Luke 12:1-28 ▼

1 In the meantime, the vast multitude having been gathered together, so as to tread one upon another, He began to say to His disciples, first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 But nothing has been covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

3 Wherefore, whatsoever ye said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye spake in the ear in the inner chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4 "And I say to you, my friends, be not frightened by those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do;

5 but I will show you Whom ye should fear; fear Him Who, after killing, has authority to cast into Hell; yea, I say to you, fear Him.

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

7 But even the hairs of your head have all been numbered; fear not, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

8 "And I say to you, every one who shall confess Me before men, him will the Son of Man confess before the angels of God;

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

10 And every one who shall say a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven.

11 And, when they bring you in before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say;

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

13 And one out of the multitude said to Him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."

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

15 And He said to them, "Take heed, and guard yourselves from all covetousness; because one's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses."

16 And He spake a parable to them, saying, "A certain rich man's field yielded bountifully;

17 and he reasoned within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, because I have not where to store my fruits?'

18 And he said, 'This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there will I store all my grain and my goods.

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

20 But God said to him, 'Senseless one! this night they require your soul of you; and the things you prepared, whose shall they be?'

21 So is he who is laying up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

22 And He said to His disciples, "Therefore, I say to you, be not anxious for your soul, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on;

23 for the soul is more than the food; and the body, than the clothing.

24 "Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them! Of how much more value are ye than the birds!

25 "And who of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to his stature?

26 If, therefore, ye cannot do the least thing, why are ye anxious about the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and I say to you, even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed as one of these!

28 Now, if God so clotheth the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into an oven, how much more shall He clothe you, O ye of little faith!