. Be resting, be eating, be drinking, be being glad. 20 But God said to him: Fool, this night your psyche-life5 is demanded back from you. But what you have gathered, for whom6 will they be? 21 Thus is the [one] gathering for himself and not being rich to God.Exhortation Not to Worry
22 But he said to his disciples: Because of this I say to you: Be not being anxious for your psyche-life5, what you shall eat, nor for your body what you shall wear. 23 For the psyche-life5 is more than food and the body [more] than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens that neither sow nor reap, to whom is neither store nor granary, and God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds. 25 But who among you being anxious is able upon his stature to add [a] cubit? 26 If therefore you are incapable of the least, why are you anxious concerning the rest? 27 Consider the lily, which neither spins nor weaves, yet I say to you even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one of these. 28 So if God thus clothes the grass being in the field today and in the furnace being thrown tomorrow, how much more you, O little-faiths? 29 And you be not seeking what you shall eat and what you shall drink, and be not being anxious. 30 For all these do the nations of the world seek. But your father knows that you need these [things]. 31 Rather be seeking his kingdom, and all these [things] will be added.32 Be not fearing, O little flock for your father delights to give to you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to charitable giving. Make for yourselves [a] purse not becoming old, [a] treasure inexhaustible in the heavens, where thief can not draw nigh nor moth spoil, 34 for where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.
Call to Faithful Stewardship
35 Let your loins be girded and your lamps lit. 36 And you [be] like men expecting their lord, when he returns from the wedding, that having come and knocked straightway you may open to him. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom when he comes the lord finds awake7. Truly I say to you that he will gird them and make them recline and coming by he will serve them. 38 And if in the second or in the third watch he come and find them thus, blessed are those. 39 But this you know, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief comes, he would not have allowed [him] to dig through his house. 40 And you be becoming ready, for in what hour you suppose not does the son of man come.41 But Peter said to him: Lord, do you say to us this parable or to all? 42 And the Lord said: Which therefore is the trustworthy shrewd steward whom the Lord appointed over his servants to be giving in the proper-time8 their portion? 43 Blessed is that slave whom when his Lord comes finds him thus doing. 44 Truly I say to you that he will appoint him over all his possessions. 45 But if that slave say in his heart: My Lord delays to come, and begin to beat the boys and girls, to be eating and drinking and getting drunk, 46 the Lord of that slave will have come9 in the day that he does not expect and in the hour which he does not know and will cut him asunder, and his portion will be placed with the unbelieving. 47 But that slave who knows the will of his Lord and not having prepared or done towards his wishes will be beaten much. 48 But the [one] not knowing, but having done worthy of blows, he will be beaten little. For to all to whom much is given, much will be required. And to whom much is entrusted, greater will be asked10 of him.
Not Peace, but Division
49 I came to throw fire on the earth, and what I wish if already kindled. 50 But I have [a] baptism to be baptized, and how I am distressed11 until it be completed. 51 You suppose that I came to give peace to the earth? No, I say to you, but rather division. 52 For it will be from now on five in one house divided, 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 her bride and bride against mother-in-law.Reading the Signs
54 But he was saying also to the crowds: Whenever you see the clouds rise from the west, straightway you say that [a] thunderstorm comes, and thus it comes to pass. 55 And when [there is] a south wind blowing, you say: There will be scorching heat, and it comes to pass. 56 Hypocrites, you know to examine the face of the earth and heaven, but this opportune-time8 you know not how to examine.Clear the Debts
57 But why also from yourselves do you not judge the just [thing]? 58 For as you withdraw with your adversary to the ruler, in the road give pains to be released from him, lest he drag you away to the judge, and the judge deliver you up to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. 59 I say to you, you will not come out from there until you return even the last penny.1"Gehenna" (γεεννα) was a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem that was perpetually on fire.
2or "agrees with"
3or "agree with"
4from ZOE "ZOH-ay" (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected. Although it means 'life' in the conventional sense (for example: Matt.9:18, Matt.27:63, Luke.2:36, Acts.25:24, Rom.7:2, 2Cor.1:8, 1Thes.4:17, 1Tim.5:10, Rev.19:20), Jesus uses ZOE exclusively of 'life eternal' (with the possible exceptions of Luke.15:13, Luke.16:25). The other N.T. writers use ZOE in both senses—temporal and eternal, generally clear from the context. The Father is the 'zoe-living God' (see Matt.16:16). The Septuagint (LXX) in Gen.2:7 has "...[God] breathed into his nostrils the breath of zoe-life, and the man became a zoe-living psyche-life" (and see 1Cor.15:45); and Gen.3:20 (LXX) "And Adam called his wife's name ZOE, because she was the mother of all zoe-living." Contrast PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. See John.12:25 where both ZOE and PSYCHE occur. Greek also has the word BIOS (βιoς ) for 'life' in the sense of biological processes.
5from PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. Animals have PSYCHEs as well as humans. Contrast ZOE (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected.
6or "what"
7or "watchful"
8KAIROS (καιρoς ) `opportune time', `proper time', `season'
9or "be present"
10AITEO "ay-TEH-oh" (αιτεω) "request", "demand", "beg" something for oneself. Far from humbly requesting—it's more like 'demanding'. Jesus uses AITEO only of the prayer of others, not of His own (cf. John.16:26)—and not requesting things for Himself, only for others. AITEO seems to suppose a lesser degree of intimacy than EROTAO (ερωταω), hence AITEO is used of the requests of the disciples to God, but EROTAO of the requests of the disciples to Jesus, and of those of Jesus to the Father ( John.14:16). AITEO is demanding/begging/pleading, EROTAO is polite and friendlier. Both AITEO and EROTAO occur in John.16:26.
11or "urged on"