Luke 12:1–31
1 Under these circumstances, after 1so many thousands of 2people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “aBeware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 “aBut there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
3 “Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have 1whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon athe housetops.
4 “I say to you, aMy friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.
5 “But I will 1warn you whom to fear: afear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into 2bhell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
6 “Are not afive sparrows sold for two 1cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 “aIndeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
8 “And I say to you, everyone who aconfesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;
9 but ahe who denies Me before men will be denied bbefore the angels of God.
10 “aAnd everyone who 1speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.
11 “When they bring you before athe synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not bworry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;
12 for athe Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
13 Someone 1in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”
14 But He said to him, “aMan, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
15 Then He said to them, “aBeware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place 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 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, ayou have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘aYou fool! This very night 1byour soul is required of you; and cnow who will own what you have prepared?’
21 “So is the man who astores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
22 And He said to His disciples, “aFor this reason I say to you, 1do not worry about your 2life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
23 “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
24 “Consider the aravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor bbarn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!
25 “And which of you by worrying can add a single 1ahour to his 2life’s span?
26 “If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?
27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even aSolomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
28 “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? aYou men of little faith!
29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not akeep worrying.
30 “For 1all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.
31 “But seek His kingdom, and athese things will be added to you.