Luke 12:13-53

The Parable of the Rich Fool

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

Do Not Be Anxious

22And he said to his disciples, ^o“Therefore I tell you, ^pdo not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 ^qConsider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. ^rOf how much more value are you than the birds! 25And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his ^sspan of life? ▼

▼Or  a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

26If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ▼

▼Some manuscripts  Consider the lilies; they neither spin nor weave

yet I tell you, ^veven Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, ^wO you of little faith! 29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor ^xbe worried. 30For ^yall the nations of the world seek after these things, and ^zyour Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, ^aaseek ^abhis ▼

▼Some manuscripts God’s

kingdom, ^adand these things will be added to you.

32 ^ae“Fear not, little ^afflock, for ^agit is your Father’s good pleasure to give you ^ahthe kingdom. 33 ^aiSell your possessions, and ^ajgive to the needy. ^akProvide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with ^ala treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 ^amFor where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You Must Be Ready

35 ^an“Stay dressed for action ▼

▼Greek Let your loins stay girded; compare Exodus 12:11

and ^apkeep your lamps burning, 36and be like men who are ^aqwaiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and ^arknocks. 37 ^asBlessed are those servants ▼

▼Greek bondservants

whom the master finds ^auawake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, ^avhe will dress himself for service and ^awhave them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 ^axBut know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour ^aythe thief was coming, he ▼

▼Some manuscripts add would have stayed awake and

would not have left his house to be broken into. 40You also must be ^baready, for ^bbthe Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41Peter said, “Lord, ^bcare you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42And the Lord said, “Who then is ^bdthe faithful and ^bewise ^bfmanager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 ^bgBlessed is that servant ▼

▼Greek bondservant; also verses 45, 46, 47

whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44Truly, I say to you, ^bihe will set him over all his possessions. 45But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master ^bjis delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and ^bkget drunk, 46the master of that servant will come ^blon a day when he does not expect him and ^bmat an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 ^bnAnd that servant who ^boknew his master’s will but ^bpdid not get ready ^bqor act according to his will, will receive a ^brsevere beating. 48 ^bsBut the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, ^btwill receive a light beating. ^buEveryone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Not Peace, but Division

49 ^bv“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 ^bwI have a baptism to be baptized with, and how ^bxgreat is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 ^byDo you think that I have come to give peace on earth? ^bzNo, I tell you, but rather division. 52For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, ^cafather 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 mother-in-law.”