Luk 12:1-21 | ESV | STEP | In 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 .

1 In the meantime, ^awhen so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ^b“Beware of ^cthe leaven of the Pharisees, ^dwhich is hypocrisy. 2 ^eNothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in ^fprivate rooms shall be proclaimed on ^gthe housetops.

Have No Fear

4 “I tell you, my friends, ^hdo not fear 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 him ⁱwho, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. ^{▼▼Greek Gehenna} Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? ^{▼▼Greek two assaria; an assarion was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer)} And ^lnot one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, ^meven the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; ⁿyou are of more value than many sparrows.

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

8 “And I tell you, ^oeveryone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge ^pbefore the angels of God, 9 but ^qthe one who denies me before men ^rwill be denied ^sbefore the angels of God. 10 And ^teveryone who speaks a word ^uagainst the Son of Man ^vwill be forgiven, but the one who ^wblasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 ^xAnd when they ^ybring you before the synagogues and ^zthe rulers and ^aathe authorities, ^abdo not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 ^acfor the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 ^adSomeone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, ^ae“Man, ^afwho made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, ^ag“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, ^ah“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ^ai‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my ^ajbarns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up ^akfor many years; relax, ^aleat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ^am‘Fool! ^anThis night ^aoyour soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, ^apwhose will they be?’ 21 So is the one ^aqwho lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”