New American Standard Bible 1995

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all,"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

1In these circumstances, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling on one another. He began to say to His disciples first: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2"But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

2There is nothing covered that won't be uncovered, nothing hidden that won't be made known.

3"Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

3Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

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

4"And I say to you, My friends, don't fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.

5"But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

5But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!

6"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.

6Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight.

7"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

7Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!

8"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;

8"And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God,

9but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

9but whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

10Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11"When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;

11Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don't worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say.

12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

12For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said."

13Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

13Someone from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

14But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?"

14"Friend," He said to him, "who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?"

15Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

15He then told them, "Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one's life is not in the abundance of his possessions."

16And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive.

16Then He told them a parable: "A rich man's land was very productive.

17"And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'

17He thought to himself, What should I do, since I don't have anywhere to store my crops?

18"Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

18I will do this,' he said. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there.

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

19Then I'll say to myself, "You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself."'

20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'

20"But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared--whose will they be?'

21"So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

21"That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

22And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.

22Then He said to His disciples: "Therefore I tell you, don't worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear.

23"For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

23For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.

24"Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!

24Consider the ravens: They don't sow or reap; they don't have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than the birds?

25"And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span?

25Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying?

26"If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

26If then you're not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?

27"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

27"Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don't labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!

28"But 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? You men of little faith!

28If that's how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you--you of little faith?

29"And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.

29Don't keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don't be anxious.

30"For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.

30For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

31"But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

31"But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.

32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

32Don't be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

33"Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.

33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won't grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

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

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

35"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.

35"Be ready for service and have your lamps lit.

36"Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

36You must be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

37"Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.

37Those slaves the master will find alert when he comes will be blessed. I assure you: He will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.

38"Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

38If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, those slaves are blessed.

39"But 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 broken into.

39But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

40"You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."

40You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.""

41Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?"

41Lord," Peter asked, "are You telling this parable to us or to everyone?"

42And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

42The Lord said: "Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time?

43"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

43That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded.

44"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

44I tell you the truth: He will put him in charge of all his possessions.

45"But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;

45But if that slave says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming,' and starts to beat the male and female slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

46the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

46that slave's master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

47"And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,

47And that slave who knew his master's will and didn't prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten.

48but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

48But the one who did not know and did things deserving of blows will be beaten lightly. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.

49"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!

49"I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze!

50"But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

50But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how it consumes Me until it is finished!

51"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;

51Do you think that I came here to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!

52for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

52From now on, five in one household will be 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 daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

53They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

54And He was also saying to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it turns out.

54He also said to the crowds: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, A storm is coming,' and so it does.

55"And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it turns out that way.

55And when the south wind is blowing, you say, It's going to be a scorcher!' and it is.

56"You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?

56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don't you know how to interpret this time?

57"And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?

57"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?

58"For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

58As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won't drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison.

59"I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent."

59I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent."

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.