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.

At that time thousands of people gathered together. There were so many that they walked on each other. Jesus spoke to His twelve followers first, saying, “Look out! Have nothing to do with the yeast of the proud religious law-keepers which is pretending to be something it is not.

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 up that will not be seen. There is nothing hidden that will 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.

What you have said in the dark will be heard in the light. What you have said in a low voice in a closed room will be spoken with a loud voice from the top of houses.

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.

“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and then can do no more.

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!

I will tell you the one to be afraid of. Be afraid of Him Who has power to put you into hell after He has killed you. Yes, I say to you, be afraid of 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 small birds sold for two small pieces of money? God does not forget even one of the birds.

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.

God knows how many hairs you have on your head. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many small birds.

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 tell you, everyone who makes Me known to men, the Son of Man will make him known to 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 whoever acts as if he does not know Me and does not make Me known to men, he will not be spoken of to the angels of God. The Sin That Cannot Be Forgiven

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.

“Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will 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.

When they take you to the places of worship and to the courts and to the leaders of the country, do not be worried about what you should say or how to say it.

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

The Holy Spirit will tell you what you should say at that time.”

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

One of the people said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the riches that our father left us.”

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

Jesus said to him, “Friend, who has told Me to say who should get what?”

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.

Then Jesus said to them all, “Watch yourselves! Keep from wanting all kinds of things you should not have. A man’s life is not made up of things, even if he has many riches.” The Picture-Story of the Rich Fool

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

Then He told them a picture-story, saying, “The fields of a rich man gave much grain.

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

The rich man thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to put the grain.’

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.

Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will take down my grain building and I will build a bigger one. I will put all my grain and other things I own into it.

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, you have many good things put away in your building. It will be all you need for many years to come. Now rest and eat and drink and have lots of fun.”’

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 to him, ‘You fool! Tonight your soul will be taken from you. Then who will have all the things you have put away?’

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

It is the same with a man who puts away riches for himself and does not have the riches of God.” Jesus Teaches about the Cares of This Life

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.

Jesus said to His followers, “Because of this, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you are going to eat. Do not worry about your body, what you are going to wear.

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

Life is worth more than food. The body is worth more than clothes.

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!

Look at the birds. They do not plant seeds. They do not gather grain. They have no grain buildings for keeping grain. Yet God feeds them. Are you not worth more than the birds?

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 ?

“Which of you can make yourself a little taller by worrying?

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 you cannot do that which is so little, why do you worry about other things?

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.

Think how the flowers grow. They do not work or make cloth. Yet, I tell you, that King Solomon in all his greatness was not dressed as well as one of these flowers.

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?

God puts these clothes on the grass of the field. The grass is in the field today and put into the fire tomorrow. How much more would He want to give you clothing? You have so 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];

Do not give so much thought to what you will eat or drink. Do not be worried about it.

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

For all the nations of the world go after these things. Your Father knows you need these things.

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

Instead, go after the holy nation of God. Then all these other things will be given to 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!

Do not be afraid, little flock. Your Father wants to give you the holy nation of God.

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 what you have and give the money to poor people. Have money-bags for yourselves that will never wear out. These money-bags are riches in heaven that will always be there. No robber can take them and no bugs can eat them there.

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

Your heart will be wherever your riches are. Jesus Says to Watch and Be Ready for His Second Coming Be Ready for His Second Coming

35 K eep your loins girded and your lamps burning,

“Be ready and dressed. Have 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.

Be like men who are waiting for their owner to come home from a wedding supper. When he comes and knocks on the door, they will open it for him at once.

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!

Those servants are happy when their owner finds them watching when he comes. For sure, I tell you, he will be dressed and ready to care for them. He will have them seated at the table.

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!

The owner might come late at night or early in the morning. Those servants are happy if their owner finds them watching whenever he comes.

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.

But understand this, that if the owner of a house had known when the robber was coming, he would have been watching. He would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

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.

You must be ready also. The Son of Man is coming at a time when you do not think He will come.” Faithful Servants and Servants Who Are Not Faithful

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

Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this picture-story to us or to all the people?”

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?

The Lord said, “Who is the faithful and wise servant his owner made boss over the others? He is the one who is to have food ready at the right time.

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

That servant is happy who is doing his work when the owner comes.

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

For sure, I tell you, he will make him boss over all he has.

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 what if that servant says to himself, ‘The owner will not be coming soon,’ and then beats the other servants and eats and drinks and gets drunk?

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 owner of that servant will come on a day and at an hour when he is not looking for him. He will cut him in pieces and will put him with those who do not believe.

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.

“The servant who knew what the owner wanted done, but did not get ready for him, or did not do what he wanted done, will be beaten many times.

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 the servant who did not know what his owner wanted done, but did things that would be reason to be beaten, will be beaten only a few times. The man who receives much will have to give much. If much is given to a man to take care of, men will expect to get more from him. Men Are Divided When They Follow Christ

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

“I have come to bring fire down to the earth. I wish it were already started!

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!

I have a baptism to go through. How troubled I am until it is over!

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

Do you think I came to bring peace on the earth? I tell you, no! I came to divide.

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

From now on there will be five in one house divided. Three will be against two and two will be 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 will be against the son. The son will be against the father. The mother will be against the daughter. The daughter will be against the mother. The mother-in-law will be against the daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law will be against the 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.

Then Jesus also said to the people, “When you see a cloud coming in the west, you say at once, ‘It is going to rain.’ And it does.

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

When you see the wind blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And it is.

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?

You who pretend to be someone you are not, you know all about the sky and the earth. But why do you not know what is happening these days?

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

Why do you not know for yourselves 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 a person says you are wrong and takes you to court, try to make it right with him as you go, or he will take you to the head of the court. Then he will take you to the police and you will be put in prison.

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

I tell you, you will not be let out of prison until you have paid the last piece of money of the fine.”