Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1Meanwhile, 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 leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

1In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

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

2Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

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.

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

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

4“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

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!

5But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

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

6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

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

7Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

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

8“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,

9but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

9but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

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.

10And everyone 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.

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

11And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,

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

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

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

13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

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

14But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

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."

15And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

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

16And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

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

17and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’

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.

18And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

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

19And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’

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?'

20But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

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

21So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

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.

22And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.

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

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

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?

24Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

25Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying?

25And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

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

26If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

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.

27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

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?

28But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

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

29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.

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

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

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

31Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

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

32“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

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.

33Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

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

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

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

35“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,

36You are to 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.

36and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.

37Blessed will be those servants the master finds alert when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.

37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.

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

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

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.

39But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.

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

40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

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

41Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?”

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?

42And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

43Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.

43Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

44Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

44Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

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

45But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

46that servant'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 unfaithful.

46the master of that servant 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 put him with the unfaithful.

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

47And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.

48But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.

48But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

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

49“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how it consumes me until it is finished!

50I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!

51Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

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

52From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.

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

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."

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

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.

54He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens.

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

55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens.

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

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

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

57“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

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.

58As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

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

59I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.