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when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another, Jesus began to speak first to His disciples, saying, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.
4 “I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
8 “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 “When they bring you before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself, or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you should say.”
13 Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But Jesus replied, “Friend, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Watch out and be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions.”
16 Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a bountiful harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have no room to store my crops?’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. So take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry“ ’.
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you. And the things you have prepared for yourself—whose will they be?’
21 “This is how things are for anyone who stores up treasures for himself but is not rich toward God.”
22 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they don’t have a storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And can any of you add a single hour to his span of life by being anxious? 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not toil or spin; and yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not adorned like one of these. 28 But if that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 So do not keep striving for what you should eat or what you should drink; do not keep worrying. 30 For all the Gentile nations eagerly seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek His kingdom, and all these things will be provided for you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that does not fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35 “Be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning. 36 You must be like people who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can open the door to him straight away. 37 Those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes will be blessed. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself for service, have them recline at the table to eat, and come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and finds them awake, those servants will be blessed. 39 But know this: If the master of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will put in charge over his household, to give his servants their allowance of food at the proper time? 43 The servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes will be rewarded. 44 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delaying his return’, and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. Then he cut the wayward servant in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47 “The servant who knows his master’s will but does not prepare himself or do what is expected of him will be severely beaten. 48 But the one who did not know and did things deserving punishment will beaten with only a few blows. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom must has been entrusted, much more will be required.
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptised with, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, then immediately you say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it does. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘Its going to be hot’; and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, yet why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”