Luke 12:12–21

^12*For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³A man in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.”

¹⁴Jesus answered him, “My friend, who gave me the right to judge or to divide the property between you two?” ¹⁵And he went on to say to them all, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because a person’s true life is not made up of the things he owns, no matter how rich he may be.”

¹⁶Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. ¹⁷He began to think to himself, ‘I haven’t anywhere to keep all my crops. What can I do? ¹⁸This is what I will do,’ he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store my corn and all my other goods. ¹⁹Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?’ ”

²¹And Jesus concluded, “This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God’s sight.”