1 M eanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

In 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.

2 B ut there is nothing covered up, that will not be revealed, nor hidden, that will not be known.

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

3 T herefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Whatever 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.

4 “ I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

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.

5 B ut I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

But 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!

6 “ Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins ? Not one of them is forgotten by God.

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

7 B ut the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.

But 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.

8 “ I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God;

And 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.

9 b ut he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.

But 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.

10 E veryone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

And 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.

11 W hen they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;

And 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.

12 f or the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

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

13 O ne of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

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

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

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

15 H e said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

And 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.

16 H e spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.

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

17 H e reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’

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

18 H e said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

And 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.

19 I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”’

And 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.

20 “ But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’

But 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?

21 S o is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

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

22 H e said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.

And 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.

23 L ife is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

For life is more than food, and the body than clothes.

24 C onsider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!

Observe 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!

25 W hich of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?

And 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 ?

26 I f then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?

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

27 C onsider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Consider 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.

28 B ut if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?

But 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?

29 D on’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.

And 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];

30 F or the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.

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

31 B ut seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

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

32 D on’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

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

33 S ell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys.

Sell 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.

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 “ Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.

Keep your loins girded and your lamps burning,

36 B e like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the marriage feast; that, when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him.

And 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.

37 B lessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them.

Blessed (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!

38 T hey will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so.

If 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!

39 B ut know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into.

But 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.

40 T herefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”

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

41 P eter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”

Peter said, Lord, are You telling this parable for us, or for all alike?

42 T he Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

And 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?

43 B lessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.

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

44 T ruly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has.

Truly I tell you, he will set him in charge over all his possessions.

45 B ut if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken,

But 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,

46 t hen the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.

The 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.

47 T hat servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,

And 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.

48 b ut he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

But 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.

49 “ I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.

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

50 B ut I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

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

51 D o you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.

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

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

For from now on in one house there will be five 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 her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

They 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.

54 H e said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.

He 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.

55 W hen a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.

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

56 Y ou hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time?

You 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?

57 W hy don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

And why do you not judge what is just and personally decide what is right?

58 F or when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

Then 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.

59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny. ”

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