Light-Giving (Luke) 12

 ¹In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trampled each other, He began to say to His disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of The Separates (Pharisees), which is hypocrisy.

² For there is nothing covered, that will not be revealed; neither hid, that will not be known.

³ Therefore, whatever you have spoken in darkness will be heard in the light; and that which you have whispered in closets will be proclaimed on the housetops.

⁴ And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

⁵ But I will forewarn you whom you should fear: Fear Him, who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, Fear Him.

⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

⁷ But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows.

⁸ Also, I say to you, whoever will confess Me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God:

⁹ But he that denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

¹⁰ And whoever will speak a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him: but to him that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost it will not be forgiven.

¹¹ And when they bring you to the synagogues, and to magistrates, and powers, take no thought how or what thing you will answer, or what you will say:

¹² For the Holy Ghost will teach you in that same hour what you ought to say.”

¹³ Then one of the company said to him, “Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ Hia response to him was, “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?”

¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

¹⁶ And He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?’

¹⁸ And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there I will store all my fruits and my goods.

¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have enough goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’

²⁰ But God said to him, “You fool, this night your soul will be required of you: then whose will those things be, which you have provided for yourself?

²¹ So is he that lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

²² And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I say to you, take no thought for your life, what you will eat; neither for the body, what you will wear.

²³ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

²⁴ Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap. They have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them: how much more are you than the fowls?

²⁵ And which of you, with taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit?

²⁶ If you then cannot do this little thing, why worry about the rest?

²⁷ Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say to you, that Peace (Solomon) in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁸ If then God so clothes the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?

²⁹ And seek not what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor be of a doubtful mind.

³⁰ For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knows that you need these things.

³¹ But rather, you seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.

³² Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

³³ Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that fails not, where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupts.

³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

³⁵ Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning.

³⁶ Be like men that wait for their lord, when he returns from the wedding; so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.

³⁷ Blessed are those servants, who when the lord comes, he finds them watching: Truly I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to eat, and will go forth and serve them.

³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or comes in the third watch, and finds them so, blessed are those servants.

³⁹ But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have permitted his house to be broken into.

⁴⁰ Therefore be ready also: for the Son of Man comes at an hour when you think not.”

⁴¹ Then Stone (Peter) said to Him, “Lord, are you speaking this parable to us, or to all?”

⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

⁴³ Blessed is that servant, who when his lord comes, will find him so doing.

⁴⁴ Truthfully, I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and will begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunk;

⁴⁶ The lord of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ The servant, who knew his lord's will, and didn’t prepare himself, and did not do according to his will, will be beaten with many stripes.

⁴⁸ But he who did not know, and committed things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. For to whoever much is given, of him will be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

⁴⁹ I have come to send fire on the earth; and I so wish it was already kindled.

⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I constrained till it is accomplished!

⁵¹ Do you suppose that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, No, but rather division:

⁵² For from here out there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

⁵³ The father will be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

⁵⁴ Then he also said to the people, “When you see a cloud rise out of the west, right away you say, there comes a shower; and so, it is.

⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blow, ye say, there will be heat; and it comes to pass.

⁵⁶ You hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that you do not discern this time?

⁵⁷ Yes, and why do you not judge what is right?

⁵⁸ When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, as you are on the way, give diligence that you might be delivered from him; lest he hand you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison.

⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not depart from there till you have paid the very last penny.”