Luke 12:32–46

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give charitable gifts. Make for yourselves money bags that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heavenf where thief does not approach or moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

On the Alert for the Master’s Return

35 “⌊You must be prepared for action⌋g and your* lamps burning. 36 And you, be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast,h so that when he* comes back and knocks, they can open the door* for him immediately. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he returns! Truly I say to you that he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and* serve them. 38 Even if he should come back in the second or in the third watch of the night and find them* like this, blessed are they! 39 But understand this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.”*

A Faithful Slave and an Unfaithful Slave

41 And Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us, or also for everyone?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful wise manager whom the master will put in charge over his servants to give them* their* food allowance at the right time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he* comes back. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave should say ⌊to himself⌋,i ‘My master is taking a long time to return,’ and he begins to beat the male slaves and the female slaves and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two and assign his place with the unbelievers.

f	Or “in the heavens”
g	Literally “your loins must be girded”
*	Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
h	Or perhaps simply “feast”
*	Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“comes back”)
*	Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*	Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“will come by”) has been translated as a finite verb
*	Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*	The words “he will come” are not in the Greek text but are implied
*	Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*	Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
*	Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“comes back”) which is understood as temporal
i	Literally “in his heart”