1 I n the meanwhile, when so many thousands of the people had gathered that they were trampling on one another, Jesus commenced by saying primarily to His disciples, Be on your guard against the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 N othing is covered up that it will not be revealed, or hidden that it will not be known.

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

3 W hatever you have spoken in the darkness shall be heard and listened to in the light, and what you have whispered in ears and behind closed doors will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4 I tell you, My friends, do not dread and be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do.

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5 B ut I will warn you whom you should fear: fear Him Who, after killing, has power to hurl into hell (Gehenna); yes, I say to you, fear Him!

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

6 A re not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God.

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

7 B ut the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many of sparrows.

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

8 A nd I tell you, Whoever declares openly and confesses that he is My worshiper and acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man also will declare and confess and acknowledge him before the angels of God.

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

9 B ut he who disowns and denies and rejects and refuses to acknowledge Me before men will be disowned and denied and rejected and refused acknowledgement in the presence of the angels of God.

but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10 A nd everyone who makes a statement or speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit '> intentionally comes short of the reverence due the Holy Spirit], it will not be forgiven him.

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

11 A nd when they bring you before the synagogues and the magistrates and the authorities, do not be anxious how you shall reply in defense or what you are to say.

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

12 F or the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour and moment what ought to say.

for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

13 S omeone from the crowd said to Him, Master, order my brother to divide the inheritance and share it with me.

And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 B ut He told him, Man, who has appointed Me a judge or umpire and divider over you?

And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 A nd He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 T hen He told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man was fertile and yielded plentifully.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 A nd he considered and debated within himself, What shall I do? I have no place to gather together my harvest.

and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 A nd he said, I will do this: I will pull down my storehouses and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain or produce and my goods.

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 A nd I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many good things laid up, for many years. Take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself merrily.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 B ut God said to him, You fool! This very night they will demand your soul of you; and all the things that you have prepared, whose will they be?

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 S o it is with the one who continues to lay up and hoard possessions for himself and is not rich to God.

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

22 A nd said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled about your life, as to what you will eat; or about your body, as to what you will wear.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

23 F or life is more than food, and the body than clothes.

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

24 O bserve and consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more worth are you than the birds!

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

25 A nd which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment of time to his age ?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

26 I f then you are not able to do such a little thing as that, why are you anxious and troubled with cares about the rest?

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

27 C onsider the lilies, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin nor weave; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory (his splendor and magnificence) was not arrayed like one of these.

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 B ut 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, O you of little faith?

If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

29 A nd you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink; nor be of anxious (troubled) mind '> unsettled, excited, worried, and in suspense];

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 F or all the pagan world is seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 O nly aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32 D o not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!

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

33 S ell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

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

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

35 K eep your loins girded and your lamps burning,

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 A nd be like men who are waiting for their master to return home from the marriage feast, so that when he returns from the wedding and comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.

and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 B lessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are those servants whom the master finds awake and alert and watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will gird himself and have them recline at table and will come and serve them!

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 I f he comes in the second watch (before midnight) or the third watch (after midnight), and finds them so, blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are those servants!

And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 B ut of this be assured: if the householder had known at what time the burglar was coming, he would have been awake and alert and watching and would not have permitted his house to be dug through and broken into.

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

40 Y ou also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour and a moment when you do not anticipate it.

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

41 P eter said, Lord, are You telling this parable for us, or for all alike?

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

42 A nd the Lord said, Who then is that faithful steward, the wise man whom his master will set over those in his household service to supply them their allowance of food at the appointed time?

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

43 B lessed (happy and to be envied) is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he arrives.

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

44 T ruly I tell you, he will set him in charge over all his possessions.

Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

45 B ut if that servant says in his heart, My master is late in coming, and begins to strike the menservants and the maids and to eat and drink and get drunk,

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46 T he master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he does not know, and will punish him and cut him off and assign his lot with the unfaithful.

the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47 A nd that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act as he would wish him to act shall be beaten with many.

And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48 B ut he who did not know and did things worthy of a beating shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more.

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

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

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how greatly and sorely I am urged on (impelled, constrained) until it is accomplished!

But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

51 D o you suppose that I have come to give peace upon earth? No, I say to you, but rather division;

Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

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

for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 T hey 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 her mother-in-law.

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

54 H e also said to the crowds of people, When you see a cloud rising in the west, at once you say, It is going to rain! And so it does.

And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

55 A nd when a south wind is blowing, you say, There will be severe heat! And it occurs.

And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56 Y ou playactors (hypocrites)! You know how to discern and interpret and prove the looks of the earth and sky; but how is it that you do not know how to discern and interpret and apply the proof to this present time?

Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

57 A nd why do you not judge what is just and personally decide what is right?

Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

58 T hen as you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make a diligent effort to settle and be quit (free) of him, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

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

I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.