Luke 12:1-21 ▼

1 Under 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.

2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be 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 on the housetops.

4 “Now 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.

5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

6 Are five sparrows not sold for two assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God.

7 But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

8 “Now I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God;

9 but the one who denies Me before people 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 the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

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

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

13 Now someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”

14 But He said to him, “You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?”

15 But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.”

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

17 And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

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

19 And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’

20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’

21 Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”