Chapter 12

Now when immense crowds had gathered together, so that they were treading on one another, he began to say to his disciples, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

But there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

For what you have said in darkness will be said in the light; and what you have whispered in the inner chambers will be preached on the housetops. Encouragement in Persecution

"But I say to you, my friends: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

But I will show you whom you shall be afraid of; be afraid of him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell. Yes, I say to you, be afraid of him.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? And yet not one of them is forgotten before God.

Yes, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not be afraid, you are of more value than many sparrows.

"And I say to you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, him will the Son of Man also acknowledge before the angels of God.

But whoever disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

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

"And when they bring you before the synagogues and the magistrates and the authorities, do not be anxious how or wherewith you shall defend yourselves, or what you shall say,

for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." A Warning against Avarice

Now one out of the crowd said to him, "Master, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

But he said to him, "Man, who has appointed me a judge or arbiter over you? "

And he said to them, "Take heed and guard yourselves from all covetousness, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

But he spoke a parable to them, saying, "The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundant crops.

And he began to take thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, for I have no room to store my crops? '

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

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up for many years; take thy ease, eat, drink, be merry. '

But God said to him, 'Thou fool, this night do they demand thy soul of thee; and the things that thou hast provided, whose will they be? '

So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich as regards God." Trust in God

But he said to his disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on.

The life is a greater thing than the food; and the body than the clothing.

Consider the ravens; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storeroom nor barn; yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than they!

But which of you by being anxious about it can add to his stature a single cubit?

Therefore if you are not able to do even a very little thing, why are you anxious concerning the rest?

"Consider how the lilies grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass which flourishes in the field today but tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith!

"And as for you, do not seek what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; and do not exalt yourselves

(for after all these things the nations of the world seek); but your Father knows that you need these things.

But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be given you besides.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.

Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in heaven, where neither thief draws near nor moth destroys.

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. The Watchful Servants

"Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning,

and you yourselves like men waiting for their master's return from the wedding; so that when he comes and knocks, they may straightaway open to him.

Blessed are those servants whom the master, on his return, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, he will gird himself, and will make them recline at table, and will come and serve them.

And if he comes in the second watch, and if in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!

"But of this be assured, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would certainly have watched, and not have let his house be broken into.

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

And Peter said to him, "Lord, dost thou speak this parable for us or for all alike?" Exhortation to Vigilance

And the Lord said, "Who, dost thou think, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will set over his household to give them their ration of grain in due time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find so doing.

Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his goods.

But if that servant says to himself, 'My master delays his coming, ' and begins to beat the menservants and the maids, and to eat and drink, and to get drunk,

the master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect, and in an hour he does not know, and will cut him asunder and make him share the lot of the unfaithful.

But that servant who knew his master's will, and did not make ready for him and did not act according to his will, will be beaten with many stripes.

Whereas he who did not know it, but did things deserving of stripes, will be beaten with few. But of everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and of him to whom they have entrusted much, they will demand the more. The Necessity of Struggle

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled?

But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

Do not think that I came to give peace upon the earth? No, I tell you, but division.

For henceforth in one house five will be divided, three against two, and two against three.

They will be divided, father against son and son against his father; mother against daughter and daughter against the mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." Time for Reconciliation

And he said also to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming, ' and so it comes to pass.

And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be a scorching heat, ' and so it comes to pass.

You hypocrites! you know how to judge the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that you do not judge this time?

But why even of yourselves do you not judge what is right?

"And when thou art going with thy opponent to the ruler, take pains to be quit of him on the way; lest he deliver thee to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

I say to thee, thou wilt not come out from it until thou hast paid the very last mite."